³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan^(A) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,^{(B) 4} for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.^(C) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.^(D)

²⁰ The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them;^(A) I am your share and your inheritance^(B) among the Israelites.

²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes^(C) in Israel as their inheritance^(D) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.^{(E) 22} From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.^{(F) 23} It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance^(G) for the generations to come.^(H) They will receive no inheritance^(I) among the Israelites.^{(J) 24} Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.^(K) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”