The charge of the priests and of the Levites, and their portion.
18:1. And the Lord said to Aaron: Thou, and thy sons, and thy father's
house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and
thy sons with thee shall bear the sins of your priesthood.
Thou, and thy father's house with thee, shall bear the iniquity of the
sanctuary... That is, you shall be punished if, through negligence or
want of due attention, you err in the discharge of the sacred functions
for which you were ordained.
18:2. And take with thee thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, and the
sceptre of thy father, and let them be ready in hand, and minister to
thee: but thou and thy sons shall minister in the tabernacle of the
testimony.
18:3. And the Levites shall watch to do thy commands, and about all the
works of the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of
the sanctuary nor the altar, lest both they die, and you also perish
with them.
18:4. But let them be with thee, and watch in the charge of the
tabernacle, and in all the ceremonies thereof. A stranger shall not join
himself with you.
18:5. Watch ye in the charge of the sanctuary, and in the ministry of
the altar: lest indignation rise upon the children of Israel.
18:6. I have given you your brethren the Levites from among the children
of Israel, and have delivered them for a gift to the Lord, to serve in
the ministries of the tabernacle.
18:7. But thou and thy sons look ye to the priesthood: and all things
that pertain to the service of the altar, and that are within the veil,
shall be executed by the priests. If any stranger shall approach, he
shall be slain.
18:8. And the Lord said to Aaron: Behold I have given thee the charge of
my firstfruits. All things that are sanctified by the children of
Israel, I have delivered to thee and to thy sons for the priestly
office, by everlasting ordinances.
18:9. These therefore shalt thou take of the things that are sanctified,
and are offered to the Lord. Every offering, and sacrifice, and
whatsoever is rendered to me for sin and for trespass, and becometh holy
of holies, shall be for thee and thy sons.
18:10. Thou shalt eat it in the sanctuary: the males only shall eat
thereof, because it is a consecrated thing to thee.
18:11. But the firstfruits, which the children of Israel shall vow and
offer, I have given to thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters, by a
perpetual law. He that is clean in thy house, shall eat them.
18:12. All the best of the oil, and of the wine, and of the corn,
whatsoever firstfruits they offer to the Lord, I have given them to
thee.
18:13. All the firstripe of the fruits, that the ground bringeth forth,
and which are brought to the Lord, shall be for thy use: he that is
clean in thy house, shall eat them.
18:14. Every thing that the children of Israel shall give by vow, shall
be thine.
18:15. Whatsoever is firstborn of all flesh, which they offer to the
Lord, whether it be of men, or of beasts, shall belong to thee: only for
the firstborn of man thou shalt take a price, and every beast that is
unclean thou shalt cause to be redeemed,
18:16. And the redemption of it shall be after one month, for five
sicles of silver, by the weight of the sanctuary. A sicle hath twenty
obols.
18:17. But the firstling of a cow, and of a sheep and of a goat thou
shalt not cause to be redeemed, because they are sanctified to the Lord.
Their blood only thou shalt pour upon the altar, and their fat thou
shalt burn for a most sweet odour to the Lord.
18:18. But the flesh shall fall to thy use, as the consecrated breast,
and the right shoulder shall be thine.
18:19. All the firstfruits of the sanctuary which the children of Israel
offer to the Lord, I have given to thee and to thy sons and daughters,
by a perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt for ever before the
Lord, to thee and to thy sons.
A covenant of salt... It is a proverbial expression, signifying a
covenant not to be altered or corrupted; as salt is used to keep things
from corruption; a covenant perpetual, like that by which it was
appointed, that salt should be used in every sacrifice. Lev. 2.
18:20. And the Lord said to Aaron: You shall possess nothing in their
land, neither shall you have a portion among them: I am thy portion and
inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.
18:21. And I have given to the sons of Levi all the tithes of Israel for
a possession, for the ministry wherewith they serve me in the tabernacle
of the covenant:
18:22. That the children of Israel may not approach any more to the
tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin,
Deadly sin... That is, sin which will bring death after it.
18:23. But only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle, and
bear the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in
your generations. They shall not possess any other thing,
18:24. But be content with the oblation or tithes, which I have
separated for their uses and necessities.
18:25. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
18:26. Command the Levites, and declare unto them: When you shall
receive of the children of Israel the tithes, which I have given you,
offer the firstfruits of them to the Lord, that is to say, the tenth
part of the tenth:
18:27. That it may be reckoned to you as an oblation of firstfruits, as
well of the barnfloors as of the winepresses:
18:28. And of all the things of which you receive tithes, offer the
firstfruits to the Lord, and give them to Aaron the priest.
18:29. All the things that you shall offer of the tithes, and shall
separate for the gifts of the Lord, shall be the best and choicest
things.
18:30. And thou shalt say to them: If you offer all the goodly and the
better things of the tithes, it shall be reckoned to you as if you had
given the firstfruits of the barnfloor and the winepress:
18:31. And you shall eat them in all your places, both you and your
families: because it is your reward for the ministry, wherewith you
serve in the tabernacle of the testimony.
18:32. And you shall not sin in this point, by reserving the choicest
and fat things to yourselves, lest you profane the oblations of the
children of Israel, and die.