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 ^sbrought to Me. As for all the holy offerings ^tof the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute. ^u9A 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 restitution offering will be most holy for you and your sons. ¹⁰You are to eat it as a most holy offering. ^vEvery 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 ^wto you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. ^xEvery ceremonially clean person in your house may eat it. ¹²I am giving you all the best of the fresh olive oil, new wine, and grain, ^ywhich the Israelites give to the Lord as their firstfruits. ^z13The 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 ^abelongs to you. ¹⁵The firstborn of every living thing, man or animal, presented to the Lord belongs to you. But you must certainly redeem the firstborn of man, ^band redeem the firstborn of an unclean animal. ¹⁶You will pay the redemption price for a month-old male according to your assessment: five shekels of silver by the standard sanctuary shekel, which is 20 gerahs. ^c

¹⁷“However, you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a fire 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 ^dbefore the Lord for you as well as your offspring.”