Num 18:1-10 | HCSB | STEP | The Lord said to Aaron , “You , your sons , and your ancestral house will be responsible for sin against the sanctuary . You and your sons will be responsible for sin involving your priesthood .

Numbers 18:1-10

1 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your ancestral house ^a will be responsible for sin against the sanctuary. You and your sons will be responsible for sin involving your priesthood. 2 But also bring your relatives with you from the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, so they may join you and assist you and your sons in front of the tent of the ^{▼▼testimony: A reference to either the Mosaic law in general or to a specific section of the law, the Ten Commandments, which were written on stone tablets and placed in the ark of the covenant (also called the ark of the testimony)}testimony. ^c 3 They are to perform duties for you and for the whole tent. They must not come near the sanctuary equipment or the altar; otherwise, both they and you will die. 4 They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.

5 “You are to guard the sanctuary and the altar so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again. ^d 6 Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, ^{▼▼LXX, Syr, Vg omit for you} assigned by the Lord to work at the tent of meeting. 7 But you and your sons will carry out your priestly responsibilities for everything concerning the altar and for what is inside the veil, and you will do that work. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, ^{▼▼Or veil. So you are to perform the service; a gift of your priesthood I grant} but an unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary will be put to death.”

Support for the Priests and Levites

8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Look, I have put you in charge of the contributions brought to Me. As for all the holy offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute. ^g 9 A 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(s): An offering given along with animal sacrifices or given by itself. A portion was burnt and the priests and participant ate the remainder.}grain offering, ^{▼▼sin offering(s): Or purification offering, the sin offering was the most important OT sacrifice for cleansing from impurities. It provided purification from sin and certain forms of ceremonial uncleanness.}sin offering, or ^{▼▼restitution offering(s): An offering that was a penalty for unintentional sins, primarily in relation to the tabernacle or temple; traditionally trespass or guilt offering}restitution offering will be most holy for you and your sons. 10 You are to eat it as a most holy offering. ^{▼▼Or it in a most holy place} Every male may eat it; it is to be holy to you.