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Malachi 2:4
Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant may continue to be with Levi,” says the LORD who rules over all.
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Numbers 1:49-53
“ Only the tribe of Levi you must not number or count with the other Israelites.But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its furnishings and over everything in it. They must carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they must attend to it and camp around it.Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites must take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be reassembled, the Levites must set it up. Any unauthorized person who approaches it must be killed.“ The Israelites will camp according to their divisions, each man in his camp, and each man by his standard.But the Levites must camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that the LORD’s anger will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the testimony.”
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Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the LORD’s covenant, to stand before the LORD to serve him, and to formulate blessings in his name, as they do to this very day.
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Numbers 8:6-26
“ Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them.And do this to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification on them; then have them shave all their body and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with olive oil; and you are to take a second young bull for a purification offering.You are to bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire community of the Israelites.Then you are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on the Levites;and Aaron is to offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, that they may do the work of the LORD.When the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, offer the one for a purification offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.And so you are to separate the Levites from among the Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.“ After this, the Levites will go in to do the work of the tent of meeting. So you must cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering.For they are entirely given to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.For all the firstborn males among the Israelites are mine, both humans and animals; when I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set them apart for myself.So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons among the Israelites.I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary.”So Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the Israelites did this with the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, this is what the Israelites did with them.The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothing; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them.After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did.Then the LORD spoke to Moses:“ This is what pertains to the Levites: At the age of twenty-five years and upward one may begin to join the company in the work of the tent of meeting,and at the age of fifty years they must retire from performing the work and may no longer work.They may assist their colleagues in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish the Levites regarding their duties.”
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Deuteronomy 33:8-9
Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.He said to his father and mother,“ I have not seen him,” and he did not acknowledge his own brothers or know his own children, for they kept your word, and guarded your covenant.
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Numbers 2:33
But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.
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Numbers 18:1-7
The LORD said to Aaron,“ You and your sons and your tribe with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood.“ Bring with you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may join with you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.They must be responsible to care for you and to care for the entire tabernacle. However, they must not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die.They must join with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person may approach you.You will be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the care of the altar, so that there will be no more wrath on the Israelites.I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They are given to you as a gift from the LORD, to perform the duties of the tent of meeting.But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties, for everything at the altar and within the curtain. And you must serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift for service; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death.”
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Numbers 2:17
“ Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place under his standard.
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Numbers 16:9-11
Does it seem too small a thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the community to minister to them?He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seek the priesthood also?Therefore you and all your company have assembled together against the LORD! And Aaron– what is he that you murmur against him?”
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Exodus 32:26-29
So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said,“ Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” All the Levites gathered around him,and he said to them,“ Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,‘ Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died.Moses said,“ You have been consecrated today for the LORD, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.”
