Numbers 18:1-14

¹Yahweh said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your ancestor's clan will be responsible for all sins committed against the sanctuary. But only you and your sons with you will be responsible for all sins committed by anyone in the priesthood.

²As for your fellow members of the tribe of Levi, your ancestors' tribe, you must bring them with you so they may join you and help you when you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the covenant decrees.

³They must serve you and the whole tent. However, they must not come near to anything in the holy place or connected with the altar, or they and also you will die.

⁴They must join you and take care of the tent of meeting, for all the work connected with the tent. A foreigner must not come near you.

⁵You must take responsibility for the holy place and for the altar so that my anger does not come on the people of Israel again.

⁶Look, I myself have chosen your fellow members of the Levites from among the descendants of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to me to do the work connected to the tent of meeting.

⁷But only you and your sons may exercise the priesthood regarding everything connected with the altar and everything inside the curtain. You yourselves must fulfill those responsibilities. I am giving you the priesthood as a gift. Any foreigner who approaches must be put to death.”

⁸Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “Look, I have given you the duty of handling the offerings raised up to me, and all the holy offerings that the people of Israel give to me. I have given these offerings to you and your sons as your ongoing share.

⁹This will belong to you from the most holy things that is kept from the fire. From every offering of theirs—every grain offering, every sin offering, and every guilt offering—they are set apart to you and to your sons.

¹⁰These offerings are very holy; every male must eat it, for they are holy to you.

¹¹These are the offerings that will belong to you, set apart out of all their gifts of the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, your sons, and your daughters, as your portion forever. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your family may eat any of these offerings.

¹²All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and grain, the firstfruits that the people give to me—all these things I have given to you.

¹³The first ripe produce of all that is in their land, which they bring to me, will be yours. Everyone who is clean in your family may eat these things.

¹⁴Every devoted thing in Israel will be yours.