There, in the presence of the LORD your God, who has blessed you, you and your families will eat and enjoy the good things that you have worked for.

Spend it on whatever you want---beef, lamb, wine, beer---and there, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families are to eat and enjoy yourselves.

"Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns; they have no property of their own.

On the eighth day Solomon sent the people home. They all praised him and went home happy because of all the blessings that the LORD had given his servant David and his people Israel.

King Hezekiah and the people were happy, because God had helped them to do all this so quickly.

For seven days the people who had gathered in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread with great joy, and day after day the Levites and the priests praised the LORD with all their strength.

they all decided to celebrate for another seven days. So they celebrated with joy.

So everyone was happy---the people of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the people who had come from the north, and the foreigners who had settled permanently in Israel and Judah.

Now go home and have a feast. Share your food and wine with those who don't have enough. Today is holy to our Lord, so don't be sad. The joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong."

So all the people went home and ate and drank joyfully and shared what they had with others, because they understood what had been read to them.

Sing to the LORD, all the world!

Worship the LORD with joy; come before him with happy songs!

Praise the LORD! It is good to sing praise to our God; it is pleasant and right to praise him.

What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

We write this in order that our joy may be complete.

Be sure, also, not to neglect the Levites, as long as you live in your land.

"Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns; they have no property of their own.

This food is for the Levites, since they own no property, and for the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. They are to come and get all they need. Do this, and the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.

Be joyful in the LORD's presence, together with your children, your servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. Do this at the one place of worship.

Enjoy it with your children, your servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns.

"Any Levite who wants to may come from any town in Israel to the one place of worship

"Every third year give the tithe---a tenth of your crops---to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat. When you have done this,

That is why the tribe of Levi received no land as the other tribes did; what they received was the privilege of being the LORD's priests, as the LORD your God promised.)

"The priestly tribe of Levi is not to receive any share of land in Israel; instead, they are to live on the offerings and other sacrifices given to the LORD.

They are to own no land, as the other tribes do; their share is the privilege of being the LORD's priests, as the LORD has promised.

The LORD said to Aaron, "You will not receive any property that can be inherited, and no part of the land of Israel will be assigned to you. I, the LORD, am all you need."

From now on only the Levites will take care of the Tent and bear the full responsibility for it. This is a permanent rule that applies also to your descendants. The Levites shall have no permanent property in Israel,

because I have given to them as their possession the tithe which the Israelites present to me as a special contribution. That is why I told them that they would have no permanent property in Israel."

to say to the Levites: "When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that the LORD gives you as your possession, you must present a tenth of it as a special contribution to the LORD.

Moses had given no land to the tribe of Levi. As the LORD had told Moses, they were to receive as their possession a share of the sacrifices burned on the altar to the LORD God of Israel.

But Moses did not assign any land to the tribe of Levi. He told them that their possession was to be a share of the offerings to the LORD God of Israel.

(SEE 14:3)