The Duties of the Priests and Levites
1 The Lord said to Aaron:
You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. 2 The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. 3 You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. 4 No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or do anything connected with it. 5 Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again.
6 I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. 7 But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.
The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the Lord
(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)8-9 The Lord said to Aaron:
I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. 10 Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.
11 You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. 12 For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. 13 And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
14 Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me will now belong to you.
15 The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But every first-born son and first-born donkey must be bought back from me. 16 The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 17 However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. 18 You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.
19 From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.
20 You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the Lord, and I will give you whatever you need.
What the Levites Receive
The Lord said to Aaron:
21 Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. 22-23 They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do come near must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.
Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own, 24 they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.
What the Levites Must Give
25 The Lord told Moses 26 to say to the Levites:
When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. 27 Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive 28 as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, 29 so the best of what you receive will be mine.
30 After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. 31 Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. 32 You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me.
The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.
Priesteriem un levītiem uzliktā atbildība
1 Un Kungs teica Āronam: “Tu un tavi dēli, un tavs nams līdz ar tevi, jūs nesīsiet vainu par grēku pret svētvietu – tu un tavi dēli līdz ar tevi nesīs vainu par grēku pret savu priesterību! 2 Un ved sev līdzi arī savus brāļus, Levī cilti, tava tēva cilti, lai tie pievienojas tev un kalpo tev, un tu ar saviem dēliem kalpo Liecības telts priekšā. 3 Viņi lai piekalpo tev un lai kalpo teltī, taču svētvietas traukiem vai altārim lai netuvojas, ka nemirst – gan tie, gan jūs. 4 Lai tie nāk tev līdzi un kalpo Saiešanas teltī, lai dara visu, kas teltī jādara, bet svešinieks jums lai netuvojas. 5 Kalpojiet svētvietā un kalpojiet altārī – tad dusmas vairs nenāks pār Israēla dēliem. 6 Un es, redzi, esmu ņēmis jūsu brāļus levītus no Israēla dēliem jums par dāvanu – tie ir atdoti Kungam, lai kalpotu Saiešanas teltī. 7 Tu un tavi dēli lai savā priesterībā kalpo pie visām altāra lietām un pie tā, kas aiz priekškara, – tur jūs kalposiet! Es dodu jums priesterību kā dāvanu. Svešinieks, kas tur tuvojas, lai mirst!”
Priesteru daļa
8 Un Kungs sacīja Āronam: “Es, redzi, esmu atdevis tavā uzraudzībā visu, kas man upurēts, – no visiem Israēla dēlu svētumiem es esmu tev devis daļu, un tas ir mūžīgs likums taviem dēliem. 9 Tas tev tiks no svētumu svētumiem, no dedzināmajiem upuriem – visas viņu upurveltes, visas viņu labības dāvanas, visi grēku upuri un visi vainas upuri, ko tie dod man, – tas būs svētumu svētums tev un taviem dēliem! 10 Ēdiet to svētumu svētumā, ik vīrs lai ēd to! Tas tev svēts! 11 Arī šis ir tev – viņu cilājamā upurdāvana par visiem Israēla dēlu līgojamiem upuriem ir atdota tev un taviem dēliem, un tavām meitām ar mūžīgu likumu, – ikviens, kas tavā namā šķīsts, lai to ēd! 12 Labākais no eļļas un labākais no vīna un labības pirmā vākuma, ko tie dod Kungam, – tas tev! 13 Pirmie augļi, ko tie pienes Kungam no visa, kas viņu zemēs, tiks tev – ikviens, kas šķīsts tavā namā, lai tos ēd! 14 Viss, kas upurēts Israēlā, būs tavs! 15 Visi, kas pirmie no klēpja nākuši, ko tie no cilvēka vai lopa pienes Kungam, būs tev! – taču cilvēka pirmdzimtie tev ir jāizpērk, un nešķīsto lopu pirmdzimtie tev ir jāizpērk! 16 Šāds ir to izpirkums – mēneša laikā tu vari tos izpirkt ar sudrabu pēc tava vērtējuma, ar pieciem šekeļiem pēc svētvietas šekeļa, tas ir divdesmit geras. 17 Taču govs pirmdzimto vai avs pirmdzimto, vai kazas pirmdzimto tu neizpērc, tie ir svēti – slaki to asinis pār altāri un to taukus kvēpini kā dedzināmo upuri par tīkamu smaržu Kungam! 18 To gaļa tiks tev tāpat kā līgojamā upura krūts gabals un labā ciska. 19 Visus svētos cilājamos upurus, ko upurējuši Israēla dēli, es esmu devis tev un taviem dēliem, un tavām meitām par likumīgo daļu uz mūžiem – tā ir sāls derība uz mūžiem Kunga priekšā – tev un taviem pēcnācējiem!” 20 Un Kungs sacīja Āronam: “Viņu zemē tev nebūs ne mantojuma, ne kopīgas daļas ar tiem – es esmu tava daļa un tavs mantojums starp Israēla dēliem!
21 Un, redzi, Levī dēliem es esmu atdevis visas Israēla dēlu dotās desmitās tiesas par mantojumu, kā atlīdzību par viņu kalpošanu, ka tie kalpo Saiešanas teltī. 22 Israēla dēli Saiešanas teltij lai vairs netuvojas – jo tad tie būs grēkojuši un mirs! 23 Lai levīti dara Saiešanas telts darbus un nes savu vainu – tas jums ir mūžīgs likums uz paaudzēm. Lai tiem nav mantojuma kā citiem Israēla dēliem, 24 jo visas desmitās tiesas, ko dod Israēla dēli par cilājamo upuri Kungam, es esmu atdevis par mantojumu levītiem, tādēļ es tiem teicu: lai tiem nav mantojuma kā citiem Israēla dēliem!”
25 Un Kungs sacīja Mozum: 26 “Runā uz levītiem un saki tiem: kad jūs ņemat no Israēla dēliem desmitās tiesas, ko es jums no tiem esmu devis par mantojumu, tad pienesiet no tām cilājamo upuri Kungam – desmito tiesu no desmitās tiesas. 27 Un jūsu cilājamais upuris jums tiks atmaksāts kā labība no kuļamā klona un vīnspaida pārpilnība! 28 Tā upurējiet Kungam cilājamo upuri no visām jūsu desmitajām tiesām, ko ņemat no Israēla dēliem, dodiet no tām Kunga upurdāvanu priesterim Āronam. 29 No visām savām dāvanām upurējiet Kungam cilājamo upuri – tā treknumu, tā svētīto daļu! – 30 un saki tiem: kad jūs būsiet upurējuši tā treknumu, tad tas tiks atmaksāts jums kā labība no kuļamā klona un vīnspaida pārpilnība! 31 Jūs drīkstat to ēst visur, jūs un jūsu tēva nams, jo tā ir jūsu alga, atlīdzība par jūsu kalpošanu Saiešanas teltī. 32 Kad būsiet upurējuši tā treknumu, jums vairs nebūs grēka. Neapgāniet Israēla dēlu svētumus, tad jūs nemirsiet!”
