Exodus 32:26-29

26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you akill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29And Moses said, “Today you have been bordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”

Numbers 1:49-53

49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 cBut appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it dand shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 eWhen the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. fAnd if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. 52The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and geach man by his own standard. 53But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no hwrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. iAnd the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”

Numbers 2:17

17 j“Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

Numbers 2:33

33But kthe Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Numbers 8:6-15

6Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the lwater of purification upon them, and mlet them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8Then let them take a bull from the herd and nits grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, oand you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 pAnd you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting qand assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel rshall lay their hands on the Levites, 11and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord. 12Then the Levites sshall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer tthe one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as ua wave offering to the Lord.

14“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and vthe Levites shall be mine. 15And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wwave offering.

Numbers 8:22-26

22And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement of the Levites

23And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24This applies to the Levites: xfrom twenty-five years old and upward they
Hebrew he; also verses 25, 26
shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting.
25And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26They minister
Hebrew He ministers
to their brothers in the tent of meeting aaby keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

Numbers 16:9-11

9is it abtoo small a thing for you that the God of Israel has acseparated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, 10and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore it is against the Lord that you and all your company have gathered together. What is adAaron that you grumble against him?”

Numbers 18:2-6

2And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may aejoin you and afminister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3They shall keep guard over you and agover the whole tent, ahbut shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar ailest they, and you, die. 4They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, ajand no outsider shall come near you. 5And you shall akkeep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, althat there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. 6 amAnd behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. anThey are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
Copyright information for ESV