Numbers 18:8–19

SUPPORT FOR THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES

⁸Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Look, I have put you in charge of the contributions^a brought to me. As for all the holy offerings^b of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.^{c 9}A portion of the holiest offerings kept from the fire will be yours; every one of their offerings that they give me, whether the grain offering, sin offering, or guilt offering will be most holy for you and your sons. ¹⁰You are to eat it as a most holy offering.^C Every male may eat it; it is to be holy to you.

¹¹“The contribution of their gifts also belongs to you. I have given all the Israelites’ presentation offerings^d to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute.^e Every ceremonially clean person in your house may eat it. ¹²I am giving you all the best of the fresh oil, new wine, and grain,^f which the Israelites give to the Lord as their firstfruits.^{g 13}The firstfruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, belong to you. Every clean person in your house may eat them.

¹⁴“Everything in Israel that is permanently dedicated to the Lord^h belongs to you. ¹⁵The firstborn of every living thing, human or animal, presented to the Lord belongs to you. But you must certainly redeem a human firstborn,ⁱ and redeem the firstborn of an unclean animal. ¹⁶You will pay the redemption price for a month-old male according to your assessment: five shekels^A of silver by the standard sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.^j

¹⁷“However, you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to splatter their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a food offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. ¹⁸But their meat belongs to you. It belongs to you like the breast of the presentation offering and the right thigh.

¹⁹“I give to you and to your sons and daughters all the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the Lord as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt^k before the Lord for you as well as your offspring.”