Numbers 18:7
New International Version
But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

New Living Translation
But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death.”

English Standard Version
And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Berean Standard Bible
But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

King James Bible
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

New King James Version
Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

New American Standard Bible
But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything that concerns the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a service that is a gift, and the unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death.”

NASB 1995
“But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

NASB 1977
“But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood in everything that concerns the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Amplified Bible
Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar [of burnt offering and the altar of incense] and [of the Holy of Holies] within the veil, and you are to serve. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the stranger (outsider, layman) who approaches shall be put to death.”

Christian Standard Bible
But you and your sons will carry out your priestly responsibilities for everything concerning the altar and for what is inside the curtain, and you will do that work. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but an unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary will be put to death.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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, but an unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary will be put to death.”

American Standard Version
And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and ye shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you and your sons with you keep your priesthood and all its apparel of the altar and do the work inside the face of the door, the gift I have given to your priesthood; and the foreigner who comes near shall be killed.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou and thy sons after thee shall keep up your priestly ministration, according to the whole manner of the altar, and that which is within the veil; and ye shall minister in the services as the office of your priesthood; and the stranger that comes near shall die.

Contemporary English Version
But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But thou and thy sons look ye to the priesthood: and all things that pertain to the service of the altar, and that are within the veil, shall be executed by the priests. If any stranger shall approach, he shall be slain.

English Revised Version
And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood for every thing of the altar, and for that within the veil; and ye shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Only you and your sons may do the work of priests-everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near [the holy place to do this work] must die."

Good News Translation
But you and your sons alone shall fulfill all the responsibilities of the priesthood that concern the altar and what is in the Most Holy Place. These things are your responsibility, because I have given you the gift of the priesthood. Any unqualified person who comes near the sacred objects shall be put to death."

International Standard Version
Now you and your sons with you are to maintain your priestly duties and all matters that concern the altar and what is housed within the veil. You are to perform these services. I'm giving you the priesthood as a gift of service, but any unauthorized person who approaches is to be put to death."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood in everything that pertaineth to the altar, and to that within the veil; and ye shall serve; I give you the priesthood as a service of gift; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.'

Literal Standard Version
and you and your sons with you keep your priesthood for everything of the altar and within the veil, and you have served; I make your priesthood a gift [for] service; and the stranger who is coming near is put to death.”

Majority Standard Bible
But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

New American Bible
But you and your sons with you must take care to exercise your priesthood in whatever concerns the altar and the area within the veil. I give you your priesthood as a gift. Any unauthorized person who comes near shall be put to death.

NET Bible
But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties, for everything at the altar and within the curtain. And you must serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift for service; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death."

New Revised Standard Version
But you and your sons with you shall diligently perform your priestly duties in all that concerns the altar and the area behind the curtain. I give your priesthood as a gift; any outsider who approaches shall be put to death.

New Heart English Bible
You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything concerning the altar, and for that inside the veil; and you shall serve: I give you the priesthood as a service of gift: and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death."

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office to you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

World English Bible
You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

Young's Literal Translation
and thou, and thy sons with thee, do keep your priesthood, for everything of the altar, and within the vail, and ye have served; a service of gift I make your priesthood; and the stranger who is coming near is put to death.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Duties of Priests and Levites
6Behold, I Myself have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to perform the service for the Tent of Meeting. 7But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, but any outsider who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

Cross References
Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Hebrews 5:4
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

1 Peter 5:2
Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God's will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;

1 Peter 5:3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Exodus 28:1
"Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

Exodus 29:9
Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.

Numbers 1:51
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must be put to death.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore you and your sons with you shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil; and you shall serve: I have given your priest's office to you as a service of gift: and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

Therefore thou.

Numbers 18:5
And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.

Numbers 3:10
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

within

Leviticus 16:2,12-14
And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat…

Hebrews 9:3-6
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; …

as a service

Numbers 16:5-7
And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him…

1 Samuel 2:28
And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

John 3:27
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

the stranger

Numbers 18:4
And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

Numbers 3:38
But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Numbers 16:40
To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

Jump to Previous
Altar Attend Bestowed Common Death Draweth Inside Nigh Office Perform Pertaineth Priesthood Priest's Serve Service Stranger Vail Veil Within
Jump to Next
Altar Attend Bestowed Common Death Draweth Inside Nigh Office Perform Pertaineth Priesthood Priest's Serve Service Stranger Vail Veil Within
Numbers 18
1. The charge of the priests and Levites
8. The priests, portion
21. The Levites,
25. The heave offering to the priests out of the Levites' portion














(7) And within the vail.--i.e., the vail which separated the holy place from the most holy. The word which is employed in this place (parocheth) is used only of the second vail. (See Leviticus 16:12.) When the outer vail or hanging is designed to be understood, the word used is masak. The reference appears to be to the whole of the priestly duties which were discharged by Aaron and his sons, from those connected with the altar of burnt offering to those which were performed in the most holy place.

Verse 7. - Shall keep your priests' office for everything of the altar, and within the vail. That the Levites were made over to Aaron and his sons to relieve them of a great part of the mere routine and drudgery of their service was to be with them an additional and powerful motive for doing their priestly work so reverently and watchfully as to leave no excuse for sacrilegious intrusion. The altar (of burnt offering) and "that within the vail (cf. Hebrews 6:19) were the two points between which the exclusive duties of the priesthood lay, including the service of the holy place. A service of gift. A service which was not to be regarded as a burden, or a misfortune, or as a natural heritage and accident of birth, but to be received and cherished as a favour accorded to them by the goodness of God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But only you
וְאַתָּ֣ה (wə·’at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

and your sons
וּבָנֶ֣יךָ (ū·ḇā·ne·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

shall attend
תִּשְׁמְר֨וּ (tiš·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

to your priesthood
כְּהֻנַּתְכֶ֜ם (kə·hun·naṯ·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3550: Priesthood

for everything
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

concerning
דְּבַ֧ר (də·ḇar)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

the altar,
הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ (ham·miz·bê·aḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

and for what is inside
וּלְמִבֵּ֥ית (ū·lə·mib·bêṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

the veil,
לַפָּרֹ֖כֶת (lap·pā·rō·ḵeṯ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6532: A separatrix, screen

and you are to perform that service.
וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֑ם (wa·‘ă·ḇaḏ·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

I am giving
אֶתֵּן֙ (’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you the work
עֲבֹדַ֣ת (‘ă·ḇō·ḏaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5656: Work of any kind

of the priesthood
כְּהֻנַּתְכֶ֔ם (kə·hun·naṯ·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3550: Priesthood

as a gift,
מַתָּנָ֗ה (mat·tā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4979: A present, a sacrificial offering, a bribe

but any outsider
וְהַזָּ֥ר (wə·haz·zār)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery

who comes near [the sanctuary]
הַקָּרֵ֖ב (haq·qā·rêḇ)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

must be put to death.”
יוּמָֽת׃ (yū·māṯ)
Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


Links
Numbers 18:7 NIV
Numbers 18:7 NLT
Numbers 18:7 ESV
Numbers 18:7 NASB
Numbers 18:7 KJV

Numbers 18:7 BibleApps.com
Numbers 18:7 Biblia Paralela
Numbers 18:7 Chinese Bible
Numbers 18:7 French Bible
Numbers 18:7 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Numbers 18:7 You and your sons with you shall (Nu Num.)
Numbers 18:6
Top of Page
Top of Page