Thematic Bible: Benefits of


Thematic Bible



Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub--the leader of the house of God--

"Command the {Israelites} that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pastureland all around the cities. The cities will be theirs to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their domestic animals, for their possessions, and their animals. "The pasturelands of the cities that you will give to the Levites [will extend] from the wall of the city to [a distance of] a thousand cubits all around. read more.
You will measure outside the city the eastern edge two thousand cubits, for the southern edge two thousand cubits, for the western edge two thousand cubits, and for the northern edge two thousand cubits, with the city in the middle; this will be for them the pasturelands of the cities. "All the cities that you will give the Levites will be six cities of refuge, to which the killer can flee; in addition to them you will give forty-two cities. All the cities that you will give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities, them with their pasturelands. And the cities that you will give from the property of the {Israelites}, you will take more from the larger group and less from the smaller group; each of them will give according to the portion of their inheritance according to the portion that he inherits."

" 'As for the cities of the Levites, [that is], the houses in their property's cities, it shall be {a lasting redemption} for the Levites. And whatever [anyone] redeems from the Levites then must go out [of the buyer's hand] in the Jubilee, [including] a house's selling {in his city's property}, because the houses in the cities of the Levites [are] their property in the midst of the {Israelites}. But a field of their cities' pastureland must not be sold, because {it is their property for all time}.

Then the heads of the families of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the tribes of the {Israelites}. And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses to give us cities to live [in], with their pasturelands for our livestock." So, {by command of Yahweh}, the {Israelites} gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands from their inheritance. read more.
The allotment {fell} for the families of the Kohathites. The descendants of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, {received} by lot thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir and its pasturelands, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, Holon and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, read more.
Ain and its pasturelands, Juttah and its pasturelands, and Beth Shemesh and its pasturelands; nine cities from these two tribes. From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its pasturelands, Geba and its pasturelands, Anathoth and its pasturelands, Almon and its pasturelands; four cities. All the cities of the descendants of Aaron the priests, thirteen cities and their pasturelands.

All the cities of the Levites among the property of the {Israelites} [were] forty-eight cities and their pasturelands. Each of these cities had pasturelands surrounding them; so [it was] for all of these cities.

To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-Shemesh with its pasturelands. read more.
And from the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities [were] thirteen cities throughout their clans.

And the remainder of Israel, the priests and the Levites, in all of the cities of Judah, each in his inheritance.

And when you allocate the land as an inheritance, you shall provide a contribution for Yahweh [as] a holy portion from the land, [its] length [being] twenty-five thousand [cubits] and [its] width ten thousand [cubits]; it [is] holy in all its territory, all around. And [there] shall be from this [area] five hundred [cubits] by five hundred [cubits], squared all around, for the sanctuary; and fifty cubits [of] open space [shall be] for it all around [it]. And from this measured area you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand [cubits] and a width of ten thousand [cubits], and in it will be the sanctuary, {the most holy place}. read more.
It [is] a holy portion from the land; it will be for the priests, the servants of the sanctuary {who approach} to serve Yahweh, and it will be for them a place for houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. And [an area] twenty-five thousand [cubits] [in] length and ten thousand [cubits] [in] width will be for the Levites, the servants of the temple. [It will serve] [as] property for them {as cities to dwell in}. And [as] property of the city, you must set apart alongside the contribution of the sanctuary [a portion] five thousand [cubits] in width and twenty-five thousand [cubits] in length, [and] it shall be for the entire house of Israel.

And next to the territory of Judah, from {the eastern border} up to {the western border}, shall be [located] the contribution that you set apart, twenty-five thousand [cubits] [in] width, and its length [just] like one of the portions from {the eastern border} up to {the western border}, and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. The contribution that you shall set apart for Yahweh, its length [shall be] twenty-five thousand [cubits], and its width ten thousand [cubits]. And to these shall be {the holy district}: to the priests northwards twenty-five thousand [cubits], and westwards [its] width ten thousand [cubits], and eastwards [its] width ten thousand [cubits], and southwards its length twenty-five thousand [cubits], and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in the midst of it. read more.
To the priests, the [ones] being consecrated from the descendants of Zadok, who took care of my service [and] who {did not go astray} {when the Israelites went astray}, {just as} the Levites went astray. And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land {as a most holy object} next to the territory of the Levites. And the Levites {alongside} the territory of the priests [shall have] twenty-five thousand [cubits] [in] length and in width ten thousand [cubits], its {full length}, twenty-five thousand [cubits] and its [full width], ten thousand [cubits]. And they shall not sell [any part] from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for [it is] holy to Yahweh. And {the remaining part} of five thousand [cubits] in the width {by} twenty-five thousand [cubits], [is] unholy; it is for the city as dwelling and as pastureland; and the city will be [located] {in the middle of it}. And these [shall be] its measurements: [on] its side to [the] north, four thousand five hundred [cubits]; and [on] its side to [the] south, four thousand five hundred [cubits]; and [on] {the eastern side}, four thousand five hundred [cubits]; and [on] {the western side}, four thousand five hundred [cubits]. And a pastureland shall be for the city northwards, two hundred and fifty [cubits], southwards two hundred and fifty [cubits], and eastwards two hundred and fifty [cubits], and westwards two hundred and fifty [cubits]. And the rest in [its] length {alongside} {the holy district}, ten thousand [cubits] eastwards and ten thousand westwards; and it shall be {alongside} {the holy district} and its yield shall be as food for the workers of the city. And the workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall cultivate it. All of the contribution, twenty-five thousand by twenty five thousand [cubits] square, you shall set apart [as] {the holy district} [along] with the property of the city.


Therefore {there was not} for Levi an allotment or an inheritance [along] with his brothers; [rather] Yahweh [is] his inheritance [just] as Yahweh your God {promised} to him.

Only the tribe of Levites Moses did not give an inheritance; the offerings made by fire to Yahweh the God of Israel [are] their inheritance, just as he promised to them.

For Moses had given [an] inheritance of [the] two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan, but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them.

The Levites among you have no portion, for their inheritance [is] the priesthood of Yahweh; Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance beyond the Jordan to the east, which Moses Yahweh's servant gave to them."

But to the tribe of Levi Moses did not give an inheritance; Yahweh the God of Israel, he [is] their inheritance, just as {he promised them}.

"And there shall not be for the Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, a plot of ground and an inheritance with Israel, [rather] they may eat an offering made by fire [as] their inheritance, for Yahweh. And there shall not be for them an inheritance [of land] in the midst of his brothers; [rather] Yahweh is his inheritance, [just] as he {promised} to them.

Then Yahweh said to Aaron, "You will not receive an inheritance in their land, and there will not be a plot of ground for you in the midst of the {Israelites}.

And [as to] the Levite who [is] in your {towns}, you shall not neglect him, because there is not a plot of ground for him and an inheritance [along] with you.

And [thus] it will be to them as [regards] inheritance, [that] I [am] their inheritance, and [so] you shall not give to them property in Israel; I [am] their property.


And you will put on the table [the] bread of presence [to be] before me continually.

for the rows of bread, the offering of the daily sacrifice, the continual [burnt] sacrifice, the Sabbaths, the new moon festivals, the appointed [festival] times, the holy objects, the sin offerings that make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?

For a tent was prepared, the first [one], in which [were] the lampstand and the table and the presentation of the loaves, which is called the holy place.

Look, I am building a house for the name of Yahweh my God to dedicate to him, to offer sweet spices of incense before him, and [for] the regular rows [of bread], and burnt offerings for mornings, evenings, Sabbaths, and new moon festivals, and for appointed feasts of Yahweh our God which [are] everlasting for Israel.

They offer burnt offerings to Yahweh {every morning} and {every evening}, sweet spices of incense, and the rows of bread upon the pure table. And the golden lampstand with its lamps [they] keep kindled {every evening}, for we are keeping the requirement of Yahweh our God, but you yourselves have forsaken him.

"And you shall take finely milled flour, and you shall bake [with] it twelve ring-shaped bread cakes: each one [shall be] two-tenths [of an ephah]. And you shall place them [in] two rows, six [to the] row, on the pure [gold] table {before} Yahweh. And you shall put pure frankincense on each row so that it shall be for the bread as a memorial offering, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. read more.
{On every Sabbath} he shall arrange it in rows {before} Yahweh continually; [they are] from the {Israelites} [as] an everlasting covenant. And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, because it [is] {a most holy thing} for him from Yahweh's offerings made by fire--a {lasting rule}."


And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits [as] a wave offering {before} Yahweh; in addition to [the] two male lambs, they shall be holy for Yahweh for the priest.

All [the] finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you. [The] firstfruits of all that [is] in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it.

Now this shall be the share of the priest from the people, from {those who sacrifice the sacrifice}, [whether it is] an ox, sheep, or goat, and they shall give the priest the shoulder and the jawbones and the stomach. The firstfruits of your grain, your wine, and your olive oil and the firstfruits of the fleece of your sheep you shall give to him. For Yahweh your God has chosen him from [among] all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons {forever}.

And the firstborn of our sons and beasts--as it is written in the law--and the firstborn of our cattle and sheep, to bring to the house of our God [and] to the priests serving in the house of our God.

And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, because it [is] {a most holy thing} for him from Yahweh's offerings made by fire--a {lasting rule}."

Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they [are] holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke [as] an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh.


"When a person {displays infidelity} and he sins in an unintentional wrong {in any of} Yahweh's holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock as a guilt offering by your valuation [in] silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel.

[The] money of [the] guilt offering and [the] money of [the] sin offering was not brought into the temple of Yahweh, but were [each] for the priests.

This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me [is] {a most holy thing} for you and your sons.

He shall bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock as a guilt offering by your valuation, and the priest shall make atonement for him because of his unintentional wrong (although he himself did not know), and he will be forgiven.


"You will speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you receive the tithe from the {Israelites} that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, {you will present} a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe. Your contribution will be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor and like the produce from the press. So {you will present} your own contribution to Yahweh from all your tithes that you receive from the {Israelites}; from it you will give the contribution of Yahweh to Aaron the priest. read more.
From all your gifts {you will present} every contribution of Yahweh, from all its fat, the part [that is] sacred.' You will say to them, 'When {you are presenting} its fat, the rest will be credited to the Levites like a yield of the threshing floor and like a yield from the press. You may eat it anywhere, you and your household, because it [is] a wage in return for your service in the tent of assembly. You will not bear any sin because {you have presented} its fat; you will not defile the holy objects of the {Israelites}, or you will die.'"

Yahweh spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I myself have given to you the responsibility of my contributions for all the holy objects of the {Israelites}; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons as an eternal decree. This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me [is] {a most holy thing} for you and your sons. You will eat it in the most holy place; every male will eat it. It will be a holy object to you. read more.
This [is also] for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it. All [the] finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you. [The] firstfruits of all that [is] in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it. All consecrated possessions in Israel will be for you. All [the] first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal. As to their price of redemption, from {a one-month-old} you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerah. Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they [are] holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke [as] an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh.

And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, will be with the Levites during the tithe the Levites receive. The Levites will bring up a tithe of the tithes for the house of our God to the chambers of the storehouse.


All consecrated possessions in Israel will be for you.

and the field shall be a holy object for Yahweh when it goes out in the Jubilee, like a devoted field; {it shall be the priest's property}.

And every contribution of all the holy objects of the {Israelites} that they bring to the priest for him will be his. The holy objects of a man will be for him; whatever he gives to the priest will be for him.'"


All the contributions of holiness that the {Israelites} offer to Yahweh I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; it [is] an eternal covenant of salt {before} Yahweh to you and your offspring with you."

This [is also] for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it.

But a priest, if [with] his money he buys a person [as] {his possession}, that one may eat it, and the descendants of his house themselves may eat his food. And a priest's daughter, when {she marries a layman}, she herself may not eat {the votive offering}. But a priest's daughter, when she becomes a widow or divorced or there is no offspring for her, and she returns to her father's house as [in] her childhood, she may eat from her father's food, but {no layman may eat it}.


But if the man does not have a redeemer to make restitution to him for the reparation, the reparation is to be given to Yahweh for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him.

And he shall make restitution [for] what he sinned {because of} a holy thing and shall add one-fifth of {its value} onto it and shall give it to the priest. The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.

And if a man eats [the] votive offering unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it, and he shall give the votive offering to the priest.


And the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the {Israelites} who are excessive over the Levites, you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs [per] shekel. You will give the money to Aaron, and to his sons the ransom of the ones who are excessive among them." read more.
And Moses received the money of the redemption from the ones who were excessive from those redeemed of the Levites. From the firstborn of the {Israelites} he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, in the sanctuary shekel. And Moses gave the money of the ransom to Aaron and to his sons according to the {word} of Yahweh just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

All [the] first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal. As to their price of redemption, from {a one-month-old} you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerah.


And next to the territory of Judah, from {the eastern border} up to {the western border}, shall be [located] the contribution that you set apart, twenty-five thousand [cubits] [in] width, and its length [just] like one of the portions from {the eastern border} up to {the western border}, and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. The contribution that you shall set apart for Yahweh, its length [shall be] twenty-five thousand [cubits], and its width ten thousand [cubits]. And to these shall be {the holy district}: to the priests northwards twenty-five thousand [cubits], and westwards [its] width ten thousand [cubits], and eastwards [its] width ten thousand [cubits], and southwards its length twenty-five thousand [cubits], and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in the midst of it. read more.
To the priests, the [ones] being consecrated from the descendants of Zadok, who took care of my service [and] who {did not go astray} {when the Israelites went astray}, {just as} the Levites went astray. And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land {as a most holy object} next to the territory of the Levites. And the Levites {alongside} the territory of the priests [shall have] twenty-five thousand [cubits] [in] length and in width ten thousand [cubits], its {full length}, twenty-five thousand [cubits] and its [full width], ten thousand [cubits]. And they shall not sell [any part] from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for [it is] holy to Yahweh.


Then he said to the people, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to give a gift for the priests and the Levites, so that they might be strong in the law of Yahweh. And the word spread. The Israelites gave abundantly [from] the firstfruits of grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all [kinds of] grains from the field. And they brought tithes of everything in abundance. Then the people of Israel and Judah who were living in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tithe of cattle and sheep and a tithe of consecrated objects to Yahweh their God. And they gave heaps [upon] heaps. read more.
In the third month the heaps began to pile up, and in the seventh month they ceased. When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel. And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, saying, "Since the offerings began to be brought to the house of Yahweh, [we have] eaten and been satisfied, and have much to spare, for Yahweh has blessed his people. Now [see] this abundant remainder!" And Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of Yahweh, and they were prepared. Then they brought the offerings and tithes and holy objects faithfully. And over them [as] leader [was] Conaniah the Levite. And Shimei his brother [was] second [in rank]. And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nathan, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah [were] chief officers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei, his brother, by appointment of King Hezekiah. And Azaraiah [was] leader of the house of God. Now Kore the son of Imlah, the Levite, the gatekeeper of the east gate [was] over the freewill offerings of God, to give offerings to Yahweh and the most holy things. And at his hand [were] Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests [and] {entrusted} to give to their brothers by working groups, according to the eldest [to] the youngest, besides their enrollment by genealogy, to males from three years old and upward, to all who came into the house of Yahweh, {as each day required} for their service in their posts according to their working groups. And the enrollment of the priests [was] according to the house of their fathers, and the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, according to their posts by their working groups. And [they were] enrolled with all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters for the whole assembly because of their faithfulness. And they sanctified themselves in holiness. And for the descendants of Aaron, the priests, [who were] in the fields of the pasturelands of their cities, {in each and every one of their cities} [were] men who were designated by name to give shares to every male among the priests and to everyone enrolled among the Levites.


Yahweh said to Moses, saying, "You and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the {families} of the community, {take count} of the war-booty that was captured, both humans and the domestic animals; divide the war-booty between those who engaged in the war, who went out to the battle, and all the community. read more.
Exact a tribute for Yahweh from the men of the war, those who went out to the battle, one from five hundred persons, and from the cattle and from the male donkeys and from the flock; take from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest [as] a contribution to Yahweh.


and the field shall be a holy object for Yahweh when it goes out in the Jubilee, like a devoted field; {it shall be the priest's property}.


then the priest shall calculate for him the {amount} of your proper value until the year of the Jubilee, and he shall give your proper value on that day [as] a holy object for Yahweh.


A man came from Baal-Shalishah and brought food to the man of God: firstfruits and twenty loaves of barley bread, with ripe grain in his sack. He said, "Give [it] to the people and let them eat."

You must take ten loaves of bread in your hand and cakes and a jar of honey, and you must go to him. He shall tell you what will happen to the boy."

So Saul said to his servant, "Look, we may go, but what should we bring to the man? For the bread [is] gone from our bags, and there [is] no present to bring to the man of God. What [do we have] with us?" The servant again answered Saul and said, "Look, {I have} in my hand a quarter shekel of silver! I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us our way."

Then the king said to Hazael, "Take a gift in your hand and go meet the man of God. Inquire of Yahweh from him, saying, 'Shall I recover from this illness?'" So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand of all of the good things of Damascus, a load [on each] of forty camels, and he came and stood before him. Then he said, "Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, 'Shall I recover from this illness?'"

And you defiled me among my people for a handful of barley and for morsels of bread to kill persons who should not die and to keep alive persons who should not live by [means of] your lies to my people [who are] listening to [your] lies." '


And he said, "{As Yahweh lives}, before whom I stand, I surely will not take [it]." [Still] he urged him to take [it], but he refused.

Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Even though Balak gives to me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond {the command of Yahweh} my God to do a little or a lot.

So the king of Aram said, "Go, I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He went and took {with him} ten talents of silver, six thousand [shekels of] gold, and ten sets of clothing.

Then the king spoke to the man of God, "Come with me to the house and refresh yourself, that I may give you a gift." Then the man of God said to the king, "Even if you give to me half of your house I will not come with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water in this place,