Numbers · Chapter 18

[ edit] And þe Lord ſeide to Moyſes and Aaron, Þow, and þi ſones, and þe hows of þi fader wiþ þee, ſhal bere þe wickidnes of þe ſeyntuarie; and þou and þi ſones togidere ſhulen ſuffre þe ſynnes of ȝoure preeſþod. But and þi briþeren of þe lynage of Leuy, and þe ſeptre of þi fader tak wiþ þee, and redi be þei, and mynyſtre to þee. Þow forſoþe and þi ſones ſhulen mynyſtre in þe tabernacle of witneſſynge; and þe Leuytes ſhulen wake to þin heeſtis, and to alle þe werkis of þe tabernacle; ſo oonlich þat to veſſels of þe ſeyntuarie, and to þe auter þei comen not nyȝ, leſt and þei dien, and ȝe periſhen togidre.

Be þei forſoþe wiþ þee, and waake þei in þe wardis of þe tabernacle, and in alle þe cerymonyes of it. Of anoþer lynage ſhal not be meengid to ȝow. Wake ȝe into þe waarde of þe ſeyntuarye, and in þe ſeruyce of þe auter, leſt indignacioun ſprynge vpon þe ſones of Yrael. Y haue ȝyue to ȝow þe Leuytes ȝoure briþeren, fro þe myddil of þe ſones of Yrael, and I haue takun a ȝift to þe Lord, þat þei ſeruen in þe ſeruyces of his tabernacle. Þow forſoþe and þi ſones, kepe ȝe ȝoure preſþod; and alle þingis þat to þe heriynge of þe auter perteynen, and wiþ ynne þe veil ben, bi þe preeſtis ſhal be mynyſtred; and if eny of oþer lynage come niȝ, he ſhal be ſlayn. And þe Lord ſpak to Aaron, Loo!

Y haue ȝyue to þee kepynge of my cheef fruytis; alle þingis þat ben halowid of þe ſones of Yrael, to þee I haue take, and to þi ſones, for þe preeſtis office lawful euerlaſtynge. Þes þingis þanne þow ſhalt take of þes þingis þat ben halowid, and offerd to þe Lord; al offrynge, and ſacrifice, and what euer þing for ſynne and for treſpas is ȝoldun to me, and falliþ into holy of halowis, þin ſhal ben, and of þi ſones. In þe ſeyntuarye þow ſhalt eete it; maalis oonli ſhulen eete of it, for it is ſacryd to þe Lord.

Þe cheef fruytis forſoþe þat þe ſones of Yrael han vowid and offred, Y haue ȝouun to þee, and to þe ſones, and þi douȝtres, bi perpetuel riȝt; he þat is clene in þin hows, ſhal eete hem. Al þe mary of oyle, and of wyne, and of whete, what euer þing þei ſhulen offre of firſt fruytis to þe Lord, to þee Y haue ȝeuen. Alle þe bigynnyngis of fruytis þat þe erþe getiþ, and to þe Lord ben brouȝt, þei ſhulen falle into þin vſis; he þat is clene in þin hows, ſhal eete of hem. Al þing þat of auowe þe ſones of Yrael ȝeuen, ſhal be þin.

What euer þing firſte ſhal breek out of þe wombe of al fleſh, þat þei offren to þe Lord, wheþer of men, or of beeſtis it were, of þi riȝt ſhal be; ſo oonlich þat for þe firſt getun of man prijs þow ſhalt take, and al beeſte þat is vnclene, þou make be aȝen bouȝt; whos aȝenbiggynge ſhal be after o moneþ, wiþ fyue ſiclis of ſiluer, bi peiſe of þe ſeyntuarie; a ſicle haþ twenti halpens. Þe firſt goten forſoþe of oxe, and of ſheep, and of ſhee goot, þou ſhalt not maak be aȝen bouȝt, for þei ben halowid to þe Lord; oonli þe blood of hem þow ſhalt heelde vpon þe auter, and þe talwȝ þow ſhalt brenne into mooſt ſwete ſmel to þe Lord.

Þe fleſh forſoþe ſhal falle in to þin vſe, as þe ſacryd litil breſt and þe riȝt ſhulder, ſhulen be þin. Alle þe firſte fruytis of þe ſeyntuary, þat þe ſones of Yrael offren to þe Lord, to þee I haue ȝeue, and to þi ſones and þi dowȝtren, bi perpetuel riȝt; þe couenaunt of ſalt is euer laſtynge before þe Lord, to þee, and to þi ſones. And þe Lord ſeide to Aaron, In þe loond of hem no þing ȝe ſhulen weelde, ne ȝe ſhulen haue part amonge hem; Y þe part and þi herytage, in þe myddil of þe ſones of Yrael.

To þe ſones forſoþe of Leuy Y haue ȝyue alle þe dymes of Yrael into poſſeſſioun, for þe ſeruyce þat þei ſeruen to me in þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees; þat þe ſones of Yrael comen nomore nyȝ to þe tabernacle of þe boond of pees, ne doo ſynne þat bryngiþ yn deeþ, oonly þe ſones of Leuy, to me in þe tabernacle ſeruynge, and berynge þe ſynnes of þe puple; lawful euerlaſtynge it ſhal be in ȝoure generaciouns. Noon oþer þing þei ſhulen weelde, of þe offrynge of dymes payed, þe whiche into þe vſis of hem and neceſſaries Y haue ſeuerde.

And þe Lord ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Comaund to þe Leuytes, and tel out, Whanne ȝe taken dymes of þe ſones of Yrael, þat Y haue ȝyue to ȝow, þe firſte fruytis of hem offre ȝe to þe Lord, þat is, þe tenþe part of þe dyme, þat it be put to ȝow in þe offrynge of þe cheef þingis, as wel of þe flores as of þe preſſis; and of alle þingis of þe whiche ȝe taken þe firſte fruytis, offre ȝe to þe Lord, and ȝyue to Aaron, þe preeſt. Alle þingis þat ȝe offren of dymes, and into þe ȝiftis of þe Lord ȝe ſhulen ſeuere, þe beſt and choſen alle ſhulen be.

And þow ſhalt ſeye to hem, If þe more clene and þe beter eche þingis ȝe offren to þe Lord of þe dymes, it ſhal be put to ȝow, as of þe flore and of þe preſſe ȝe ȝeuen þe firſte fruytis. And ȝe ſhulen eete hem in alle ȝoure places, as wel ȝe as ȝoure meyne, for prijs it is for þe ſeruyce þat ȝe ſeruen in þe tabernacle of witneſſynge. And ȝe ſhulen not ſynne vpon þat, þe noble and þe fatt to ȝow reſeruynge, leſt ȝe poluten þe offrynge of þe ſones of Yrael, and dyen.