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Malachi 2:4
And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. (niv)
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Numbers 1:49-53
“ You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites.Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law— over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it.Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death.The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard.The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.” (niv)
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Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today. (niv)
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Numbers 8:6-26
“ Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves.Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community.You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.“ Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord.In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.“ After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman.Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel.From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them.After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.The Lord said to Moses,“ This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.” (niv)
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Deuteronomy 33:8-9
About Levi he said:“ Your Thummim and Urim belong to your faithful servant. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.He said of his father and mother,‘ I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant. (niv)
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Numbers 2:33
The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses. (niv)
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Numbers 18:1-7
The Lord said to Aaron,“ You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting— all the work at the tent— and no one else may come near where you are.“ You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again.I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.” (niv)
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Numbers 2:17
Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard. (niv)
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Numbers 16:9-11
Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?” (niv)
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Exodus 32:26-29
So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said,“ Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.Then he said to them,“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:‘ Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.Then Moses said,“ You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.” (niv)
