¹⁰ I learned, too, that the portions due the Levites were no longer being given, so that the Levites and the singers who should have been carrying out the services had deserted to their own fields. ¹¹ I reprimanded the magistrates, demanding, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I brought the Levites together and had them resume their stations. ^12 (A)All Judah once more brought in the tithes of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms. ¹³ In charge of the storerooms I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, together with Hanan, son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, as their assistant; for they were considered trustworthy. It was their duty to make the distribution to their kinsmen. ¹⁴ Remember this to my credit, my God! Do not forget the good deeds I have done for the house of my God and its services!

Tithes Due the Levites. ²¹ To the Levites, however, I hereby assign all tithes in Israel as their heritage in recompense for the labor they perform, the labor pertaining to the tent of meeting.^{(A) 22} The Israelites may no longer approach the tent of meeting, thereby incurring the penalty of death. ²³ Only the Levites are to perform the labor pertaining to the tent of meeting, and they shall incur the penalty for the Israelites’ sin;^[a] this is a permanent statute for all your generations. But they shall not have any heritage among the Israelites, ²⁴ for I have assigned to the Levites as their heritage the tithes which the Israelites put aside as a contribution to the Lord. That is why I have said, they will not have any heritage among the Israelites.

Tithes Paid by the Levites. ²⁵ The Lord said to Moses: ²⁶ Speak to the Levites and say to them: When you take from the Israelites the tithes I have assigned you from them as your heritage, you are to make a contribution from them to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe; ²⁷ and your contribution will be credited to you as if it were grain from the threshing floor or new wine from the vat. ²⁸ Thus you too shall make a contribution to the Lord from all the tithes you take from the Israelites, handing over to Aaron the priest the contribution to the Lord. ²⁹ From all the gifts to you, you shall make every contribution due to the Lord—from their best parts, that is the part to be consecrated from them.

³⁰ Say to them also: Once you have made your contribution from the best part, the rest of the tithe will be credited to the Levites as if it were produce of the threshing floor or the produce of the vat. ³¹ You and your households may eat it anywhere, since it is your recompense in exchange for labor in the tent of meeting. ³² You will incur no punishment when you contribute the best part of it. But do not profane the holy offerings of the Israelites or else you shall die.