New Century Version

Numbers 18:13-27 New Century Version (NCV)

13. When they bring to the Lord all the first things they harvest, they will be yours. Anyone in your family who is clean may eat these things.

14. “Everything in Israel that is given to the Lord is yours.

15. The first one born to any family, whether people or animals, will be offered to the Lord. And that will be yours. But you must make a payment for every firstborn child and every firstborn animal that is unclean.

16. When they are one month old, you must make a payment for them of two ounces of silver, as set by the Holy Place measure.

17. “But you must not make a payment for the firstborn ox or sheep or goat. Those animals are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire. The smell is pleasing to the Lord.

18. But the meat will be yours, just as the breast that is presented and the right thigh will be yours.

19. Anything the Israelites present as holy gifts I, the Lord, give to you, your sons and daughters as your continual portion. This is a lasting agreement of salt before the Lord for you and your children forever.”

20. The Lord also said to Aaron, “You will not inherit any of the land, and you will not own any land among the other people. I will be yours. Out of all the Israelites, only you will inherit me.

21. “When the people of Israel give me a tenth of what they make, I will give that tenth to the Levites. This is their payment for the work they do serving at the Meeting Tent.

22. But the other Israelites must never go near the Meeting Tent, or they will die for their sin.

23. Only the Levites should work in the Meeting Tent and be responsible for any sins against it. This is a rule from now on. The Levites will not inherit any land among the other Israelites,

24. but when the Israelites give a tenth of everything they make to me, I will give that tenth to the Levites as a reward. That is why I said about the Levites: ‘They will not inherit any land among the Israelites.’ ”

25. The Lord said to Moses,

26. “Speak to the Levites and tell them: ‘You will receive a tenth of everything the Israelites make, which I will give to you. But you must give a tenth of that back to the Lord.

27. I will accept your offering just as much as I accept the offerings from others, who give new grain or new wine.