New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 18
1
The Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, "You, your sons and your father's family are in charge of the sacred tent. You will be held accountable for sins that are committed against it. And you and your sons will be held accountable for sins that are committed against the office of priest.
Reference
2
"Bring the Levites from your tribe to join you. They will help you when you and your sons serve at the tent where the tablets of the covenant are kept.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 29:34
3
They will work for you. They must do everything that needs to be done at the tent. But they must not go near anything that belongs to the sacred tent. And they must not go near the altar. If they do, they and you will die.
Reference
4
They will help you take care of the Tent of Meeting. They will join you in all of the work at the tent. No one else can come near you there.
5
"You will be held accountable for taking care of the sacred tent and the altar. Then my anger will not fall on the people of Israel again.
Reference
6
I myself have chosen the Levites. I have chosen them from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you. I have set them apart to do the work at the Tent of Meeting.
Reference
7
"But only you and your sons can serve as priests. Only you and your sons can work with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am letting you serve as priests. It is a gift from me. Anyone else who comes near the sacred tent must be put to death."
Reference
8
Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, "I have put you in charge of the offerings that are brought to me. The people of Israel will give me holy offerings. I will give all of their offerings to you and your sons. They are the part that belongs to you. They are your regular share.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 6:16
Exodus 29:29
Exodus 40:15
Exodus 40:13
Leviticus 7:6
Sacrifice
Leviticus 6:18
9
"You will have a part of the very holy offerings. It is the part that is not burned in the fire. That part belongs to you and your sons. You will have a part of all of the gifts the people bring me as very holy offerings. It does not matter whether they are grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings.
Reference
10
Eat your part as something that is very holy. Every male will eat it. You must consider it holy.
Reference
11
"Part of the gifts the people of Israel bring as wave offerings will be set to one side. That part will also belong to you. I will give it to you and your sons and daughters. It is your regular share. Everyone in your home who is 'clean' can eat it.
Reference
12
"I will give you all of the finest olive oil and grain the people give me. And I will give you all of the finest fresh wine they give me. They give all of those things as the first share of their harvest.
Reference
13
All of the first shares of the harvest they bring me will belong to you. Everyone in your home who is 'clean' can eat it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 22:29
14
"Everything in Israel that is set apart to me belongs to you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 27:28
15
Offer to me every male that is born first to its mother. It belongs to you. That is true for men and animals alike. But you must buy back every oldest son. Suppose certain animals are not 'clean.' Then you must buy back every male that is born first to its mother.
Reference
16
When they are a month old, you must buy them back. You must pay the price to buy them back. The price is set at two ounces of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent.
Reference
17
"But you must not buy back any male calf that is born first. And you must not buy back any male sheep or goat that is born first. They are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar. And burn their fat as an offering that is made with fire. It gives a smell that is pleasant to me.
18
"The meat will belong to you. It is just like the breast and the right thigh of the wave offering. Those parts belong to you.
19
Part of the holy offerings the people of Israel bring to me will be set to one side. No matter what it is, I will give it to you and your sons and daughters. It is your regular share. It is a covenant of salt from me. The salt means that the covenant will last for all time to come for you and your children."
Reference
20
The Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, "You will not receive any part of the land I am giving to Israel. You will not have any share among them. I am your share. I am what you will receive among the people of Israel.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 14:27
Joshua 14:3
Revelation 21:3
References Israel
Ezekiel 44:28
References Lord
Deuteronomy 10:9
Joshua 13:33
Lamentations 3:24
Deuteronomy 12:12
Psalm 142:5
Psalm 16:5
21
"The people of Israel will give me a tenth of everything they produce. And I will give it to the Levites. They serve at the Tent of Meeting. I will give them the tenth for the work they do there.
Reference
22
From now on the people of Israel must not go near the Tent of Meeting. If they do, they will be punished for their sin. They will die.
Reference
Sin
Leviticus 22:9
23
"The Levites will do the work at the Tent of Meeting. They will be held accountable for sins that are committed against it. That is a law that will last for all time to come. The Levites will not receive any share among the people of Israel.
Reference
Temple
Numbers 3:7
24
Instead, I will give the Levites the tenth as their share. It is the tenth that the people of Israel bring me as an offering. That is why I said the Levites would not have any share of land among the people of Israel."
Reference
Sacrifice
Numbers 18:26
25
The Lord said to Moses,
26
"Speak to the Levites. Say to them, 'You will receive the tenth from the people of Israel. I will give it to you as your share. When I do, you must give a tenth of that tenth as an offering to the Lord.
Reference
27
Your offering will be considered as if you gave grain from a threshing floor. It will be considered as juice from a winepress.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 18:30
28
" 'In that way, you also will bring an offering to the Lord. You will bring it from the tenth you receive from the people of Israel. You must give the Lord's part to the priest Aaron. You must bring it from the tenth you receive.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 14:18
29
You must bring to the Lord a part of everything that is given to you. It must be the best and holiest part.'
30
"Say to the Levites, 'You must bring the best part. Then it will be considered as if you gave grain from a threshing floor. It will be considered as juice from a winepress.
31
You and your families can eat the rest of it anywhere. It is your pay for your work at the Tent of Meeting.
Reference
Chapter Summary
Numbers 18 presents the guidelines for the responsibilities of Aaron, his sons, and his nephew’s family concerning the tabernacle. After the conflict with Korah, many Israelites feared that all who drew near would die (Numbers 18:1). God specified who among the Israelites was responsible for the tabernacle furnishings and directed how the priests and Levites should serve at the Most Holy Place.
God warned Aaron that his family had to bear the responsibility of the sanctuary. He told Aaron that his sons and his father’s household would be entrusted with the duty of caring for the tabernacle and teaching the people (Numbers 18:5-6). Aaron and his sons had the honor of the priesthood, but the Levites were to serve them by assisting with the tasks of the tabernacle. The Levites were forbidden to touch the holy things, and any such Levite who approached the altar would have brought guilt upon the priests (Numbers 18:1-8). God laid out these restrictions to distinguish between the priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites to prevent others from serving at the Most Holy Place. The priests, however, had to safeguard the Most Holy Place, ensuring that no one brought sacrifices of their choosing (Numbers 18:9-12). It was the Levites’ duty to assist the priests at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:13-19).
God instructed Aaron that he had chosen the priests for service at the Most Holy Place. The priesthood was a family order, and Aaron and his sons had to accept that it had been set apart for a holy task (Numbers 18:20-21). Because of their duties relating to the Most Holy Place, the priests had to show due reverence (Numbers 18:22).
The passage went on to explain the portions of various sacrifices that belonged to the priests. Certain portions of the grain offering, sin offering, and trespass offering were designated for Aaron and his sons. Additionally, the priests were entitled to a share of the Israelites’ gifts. All these scriptures revealed that the priests had a right to the most holy offerings, which had to be eaten in a holy place and by clean people (Numbers 18:23-24).
God provided for the priests because they had no inheritance among their brethren (Numbers 18:25). It was thus fitting that the priests received a share of the gifts presented at the Most Holy Place. Furthermore, Aaron and his sons were to be given the firstfruits of the land (Numbers 18:26). It was the responsibility of the priests to ensure that the first tithe that the Israelites gave belonged to God. The first sons of the Israelites belonged to God, but they could be redeemed for five shekels (Numbers 18:27-32). Similarly, the firstborn of unclean beasts had to be redeemed, but the Israelites could offer the clean beasts to God (Numbers 18:31). The redemption money was to be given to the priests as compensation for caring for the firstfruits of Israel (Numbers 18:32).
The priests also received the firstborn sons of the Israelites. The passage explained that the redemption money for the firstborn sons was to be given to the priests. Just as Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to God. However, instead of the Israelites serving at the Most Holy Place, they had to pay a certain amount of money to the priests. The Levites had to serve at the Most Holy Place in place of the firstborn sons of Israel (Numbers 18:33-36).
The Levites, in turn, belonged to God and were to serve at the tabernacle. The Levites received a tenth of the Israelites’ produce as their share for serving at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:37-38). God ordered the priests to separate a tenth of the Levites’ tithe as the Lord’s heave offering (Numbers 18:27). The Levites had to give this tenth to Aaron concerning the service that he performed at the Most Holy Place. The Israelites had to bring the best gifts to God, and so it was fitting that the Levites brought a tenth of their tithe to the Lord. Furthermore, the Levites could consider the tithe that they received from the Israelites as their wages. Thus, they had to give the best of it as an offering to God (Numbers 18:39).
God instructed Moses to tell the Levites that whenever the Levites brought a tenth of the Israelites’ produce to Aaron, it should be considered as a gift from their own threshing floors and winepresses (Numbers 18:38). Therefore, the Levites had to give their best to the Lord concerning the service that they rendered at the Most Holy Place.
Finally, the Scripture declared that the Levites had no share of the inheritance of the Israelites. The Levites’ inheritance was the tithe of the Israelites that God had given to them (Numbers 18:39). Therefore, the Levites had to bring a tenth of the tithe to the Lord as the heave offering and give their wages to Aaron in accordance with the service that he rendered at the Most Holy Place (Numbers 18:32).
God warned Aaron that his family had to bear the responsibility of the sanctuary. He told Aaron that his sons and his father’s household would be entrusted with the duty of caring for the tabernacle and teaching the people (Numbers 18:5-6). Aaron and his sons had the honor of the priesthood, but the Levites were to serve them by assisting with the tasks of the tabernacle. The Levites were forbidden to touch the holy things, and any such Levite who approached the altar would have brought guilt upon the priests (Numbers 18:1-8). God laid out these restrictions to distinguish between the priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites to prevent others from serving at the Most Holy Place. The priests, however, had to safeguard the Most Holy Place, ensuring that no one brought sacrifices of their choosing (Numbers 18:9-12). It was the Levites’ duty to assist the priests at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:13-19).
God instructed Aaron that he had chosen the priests for service at the Most Holy Place. The priesthood was a family order, and Aaron and his sons had to accept that it had been set apart for a holy task (Numbers 18:20-21). Because of their duties relating to the Most Holy Place, the priests had to show due reverence (Numbers 18:22).
The passage went on to explain the portions of various sacrifices that belonged to the priests. Certain portions of the grain offering, sin offering, and trespass offering were designated for Aaron and his sons. Additionally, the priests were entitled to a share of the Israelites’ gifts. All these scriptures revealed that the priests had a right to the most holy offerings, which had to be eaten in a holy place and by clean people (Numbers 18:23-24).
God provided for the priests because they had no inheritance among their brethren (Numbers 18:25). It was thus fitting that the priests received a share of the gifts presented at the Most Holy Place. Furthermore, Aaron and his sons were to be given the firstfruits of the land (Numbers 18:26). It was the responsibility of the priests to ensure that the first tithe that the Israelites gave belonged to God. The first sons of the Israelites belonged to God, but they could be redeemed for five shekels (Numbers 18:27-32). Similarly, the firstborn of unclean beasts had to be redeemed, but the Israelites could offer the clean beasts to God (Numbers 18:31). The redemption money was to be given to the priests as compensation for caring for the firstfruits of Israel (Numbers 18:32).
The priests also received the firstborn sons of the Israelites. The passage explained that the redemption money for the firstborn sons was to be given to the priests. Just as Israel had been redeemed from Egypt, the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to God. However, instead of the Israelites serving at the Most Holy Place, they had to pay a certain amount of money to the priests. The Levites had to serve at the Most Holy Place in place of the firstborn sons of Israel (Numbers 18:33-36).
The Levites, in turn, belonged to God and were to serve at the tabernacle. The Levites received a tenth of the Israelites’ produce as their share for serving at the tabernacle (Numbers 18:37-38). God ordered the priests to separate a tenth of the Levites’ tithe as the Lord’s heave offering (Numbers 18:27). The Levites had to give this tenth to Aaron concerning the service that he performed at the Most Holy Place. The Israelites had to bring the best gifts to God, and so it was fitting that the Levites brought a tenth of their tithe to the Lord. Furthermore, the Levites could consider the tithe that they received from the Israelites as their wages. Thus, they had to give the best of it as an offering to God (Numbers 18:39).
God instructed Moses to tell the Levites that whenever the Levites brought a tenth of the Israelites’ produce to Aaron, it should be considered as a gift from their own threshing floors and winepresses (Numbers 18:38). Therefore, the Levites had to give their best to the Lord concerning the service that they rendered at the Most Holy Place.
Finally, the Scripture declared that the Levites had no share of the inheritance of the Israelites. The Levites’ inheritance was the tithe of the Israelites that God had given to them (Numbers 18:39). Therefore, the Levites had to bring a tenth of the tithe to the Lord as the heave offering and give their wages to Aaron in accordance with the service that he rendered at the Most Holy Place (Numbers 18:32).