Liber Numeri 18

1 Dixitque Dominus ad Aaron: Tu, et filii tui, et domus patris tui tecum portabitis iniquitatem Sanctuarii: et tu et filii tui simul sustinebitis peccata sacerdotii vestri.

And Yahweh said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and the house of thy father with thee, shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, —and, thou, and thy sons with thee, shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

2 sed et fratres tuos de tribu Levi, et sceptrum patris tui sume tecum, præstoque sint, et ministrent tibi: tu autem et filii tui ministrabitis in tabernaculo testimonii.

Therefore also thy brethren of the tribe of Levi the stem of thy father, bring thou near with thee, and let them be joined unto thee, and let them wait upon thee, —both on thee and on thy sons with thee, before the tent of the testimony.

3 Excubabuntque Levitæ ad præcepta tua, et ad cuncta opera tabernaculi: ita dumtaxat, ut ad vasa Sanctuarii et ad altare non accedant, ne et illi moriantur, et vos pereatis simul.

So shall they keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tent, —only, unto the vessels of the sanctuary, and unto the altar, shall they not come near, lest they die—both they, and ye.

4 sint autem tecum, et excubent in custodiis tabernaculi, et in omnibus cæremoniis eius. Alienigena non miscebitur vobis.

So shall they be joined unto thee, and shall keep the charge of the tent of meeting, as to all the laborious work of the tent, —but a stranger, shall not come near unto you.

5 Excubate in custodia Sanctuarii, et in ministerio altaris: ne oriatur indignatio super filios Israel.

So shall ye keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, —that there no more be wrath against the sons of Israel.

6 Ego dedi vobis fratres vestros Levitas de medio filiorum Israel, et tradidi donum Domino, ut serviant in ministeriis tabernaculi eius.

I, therefore, lo! I have taken your brethren the Levites, out of the midst of the sons of Israel, —unto you, as a gift are they given, unto Yahweh, to do the laborious work of the tent of meeting.

7 Tu autem et filii tui custodite sacerdotium vestrum: et omnia quæ ad cultum altaris pertinent, et intra velum sunt, per sacerdotes administrabuntur. si quis externus accesserit, occidetur.

But thou and thy sons with thee, shall keep the charge of your priesthood, as to every matter of the altar and as to the interior of the veil, and shall do the laborious work, as a laborious service of gifts, do I give your priesthood, and, the stranger who cometh near shall be put to death.

8 Locutusque est Dominus ad Aaron: Ecce dedi tibi custodiam primitiarum mearum. Omnia quæ sanctificantur a filiis Israel, tradidi tibi et filiis tuis pro officio sacerdotali legitima sempiterna.

And Yahweh spake unto Aaron, I, therefore, lo! I have given unto thee the charge of my heave-offerings, —as to all the hallowed things of the sons of Israel—unto thee, have I given them. as pertaining to the anointing, and unto thy sons. for a statute age-abiding,

9 Hæc ergo accipies de his, quæ sanctificantur et oblata sunt Domino. Omnis oblatio, et sacrificium, et quidquid pro peccato atque delicto redditur mihi, et cedit in Sancta sanctorum, tuum erit, et filiorum tuorum.

This, shall be thine, out of the things most holy, out of the fire, —their every oblation—to the extent of their every meal-offering, and their every sin-bearer, and their every guilt-bearer wherewith they make amends unto me, most holy unto thee, shall it be and unto thy sons.

10 In Sanctuario comedes illud: mares tantum edent ex eo, quia consecratum est tibi.

As something most holy, shall ye eat it, —every male, shall eat it, holy, shall it be unto thee.

11 Primitias autem, quas voverint et obtulerint filii Israel, tibi dedi, et filiis tuis, ac filiabus tuis iure perpetuo. qui mundus est in domo tua, vescetur eis.

This, therefore, shall be thine—the heave-offering of their gift even all the wave-offerings of the sons of Israel, unto thee, have I given them and unto thy sons and unto thy daughters with thee by a statute age-abiding, —every one that is clean in thy house, shall eat it.

12 Omnem medullam olei, et vini, ac frumenti, quidquid offerunt primitiarum Domino, tibi dedi.

All the best of oil, and all the best of new-wine and corn, —the firstfruits thereof which they shall give unto Yahweh, unto thee, have I given them.

13 Universa frugum initia, quas gignit humus, et Domino deportantur, cedent in usus tuos: qui mundus est in domo tua, vescetur eis.

The firstfruits of all that is in their land which they shall bring in unto Yahweh, thine, shall it be, —every one that is clean in thy house, shall eat it:

14 Omne quod ex voto reddiderint filii Israel, tuum erit.

every devoted thing in Israel, thine, shall it be:

15 Quidquid primum erumpit e vulva cunctæ carnis, quam offerunt Domino, sive ex hominibus, sive de pecoribus fuerit, tui iuris erit: ita dumtaxat, ut pro hominis primogenito pretium accipias, et omne animal quod immundum est, redimi facias,

every thing that is born first of all flesh that may be offered unto Yahweh among men and among beasts, shall be thine, —only thou shalt, redeem, the firstborn of men, and the firstborn of unclean beasts, shalt thou redeem.

16 cuius redemptio erit post unum mensem, siclis argenti quinque, pondere Sanctuarii. Siclus viginti obolos habet.

And, as to the redemption price thereof, from a month old, shalt thou redeem, by thine estimate five shekels of silver by the shekel of the sanctuary, —twenty gerahs, it is.

17 Primogenitum autem bovis et ovis et capræ non facies redimi, quia sanctificata sunt Domino. sanguinem tantum eorum fundes super altare, et adipes adolebis in suavissimum odorem Domino.

Only a firstling ox or a firstling sheep or a firstling goat, shalt thou not redeem, hallowed, they are, —their blood, shalt thou dash against the altar and of their fat, shalt thou make a perfume, an altar-flame, for a satisfying odour unto Yahweh:

18 Carnes vero in usum tuum cedent, sicut pectusculum consecratum, et armus dexter, tua erunt.

and their flesh, shall be thine, —as the wave-breast and as the right leg, thine, shall it be:

19 Omnes primitias Sanctuarii, quas offerunt filii Israel Domino, tibi dedi et filiis, ac filiabus tuis iure perpetuo. Pactum salis est sempiternum coram Domino, tibi ac filiis tuis.

all the heave-offerings of the holy things which the sons of Israel shall heave up unto Yahweh, have I given unto thee and unto thy sons and unto thy daughters with thee by a statute age-abiding, —an age-abiding covenant of salt, it is before Yahweh, for thee and for thy seed with thee.

20 Dixitque Dominus ad Aaron: In terra eorum nihil possidebitis, nec habebitis partem inter eos: ego pars et hereditas tua in medio filiorum Israel.

Then said Yahweh unto Aaron: In their land, thou shalt have no inheritance, and no allotted portion, shalt thou have in their midst, —I, am thine allotted portion and thine inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel.

21 Filiis autem Levi dedi omnes decimas Israelis in possessionem pro ministerio quo serviunt mihi in tabernaculo fœderis:

And unto the sons of Levi, lo! I have given all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, —the allotted portion for their laborious work which, they are performing, the laborious work of the tent of meeting:

22 ut non accedant ultra filii Israel ad tabernaculum, nec committant peccatum mortiferum,

that the sons of Israel come near no more, unto the tent of meeting, —to bear sin, to die.

23 solis filiis Levi mihi in tabernaculo servientibus, et portantibus peccata populi. legitimum sempiternum erit in generationibus vestris. Nihil aliud possidebunt,

So shall the Levites themselves perform the laborious work of the tent of meeting, and, they, shall bear their iniquity, a statute age-abiding, unto your generations, and in the midst of the sons of Israel, shall they take no inheritance.

24 decimarum oblatione contenti, quas in usus eorum et necessaria separavi.

Because the tenth of the sons of Israel which they shall offer up unto Yahweh as a heave-offering, have I given unto the Levites as an inheritance, —for this cause, said I regarding them, In the midst of the sons of Israel, shall they take no inheritance.

25 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:

26 Præcipe Levitis, atque denuncia: Cum acceperitis a filiis Israel decimas, quas dedi vobis, primitias earum offerte Domino, id est, decimam partem decimæ,

Unto the Levites, therefore shalt thou speak and shalt say unto them, When ye shall take of the sons of Israel the tenth which I have given unto you from them as your inheritance, then shall ye offer up therefrom the heave-offering of Yahweh, a tenth of the tenth.

27 ut reputetur vobis in oblationem primitivorum, tam de areis quam de torcularibus:

So shall your heave-offering be reckoned your own, —as corn out of the threshing-floor, and as the abundance out of the wine-press.

28 et universis quorum accipitis primitias, offerte Domino, et date Aaron sacerdoti.

Thus, shall ye also, offer up the heave-offering of Yahweh, out of all your tenths which ye shall take from the sons of Israel, —and give therefrom the heave-offering of Yahweh, unto Aaron the priest.

29 Omnia quæ offeretis ex decimis, et in donaria Domini separabitis, optima et electa erunt.

Out of all your gifts, shall ye offer up every heave-offering of Yahweh, —out of all the best thereof, the hallowed pert thereof out of it.

30 Dicesque ad eos: Si præclara et meliora quæque obtuleritis ex decimis, reputabitur vobis quasi de area et torculari dederitis primitias:

And thou shalt say unto them, —When ye offer the best thereof out of it, then shall it be reckoned to belong unto the Levites, as the increase of the threshing-floor and as the increase of the wine-press,

31 et comedetis eas in omnibus locis vestris, tam vos quam familiæ vestræ: quia pretium est pro ministerio, quo servitis in tabernaculo testimonii.

And ye shall eat it in any place, ye, and your household, —for a reward, it is unto you, the allotted portion for your laborious work in the tent of meeting.

32 Et non peccabitis super hoc, egregia vobis et pinguia reservantes ne polluatis oblationes filiorum Israel, et moriamini.

And ye shall not by reason of it bear sin, when ye offer up the best thereof, out of it; and the hallowed things of the sons of Israel, shall ye not profane neither shall ye die.