Numbers 31:41

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.

or he who exhorts, to his exhorting; he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

That which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the Tent of Meeting.

Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever.

“This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your offspring with you.”

Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose.

You shall bring them near to Yahweh, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to Yahweh.

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly things.

Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

“The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.

You shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.

You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as their portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy.’ ”

Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.

You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting.

You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”

Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.

But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.

Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers;

The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops.

But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.

Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh.

Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.

You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.

It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering. It shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to Yahweh.

Of it he shall offer one out of each offering for a heave offering to Yahweh. It shall be the priest’s who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.

Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.

Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.

You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there.

then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh.

Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”

Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to Yahweh’s law.

also the firstborn of our sons, and of our livestock, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;

All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to Yahweh. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before Yahweh, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

“Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh’s hand double for all her sins.”

First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.”

Let them be disappointed who persecute me, but let not me be disappointed. Let them be dismayed, but don’t let me be dismayed. Bring on them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.

that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.

He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”

The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;

Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet Persis, the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

Have we no right to eat and to drink?

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain,

But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.

Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

However you did well that you shared in my affliction.

and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.

(but how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule one’s own house take care of God’s assembly?)

If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which you have followed.

Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.

preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.

Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.

You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”

Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you.