Then the LORDsaidto Aaron,"You shall have noinheritancein their landnorownany portionamongthem; I am your portionand your inheritanceamongthe sonsof Israel.
"And it shall be with regard to an inheritancefor them, [that] I am their inheritance;and you shall givethem nopossessionin Israel--I am their possession.
Therefore,Levidoes not havea portionor inheritancewith his brothers;the LORDis his inheritance,justas the LORDyour Godspoketo him.)
But to the tribeof Levi,Mosesdid not givean inheritance;the LORD,the Godof Israel,is their inheritance,as He had promisedto them.
"The LORDis my portion,"saysmy soul,"ThereforeI havehopein Him."
For Moseshad giventhe inheritanceof the twotribesand the half-tribebeyondthe Jordan;but he did not givean inheritanceto the Levitesamongthem.
"Also you shall not neglectthe Levitewhois in your town,for he hasnoportionor inheritanceamongyou.
"And you shall rejoicebeforethe LORDyour God,you and your sonsand daughters,your maleand femaleservants,and the Levitewhois within your gates,sincehe hasnoportionor inheritancewith you.
And I hearda loudvoicefrom the throne,saying,"Behold,the tabernacleof Godis amongmen,and He will dwellamongthem, and they shall be His people,and GodHimselfwill be amongthem,
I criedout to You, O LORD;I said,"You are my refuge,My portionin the landof the living.
The LORDis the portionof my inheritanceand my cup;You supportmy lot.
"For the Leviteshavenoportionamongyou, becausethe priesthoodof the LORDis their inheritance.Gadand Reubenand the half-tribeof Manassehalso have receivedtheir inheritanceeastwardbeyondthe Jordan,whichMosesthe servantof the LORDgavethem."
My fleshand my heartmay fail,But Godis the strengthof my heartand my portionforever.
"The Levite,becausehe hasnoportionor inheritanceamongyou, and the alien,the orphanand the widowwhoare in your town,shall comeand eatand be satisfied,in orderthat the LORDyour Godmay blessyou in allthe workof your handwhichyou do.
Those who were numberedof them were 23,000,everymalefrom a montholdand upward,for they were not numberedamongthe sonsof Israelsincenoinheritancewas givento them amongthe sonsof Israel.
Onlyto the tribeof Levihe did not givean inheritance;the offeringsby fireto the LORD,the Godof Israel,are their inheritance,as He spoketo him.
Afterthesethingsthe wordof the LORDcameto Abramin a vision,saying,"Do not fear,Abram,I am a shieldto you; Your rewardshall be verygreat."
"But you and your sonswith you shall attendto your priesthoodfor everythingconcerningthe altarand insidethe veil,and you are to performservice.I am givingyou the priesthoodas a bestowedservice,but the outsiderwho comesnearshall be putto death."
