Numbers 18:21-32

EasyEnglish Bible

²¹ The Israelites give to me one tenth of everything that they receive. I will give it to the Levites because they serve me in the Tent of Meeting. ²² The other Israelites must not come near the Tent of Meeting again. If they do come near it, they will be guilty and then they will die. ²³ Only the Levites must do the work in the Tent of Meeting. And if they do anything wrong there, they will be guilty. That will be a rule for you and for all your descendants. The Levites will not receive any land like the other Israelites do. ²⁴ That is because I have given to the Levites the tithes that the Israelites offer to the Lord. I have told them, “You will not receive any land, like the other Israelites do.” I have given the tithes to them instead.’

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ ‘You must say to the Levites, “You will receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given to you from them. I have not given any land to you. I have given the tithes to you instead. When you receive those tithes, you must offer one tenth of it to the Lord. That will be a tithe of the tithe. ²⁷ This gift will be the same as when a farmer is giving grain or wine to me. It will be special. ²⁸ So you will give something to the Lord from the tithes that you receive from the Israelites. You must give that part to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ From all the gifts that the people give to you, you must make separate every offering that the Lord should have. The best part of each gift is the part that you must make separate for the Lord.”

³⁰ You must say to the Levites, “After you have made the best part of the gift separate for the priests, the other part will belong to the Levites. That will be the grain and the wine that you receive for your food. ³¹ That is what you receive because you take care of the Tent of Meeting. You and your family may eat it anywhere that you choose. ³² You will not be guilty when you eat it. That is because you have offered the best part of it to God. But you must do that in the right way. The gifts that you receive from the Israelites are holy. If you do not do the right things with them, you will die.” ’