Numbers 18 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Yahweh said to Aaron, "You, your sons, and the rest of your father's tribe will bear the consequences for any violations connected to the sacred place. And you and your sons with you will bear the consequences for any violations connected to your priesthood."

"Bring your relatives from the tribe of Levi — your father's tribe — along with you, so they can join you and serve alongside you while you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Covenant."

"They will carry out duties for you and for the whole tent. But they must not come near the sacred equipment or the altar, or both they and you will die."

"They will join with you and take care of the Tent of Meeting — handling all the work connected to the tent. No unauthorized person may come near you."

"You will take charge of the sacred place and the altar so that my anger never erupts against the Israelites again."

"Look — I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to Yahweh, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting."

"But you and your sons — only you — will handle the priestly duties at the altar and behind the curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as a gift of service. Any unauthorized person who comes near will be put to death."

Then Yahweh said to Aaron, "Look — I am putting you in charge of my contributions. Everything the Israelites set apart for me, I am giving to you and your sons as your permanent share."

"This is what will be yours from the most sacred offerings kept from the fire: every offering they bring — whether grain offerings, reparation offerings, or guilt-payment offerings — all of it is most sacred, and it belongs to you and your sons."

"You must eat it as something most sacred. Every male among you may eat it. You must treat it as sacred."

"This also belongs to you: the contribution portions from all the Israelites' wave offerings. I am giving them to you, your sons, and your daughters as a permanent provision. Everyone in your household who is ritually clean may eat them."

"All the best olive oil, the best new wine, and the best grain — the first portions they give to Yahweh — I am giving them to you."

"The first ripe produce of everything in their land that they bring to Yahweh will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ritually clean may eat it."

"Everything in Israel that has been completely devoted to God belongs to you."

"Every firstborn of any creature — human or animal — that is presented to Yahweh will be yours. But you must always buy back every firstborn human, and you must buy back every firstborn of an unclean animal."

"The buy-back price for a month-old child is five pieces of silver, measured by the standard weight of the sacred place — which is twenty gerahs per piece."

"But you must not buy back a firstborn cow, sheep, or goat — they are sacred. You will splash their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to Yahweh."

"But the meat belongs to you, just like the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh — those are yours too."

"All the sacred contributions that the Israelites set apart for Yahweh, I am giving to you, your sons, and your daughters as a permanent provision. This is a permanent, unbreakable covenant before Yahweh for you and your descendants."

Yahweh said to Aaron, "You will not receive any land inheritance among the Israelites, and you won't own any portion of land. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites."

"As for the Levites — I am giving them every tenth portion in Israel as their inheritance, in return for the work they do serving at the Tent of Meeting."

"From now on, the other Israelites must not come near the Tent of Meeting, or they will bear the deadly consequences of their violation."

"The Levites themselves will do the work of the Tent of Meeting and bear responsibility for any violations connected to it. This is a permanent rule for every generation: the Levites will receive no land inheritance among the Israelites."

"Because I am giving the Levites the tenth portion that the Israelites set apart as a contribution to Yahweh — that is their inheritance. That's why I told them they would not receive a land inheritance among the Israelites."

Yahweh said to Moses,

"Tell the Levites: 'When you receive the tenth portion from the Israelites that I am giving you as your inheritance, you must set apart a tenth of that tenth as a contribution to Yahweh.'"

"Your contribution will be credited to you as if it were grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress."

"In this same way, you too must set apart a contribution to Yahweh from every tenth portion you receive from the Israelites. You will give Yahweh's contribution from it to Aaron the priest."

"From everything given to you, you must set apart the full contribution due to Yahweh — from the very best part of it, the sacred portion."

"Tell them: 'Once you have set apart the best of it, the remainder will be credited to the Levites as produce from the threshing floor and the winepress.'"

"You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere — it is your wages in return for your service at the Tent of Meeting."

"And once you have set apart the best portion, you will not be guilty of violating anything. But do not treat the sacred contributions of the Israelites carelessly, or you will die."