Bible Verses About Levites

Those males one month old or more counted of the Levi were 23,000. These were not included in the census of the people of Isra'el, because no land for inheritance was given to them among the people of Isra'el.

From the half that went to people of Isra'el, which Moshe separated from that of the men who had gone to fight -

now the community's half consisted of 337,500 sheep,

36,000 cattle,

30,500 donkeys

and 16,000 persons -

from the people of Isra'el's half, Moshe took one-fiftieth of the persons and animals and gave them to the L'vi'im taking care of the tabernacle of ADONAI, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

Of his father and mother he said, 'I don't know them'; he didn't acknowledge his brothers or children. For he observed your word, and he kept your covenant.

They will teach Ya'akov your rulings, Isra'el your Torah. They will set incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

while the other two groups of you who come on duty on Shabbat will guard the house of ADONAI, where the king is.

You are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who penetrates the ranks is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he leaves or enters."

The captains over hundreds did exactly as Y'hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat, and came to Y'hoyada the cohen.

The cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of ADONAI.

The guards then took positions, each man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.

A census of L'vi'im thirty years old and over was taken, and their number came to 38,000.

Of these, 24,000 were to oversee the work on the house of ADONAI, while 6,000 were officials and judges

4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 sang praise to ADONAI "with the instruments I made for the purpose of singing praise."

The cohanim and L'vi'im from wherever they lived throughout all Isra'el made themselves available to Rechav'am.

The L'vi'im left their pasture lands and property and came to Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; since Yarov'am and his sons had thrown them out, not allowing them to function as cohanim for ADONAI,

and had appointed for himself cohanim for the high places and for the images of goat-demons and calves that he had made.

Those from all the tribes of Isra'el who had set their hearts on seeking ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, followed them to Yerushalayim to sacrifice to ADONAI, the God of their fathers.

For three years they strengthened the kingdom of Y'hudah and made Rechav'am the son of Shlomo strong, because for three years they followed the way of life of David and Shlomo.

Yes, you drove out the cohanim of ADONAI, the descendants of Aharon, and the L'vi'im; and you made yourselves priests as do the peoples in other countries, so that anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of those non-gods.

"But we are different. ADONAI is our God, and we have not abandoned him. We have cohanim performing the service for ADONAI, descendants of Aharon. With the L'vi'im doing their work,

they burn to ADONAI every morning and evening burnt offerings and sweet incense; they arrange the showbread on the pure table, and they prepare the gold menorah with its lamps to burn every evening. For we observe the order of ADONAI our God. But you have abandoned him.