Reference: Priests And Levites
Hastings
The method here adopted as on the whole the most satisfactory is first to give some account of the highly organized hierarchical system of the Second Temple, as we know it from the Priestly Code, and, taking this as a standard, next to trace its history up to this point, and, lastly, follow its subsequent developments.
I. The Hierarchy of the Second Temple.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Simeon and Levi [are] brothers; weapons of violence [are] their swords. Let me not come into their council. Let not my person be joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle. read more. Cursed be their anger, for [it is] fierce, and their wrath, for [it is] cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel.
These [are] the heads of {their families}. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, [are] Enoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These [are] the clans of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon [are] Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jakin and Zohar and Shaul the son of the Canaanitess. These [are] the clans of Simeon. read more. And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogies: Gershon and Kohath and Merari, and the years of the life of Levi [were] {one hundred and thirty-seven years}. The sons of Gershon [are] Libni and Shimei according to their clans. And the sons of Kohath [are] Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath [were] {one hundred and thirty-three years}. And the sons of Merari [are] Mahli and Mushi. These [are] clans of the Levites according to their genealogies. And Amram took Jochebed his aunt for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Aaron and Moses, and the years of the life of Amram [were] {one hundred and thirty-seven years}.
And Aaron took Elisheba the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
An altar of earth you will make for me, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you, and I will bless you.
You will not go up with steps onto my altar, that your nakedness not be exposed on it.'
his master will present him to God and bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever.
" 'And if men fight and they injure a pregnant woman, and her children go out and there is not serious injury, he will surely be fined as the woman's husband demands concerning him {and as the judges determine}.
Concerning every account of transgression--concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property--where [someone] says, "This belongs to me," the matter of the two of them will come to God; whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.
Concerning every account of transgression--concerning an ox, concerning a donkey, concerning small livestock, concerning clothing, concerning all lost property--where [someone] says, "This belongs to me," the matter of the two of them will come to God; whomever God declares guilty will make double restitution to his neighbor.
" 'You will not curse God, and you will not curse a leader among your people.
and they will make the ephod of gold, blue and purple, [and] crimson [yarns], and finely twisted linen, the work of a skilled craftsman. It will have two joining shoulder pieces at its two edges, so that it can be fastened. read more. And the waistband of his ephod, which is on it, will be of like work to it--gold, blue, and purple and crimson [yarns] and finely twisted linen. "And you will take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the {Israelites}, [with] six of their names on the one stone and the remaining six on the second, according to their genealogies. [As the] work of a skilled stone craftsman, [with] seal engravings you will engrave on the two stones the names of the {Israelites}; you will make them mounted [in] gold filigree settings. And you will set the two stones on the ephod's shoulder pieces [as] stones of remembrance for the {Israelites}, and Aaron will bear their names before Yahweh on his two shoulder pieces for remembrance.
"And you will make the robe of the ephod totally of blue [yarn]. And the opening for his head will be in the middle of it; its opening will have an edge all around, the work of a weaver; it will be like the opening of a sturdy garment for it, [so that] it will not be torn. read more. And you will make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and crimson [yarns] on its hem all around and bells of gold in the midst of them all around, a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all around. And it will be on Aaron for serving, and its sound will be heard at his coming into the sanctuary before Yahweh and at his going out, so that he will not die. "And you will make a pure gold rosette, and you will engrave on it with seal engravings: "A holy object for Yahweh."
And make for them undergarments of linen to cover naked flesh; they will be from loins to thigh.
And make for them undergarments of linen to cover naked flesh; they will be from loins to thigh.
and you will put them on one basket, and you will bring them on the basket and [bring] the bull and the two rams.
And you will gird Aaron and his sons [with] sashes and wrap headdresses on them. And priesthood will be theirs as a lasting rule, and {you will ordain Aaron and his sons.}
And you will take [some] of the blood that is on the altar and [some] of the anointing oil, and you will spatter [it] on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons' garments with him, and he will be sacred, and his garments and his sons and his sons' garments with him.
And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and from the people on that day about three thousand persons fell. And Moses said, "{You are ordained} today for Yahweh, because each [has been] against his son and against his brother and so bringing on you today a blessing."
He must slaughter {the young bull} {before} Yahweh, then Aaron's sons, the priests, will present the blood and sprinkle the blood all around the altar that [is] [at] the door of the tent of assembly.
" 'If Israel's whole assembly did wrong unintentionally and the matter was concealed from the assembly's eyes, and they acted [against] {any of} Yahweh's commands that should not be {violated}, so that they incur guilt, when the sin that they have {committed} against [that command] becomes known, the assembly shall present {a young bull} as a sin offering, and they shall bring it before [the] tent of assembly. read more. And the elders of the community shall place their hands on the bull's head before Yahweh, and he shall slaughter the bull before Yahweh. Then the anointed priest shall bring {some of} the bull's blood to [the] tent of assembly, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and shall spatter it seven times before Yahweh in front of the curtain. He must put {some of} the blood on the altar's horns before Yahweh {in the tent of assembly}, and all [the rest] of the blood he must pour out on the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which [is at the] tent of assembly's entrance. He must remove all its fat from it, and he shall turn [it] into smoke on the altar. He shall do to the bull {just as} he did to the sin offering's bull, so he must do to it. The priest shall make atonement for them, and {they will be forgiven}. He shall bring [the rest of] the bull {outside the camp}, and he shall burn it {just as} he burned the first bull; it [is] the sin offering for the assembly.
And he shall make restitution [for] what he sinned {because of} a holy thing and shall add one-fifth of {its value} onto it and shall give it to the priest. The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.
And Aaron and his sons must eat the remainder of it; they must eat it [as] unleavened bread in a holy place--in the tent of assembly's courtyard they must eat it.
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "This is the offering of Aaron and his sons that they shall present to Yahweh on the day of his being anointed: a tenth of an ephah of finely milled flour [as] a perpetual grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening.
The priest {who offers the sin offering} must eat it in a holy place--in the tent of assembly's courtyard.
" 'And the priest who presents {a person's} burnt offering, to that priest {belongs} the skin of the burnt offering that he presented.
" 'And the priest who presents {a person's} burnt offering, to that priest {belongs} the skin of the burnt offering that he presented.
His [own] hands must bring Yahweh's offerings made by fire. He must bring the fat in addition to the breast section to wave the breast section [as] a wave offering before Yahweh,
His [own] hands must bring Yahweh's offerings made by fire. He must bring the fat in addition to the breast section to wave the breast section [as] a wave offering before Yahweh, and the priest shall turn the fat into smoke on the altar, and the breast section shall be for Aaron and his sons.
and the priest shall turn the fat into smoke on the altar, and the breast section shall be for Aaron and his sons. And the right upper thigh you must give [as] a contribution for the priest from your fellowship offerings' sacrifice.
And the right upper thigh you must give [as] a contribution for the priest from your fellowship offerings' sacrifice. [As for] the one from Aaron's sons who presents the blood of the fellowship offerings and the fat, the right upper thigh {shall belong to him} [as] his share,
[As for] the one from Aaron's sons who presents the blood of the fellowship offerings and the fat, the right upper thigh {shall belong to him} [as] his share, because I have taken the wave offering's breast section and the contribution [offering's] upper thigh from the {Israelites} out of their fellowship offerings' sacrifices, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons from the {Israelites} [as] a lasting rule.'"
because I have taken the wave offering's breast section and the contribution [offering's] upper thigh from the {Israelites} out of their fellowship offerings' sacrifices, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons from the {Israelites} [as] a lasting rule.'"
Then Moses brought Aaron's sons near and clothed them [with] tunics and tied a sash [around] {each one}, and he bound headbands on them, [just] as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
Then Moses took {some of} the anointing oil and {some of} the blood that [was] on the altar, and he spattered [them] on Aaron, on his garments, and on Aaron's sons and on his sons' garments with him--thus he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.
Then Moses sought all over [for] the goat of the sin offering and behold, it was burned up. So he was angry with Aaron's remaining sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, "Why did you not eat the sin offering on the sanctuary's site, because it [is] {a most holy thing}? And he gave it to you to remove the community's guilt, to make atonement for them {before} Yahweh. read more. Look, its blood was not brought {inside the sanctuary}. Certainly you should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded."
Look, its blood was not brought {inside the sanctuary}. Certainly you should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded." So Aaron said to Moses, "Look, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering {before} Yahweh, and [things] such as these have happened to me, and [if] I were to eat a sin offering today, would it have been good in Yahweh's eyes?"
So Aaron said to Moses, "Look, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering {before} Yahweh, and [things] such as these have happened to me, and [if] I were to eat a sin offering today, would it have been good in Yahweh's eyes?" When Moses heard, it was good in his eyes.
" 'As for the priest [who is] higher than his brothers, on whose head the oil of anointment is poured and {he was ordained} to wear the garments, he shall not dishevel his head, and he shall not tear his garments.
" 'As for the priest [who is] higher than his brothers, on whose head the oil of anointment is poured and {he was ordained} to wear the garments, he shall not dishevel his head, and he shall not tear his garments. And he shall not go near any dead person, nor shall he make himself unclean for his father or for his mother. read more. And he shall not go out from the sanctuary, and he shall not profane his God's sanctuary, because the dedication of his God's oil of anointment [is] on him; I [am] Yahweh. " 'And he himself must take a wife in her virginity. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled [woman], a prostitute--these he must not take; he shall take only a virgin from his people [as] wife. And he shall not profane his offspring among his people, because I [am] Yahweh, who consecrates him.'"
"Speak to the {Israelites}, saying, 'In the seventh month, on [the] first [day] of the month, {you must have} a rest period, a remembrance of [the trumpet] blast, a holy assembly.
And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, because it [is] {a most holy thing} for him from Yahweh's offerings made by fire--a {lasting rule}."
And you shall cause {a loud horn blast} to be heard on the seventh month on the tenth of the month; on the Day of Atonement you shall cause a ram's horn to be heard in all your land.
" 'And any tithe of the land from the land's seed [or] from the fruit of the trees [is] for Yahweh; it [is] a holy object for Yahweh.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Bring near the tribe of Levi, and {set the tribe} {before Aaron} the priest, and they will minister to him. read more. They shall observe his duties and the duties of the entire community before the tent of assembly, to do the work of the tabernacle. And they will keep all the vessels of the tent of assembly and the responsibilities of the {Israelites}, to do the work of the tabernacle. You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his descendants; they [are] surely assigned to him from among the {Israelites}.
You will give the Levites to Aaron and to his descendants; they [are] surely assigned to him from among the {Israelites}. But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger who approaches will be put to death."
But you will count Aaron and his descendants; they will keep their priesthood, and the stranger who approaches will be put to death." Yahweh spoke to Moses saying,
Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, "I [myself] receive the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites} in the place of all [the] firstborn of [the] offspring of the womb from the {Israelites}. The Levites will be mine
"I [myself] receive the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites} in the place of all [the] firstborn of [the] offspring of the womb from the {Israelites}. The Levites will be mine
"I [myself] receive the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites} in the place of all [the] firstborn of [the] offspring of the womb from the {Israelites}. The Levites will be mine
"I [myself] receive the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites} in the place of all [the] firstborn of [the] offspring of the womb from the {Israelites}. The Levites will be mine because all [the] firstborn [are] mine; on the day of my killing all [the] firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all [the] firstborn in Israel, {both humankind and animal}; they will be mine. I am Yahweh."
because all [the] firstborn [are] mine; on the day of my killing all [the] firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all [the] firstborn in Israel, {both humankind and animal}; they will be mine. I am Yahweh."
because all [the] firstborn [are] mine; on the day of my killing all [the] firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all [the] firstborn in Israel, {both humankind and animal}; they will be mine. I am Yahweh." Yahweh spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying, read more. "Muster the descendants of Levi according to {their families}, according to their clans. You will count every male from {one month} and above." So Moses mustered them according to the {command of Yahweh}, just as he commanded. These were the sons of Levi according to their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And these [are] the names of the sons of Gershon according to their clans: Libni and Shimei. And the sons of Kohath according to their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The sons of Merari according to their tribes: Mahli and Mushi. These [are] the clans of the Levites according to {their families}. {To Gershon belonged} the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these [are] the clans of the Gershonites.
{To Gershon belonged} the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these [are] the clans of the Gershonites. The {ones counted} according to the number of every male from {one month} and above [were] seven thousand five hundred.
The {ones counted} according to the number of every male from {one month} and above [were] seven thousand five hundred. The clans of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle to the west,
The clans of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle to the west, and the leader of {the family} of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael.
and the leader of {the family} of the Gershonites is Eliasaph son of Lael. And the responsibility of the descendants of Gershon in the tent of assembly [is] the tabernacle, and the tent covering it and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of the assembly,
And the responsibility of the descendants of Gershon in the tent of assembly [is] the tabernacle, and the tent covering it and the curtain of the doorway of the tent of the assembly, and the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the doorway of the courtyard that [is] around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ten cords, all of its use.
and the hangings of the courtyard and the curtain of the doorway of the courtyard that [is] around the tabernacle and the altar, and its ten cords, all of its use. {To Kohath belonged} the clan of Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan [of] the Uzzielites; these [were] the clans of the Kohathites.
{To Kohath belonged} the clan of Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan [of] the Uzzielites; these [were] the clans of the Kohathites. According to [the] number of every male from {one month} and above [there were] eight thousand six hundred keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.
According to [the] number of every male from {one month} and above [there were] eight thousand six hundred keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. The clan of the descendants of Kohath will encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south.
The clan of the descendants of Kohath will encamp on the side of the tabernacle to the south. The leader of {his family} according to the clans of the Kohathites [is] Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
The leader of {his family} according to the clans of the Kohathites [is] Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. Their responsibility [was] the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary, with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all of its use.
Their responsibility [was] the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altar, and the vessels of the sanctuary, with which they ministered, and the curtain, and all of its use. The {chief of the leaders} of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest [who had] oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary.
The {chief of the leaders} of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest [who had] oversight of those keeping the responsibility of the sanctuary. {To Merari belonged} the clan of Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these [are] the clans of Merari.
{To Merari belonged} the clan of Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these [are] the clans of Merari. The {ones counted} according to the number of every male from {one month} and above [were] six thousand two hundred.
The {ones counted} according to the number of every male from {one month} and above [were] six thousand two hundred. [The] leader of {the family} according to the clans of Merari [is] Zuriel son of Abihail; they will encamp of the side of the tabernacle to the north.
[The] leader of {the family} according to the clans of Merari [is] Zuriel son of Abihail; they will encamp of the side of the tabernacle to the north. The responsibility of the sons of Merari [was] the supervision of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its vessels and all its service,
The responsibility of the sons of Merari [was] the supervision of the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars, bases, and all its vessels and all its service, and the pillars around the courtyard, and their bases, pegs, and cords.
and the pillars around the courtyard, and their bases, pegs, and cords. Those encamped before the tabernacle to the east--before the tent of assembly to the east--[were] Moses and Aaron and his sons; they will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary {for the Israelites}; and the stranger who approaches will be put to death.
Those encamped before the tabernacle to the east--before the tent of assembly to the east--[were] Moses and Aaron and his sons; they will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary {for the Israelites}; and the stranger who approaches will be put to death. All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to {the word of Yahweh}, according to their clans, every male from {one month} and above [were] twenty-two thousand.
All those counted from the Levites whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to {the word of Yahweh}, according to their clans, every male from {one month} and above [were] twenty-two thousand.
from {thirty years old} and above, up to {fifty years old}, everyone who comes to the service to do the work in the tent of assembly.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites} and purify them. read more. So you will do to them, to purify them: sprinkle on them waters of purification, and {they will shave their whole body} and wash their garments. And they will take a {young bull} and its grain offering of finely milled flour mixed with oil, and you will take a second {young bull} as a sin offering. You will bring the Levites {before} the tent of assembly, and you will summon the entire community of the {Israelites}. And you will bring the Levites {before Yahweh}, and the {Israelites} will lay their hands on the Levites, and {Aaron will offer} the Levites [as] a wave offering {before Yahweh} from the {Israelites}, and they will do the work of Yahweh. And the Levites will lay their hands on the head of the one bull and offer [it] as a sin offering and the other one as a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. And you will present the Levites {before} Aaron and {before} his sons, and he {will offer} them [as] a wave offering to Yahweh.
And you will present the Levites {before} Aaron and {before} his sons, and he {will offer} them [as] a wave offering to Yahweh. "And you will separate the Levites from the midst of the {Israelites}, and the Levites will be for me. read more. And after this the Levites will come to serve [at] the tent of assembly, and you will purify them, and you {will offer} them [as] a wave offering.
And after this the Levites will come to serve [at] the tent of assembly, and you will purify them, and you {will offer} them [as] a wave offering. For they [are] given to me exclusively from the midst of the {Israelites}. I have taken them for myself in place of [the] firstborn of every womb, every firstborn from the {Israelites}. read more. For every firstborn among the {Israelites} [is] mine, both humankind and animal. On the day I destroyed every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them to me,
For every firstborn among the {Israelites} [is] mine, both humankind and animal. On the day I destroyed every firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them to me, and I have taken the Levites in the place of every firstborn among the {Israelites}. read more. And I have given the Levites; they are given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the {Israelites} to do the work of the {Israelites} in the tent of the assembly and to make atonement for the {Israelites}, so a plague will not be among the {Israelites} when the {Israelites} come near the sanctuary."
And I have given the Levites; they are given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the {Israelites} to do the work of the {Israelites} in the tent of the assembly and to make atonement for the {Israelites}, so a plague will not be among the {Israelites} when the {Israelites} come near the sanctuary." And Moses and Aaron and the entire community of the {Israelites} did to the Levites; everything that Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the {Israelites} did to them. read more. And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their garments, and {Aaron offered them} [as] a wave offering {before Yahweh}; and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them. After this the Levites came to do their work in the tent of assembly before Aaron and his sons. Just as Yahweh commanded Moses concerning the Levities, so they did to them.
"This [is] what is for the Levites: {those twenty-five years old} and above will come to help [with the] service in the work of the tent of assembly;
"And on the day of your joy and in your appointed times, at the beginning of your months, you will blow on the trumpets in addition to your burnt offerings and in addition to the sacrifices of your fellowship offerings. And they will be as a memorial for you {before} your God; I [am] Yahweh your God."
Moreover, bring your brothers with you, the tribe of Levi the tribe of your father, that they may be joined to you and minister [to] you, you and your sons with you before the tent of testimony. They will keep your responsibility and the responsibility of all the tent, only they may not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, so both you and they will not die. read more. They will be joined to you, and they will keep the responsibility of the tent of assembly for the entire service of the tent; a stranger may not come near you. You will keep the responsibility of the sanctuary and the responsibility of the altar, and there will no longer be wrath on the {Israelites}. Look, I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from the midst of the children. They are a gift to you given from Yahweh to perform the work of the tent of assembly. But you with your sons will keep your priesthood to perform your priestly duties for everything at the altar and for {the area behind the curtain}. I give you the priesthood as a gift, but the stranger who approaches will be put to death." Yahweh spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I myself have given to you the responsibility of my contributions for all the holy objects of the {Israelites}; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons as an eternal decree. This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me [is] {a most holy thing} for you and your sons.
This will be for you from the sanctuary of the holy things from the fire; all of their offerings, from every grain offering, from every sin offering, and from every guilt offering which they will bring to me [is] {a most holy thing} for you and your sons. You will eat it in the most holy place; every male will eat it. It will be a holy object to you.
You will eat it in the most holy place; every male will eat it. It will be a holy object to you. This [is also] for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it.
This [is also] for you: the contribution of their gift of the wave offerings of the children Israel. I have given them to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it. All [the] finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you.
All [the] finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and their best grain that they have given to Yahweh, I have given them to you. [The] firstfruits of all that [is] in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it.
[The] firstfruits of all that [is] in their land that they present to Yahweh will be for you; whoever [is] clean in your house may eat it. All consecrated possessions in Israel will be for you.
All consecrated possessions in Israel will be for you. All [the] first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal.
All [the] first offspring of a womb of any creature that they offer to Yahweh, whether human or animal, will be yours; you will surely redeem the firstborn of the human and the unclean firstborn of the animal. As to their price of redemption, from {a one-month-old} you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerah.
As to their price of redemption, from {a one-month-old} you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerah.
As to their price of redemption, from {a one-month-old} you will redeem them according to your proper value, five shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which [is] twenty gerah. Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they [are] holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke [as] an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
Only the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you will not redeem; they [are] holy. Their blood you will sprinkle over the altar, and their fat you will turn into smoke [as] an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh. But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh.
But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh.
But their flesh will be for you like the breast section of the wave offering, and it will be for you like the right upper thigh. All the contributions of holiness that the {Israelites} offer to Yahweh I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you as an eternal decree; it [is] an eternal covenant of salt {before} Yahweh to you and your offspring with you." read more. Then Yahweh said to Aaron, "You will not receive an inheritance in their land, and there will not be a plot of ground for you in the midst of the {Israelites}.
Then Yahweh said to Aaron, "You will not receive an inheritance in their land, and there will not be a plot of ground for you in the midst of the {Israelites}. "Behold, I have given to the descendants of Levi every tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service, which they [are] doing, the work of the tent of assembly.
"Behold, I have given to the descendants of Levi every tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service, which they [are] doing, the work of the tent of assembly. The {Israelites} will not come near again to the tent of assembly, or {they will bear sin} and die.
The {Israelites} will not come near again to the tent of assembly, or {they will bear sin} and die. The Levites will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the {Israelites}
The Levites will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the {Israelites} because the tithes of the {Israelites} that are {offered} to Yahweh as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them, 'They will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the {Israelites}.'"
because the tithes of the {Israelites} that are {offered} to Yahweh as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them, 'They will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the {Israelites}.'" Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, read more. "You will speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you receive the tithe from the {Israelites} that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, {you will present} a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe.
"You will speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you receive the tithe from the {Israelites} that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, {you will present} a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe. Your contribution will be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor and like the produce from the press. read more. So {you will present} your own contribution to Yahweh from all your tithes that you receive from the {Israelites}; from it you will give the contribution of Yahweh to Aaron the priest. From all your gifts {you will present} every contribution of Yahweh, from all its fat, the part [that is] sacred.' You will say to them, 'When {you are presenting} its fat, the rest will be credited to the Levites like a yield of the threshing floor and like a yield from the press. You may eat it anywhere, you and your household, because it [is] a wage in return for your service in the tent of assembly. You will not bear any sin because {you have presented} its fat; you will not defile the holy objects of the {Israelites}, or you will die.'"
And they set out from Kadesh. The {Israelites}, the whole community, came [to] Mount Hor. Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron on Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom, saying, read more. "Let Aaron be gathered to his people; he will not come into the land that I have given to the {Israelites} because you rebelled against {my word} at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and take them up Mount Hor. Strip off Aaron's garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; Aaron will be gathered [to his people], and he will die there." So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor before the eyes of all the community. And Moses stripped off Aaron's garments and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain; and Moses and Eleazar went down from the mountain. All the community saw that Aaron died; so all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
"Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, turned away my anger from among the {Israelites} when he was jealous with my jealousy in their midst, and I did not destroy the {Israelites} with my jealousy.
and it will be for him and his {offspring} after him a covenant of an eternal priesthood because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the {Israelites}.'"
The ones counted were twenty-three thousand, every male from {a month old} and above, because they were not counted in the midst of the {Israelites} since no inheritance was given to them in the midst of the {Israelites}.
Yahweh spoke to Moses on the desert plains of Moab beyond the Jordan [across] Jericho, saying, "Command the {Israelites} that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pastureland all around the cities. read more. The cities will be theirs to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their domestic animals, for their possessions, and their animals. "The pasturelands of the cities that you will give to the Levites [will extend] from the wall of the city to [a distance of] a thousand cubits all around. You will measure outside the city the eastern edge two thousand cubits, for the southern edge two thousand cubits, for the western edge two thousand cubits, and for the northern edge two thousand cubits, with the city in the middle; this will be for them the pasturelands of the cities. "All the cities that you will give the Levites will be six cities of refuge, to which the killer can flee; in addition to them you will give forty-two cities. All the cities that you will give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities, them with their pasturelands. And the cities that you will give from the property of the {Israelites}, you will take more from the larger group and less from the smaller group; each of them will give according to the portion of their inheritance according to the portion that he inherits."
At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to stand {before} Yahweh, to serve him and to bless [the people] in his name until this day.
At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to stand {before} Yahweh, to serve him and to bless [the people] in his name until this day. Therefore {there was not} for Levi an allotment or an inheritance [along] with his brothers; [rather] Yahweh [is] his inheritance [just] as Yahweh your God {promised} to him.
And you shall rejoice {before} Yahweh your God, you and your sons and your daughters and your slaves and your slave women and the Levite who [is] in your {towns}, because there is not for him a plot of ground and an inheritance with you.
"But {whenever you desire} you may slaughter, and you may eat meat according to the blessing of Yahweh your God that he has given to you in all [of] your {towns}; the unclean and the clean may eat it [just] as [they would] the gazelle and as the deer.
You are not allowed to eat in your {towns} the tithe of your grain and your wine and your olive oil and the firstborn of your herd and your flock and all [of] your votive gifts that you vowed and your freewill offering and {your donations}. But only {before} Yahweh your God you shall eat it, at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite who [is] in your {towns}, and you must rejoice {before} your God {in all your undertakings}.
But only {before} Yahweh your God you shall eat it, at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite who [is] in your {towns}, and you must rejoice {before} your God {in all your undertakings}. {Take care} so that you do not neglect the Levite all [of] your days on your land.
You are not allowed to offer the Passover sacrifice in one of your {towns} that Yahweh your God is giving to you,
And you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite that [is] in your {towns} and the alien and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst in the place that Yahweh your God will choose to let his name dwell there.
and you shall rejoice at your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your slave and your slave woman and the Levite and the orphan and the widow that [are] in your {towns}.
"You shall appoint judges and officials for you in all your {towns} that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you throughout your tribes, and you shall render [for] the people {righteous judgments}.
"And there shall not be for the Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, a plot of ground and an inheritance with Israel, [rather] they may eat an offering made by fire [as] their inheritance, for Yahweh.
"And there shall not be for the Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, a plot of ground and an inheritance with Israel, [rather] they may eat an offering made by fire [as] their inheritance, for Yahweh. And there shall not be for them an inheritance [of land] in the midst of his brothers; [rather] Yahweh is his inheritance, [just] as he {promised} to them.
And there shall not be for them an inheritance [of land] in the midst of his brothers; [rather] Yahweh is his inheritance, [just] as he {promised} to them. Now this shall be the share of the priest from the people, from {those who sacrifice the sacrifice}, [whether it is] an ox, sheep, or goat, and they shall give the priest the shoulder and the jawbones and the stomach.
Now this shall be the share of the priest from the people, from {those who sacrifice the sacrifice}, [whether it is] an ox, sheep, or goat, and they shall give the priest the shoulder and the jawbones and the stomach. The firstfruits of your grain, your wine, and your olive oil and the firstfruits of the fleece of your sheep you shall give to him.
The firstfruits of your grain, your wine, and your olive oil and the firstfruits of the fleece of your sheep you shall give to him. For Yahweh your God has chosen him from [among] all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons {forever}.
For Yahweh your God has chosen him from [among] all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons {forever}. And if a Levite comes from one of your {towns} from {anywhere in Israel} where he is residing, {he may come whenever he desires}, to the place that Yahweh will choose,
And if a Levite comes from one of your {towns} from {anywhere in Israel} where he is residing, {he may come whenever he desires}, to the place that Yahweh will choose, and he may minister in the name of Yahweh his God, [just] like all his brothers, {the Levites who stand there} {before} Yahweh.
and he may minister in the name of Yahweh his God, [just] like all his brothers, {the Levites who stand there} {before} Yahweh.
and he may minister in the name of Yahweh his God, [just] like all his brothers, {the Levites who stand there} {before} Yahweh. They shall eat {equal portions}, apart from what he may receive from the sale of his patrimony.
They shall eat {equal portions}, apart from what he may receive from the sale of his patrimony.
They shall eat {equal portions}, apart from what he may receive from the sale of his patrimony.
then the two men {to whom the legal dispute pertains} shall stand {before} Yahweh, {before} the priests and the judges who are [in office] in those days.
And you shall go to the priest who is [in office] in those days, and you shall say, 'I declare {today} to Yahweh your God that I have come into the land that Yahweh swore to our ancestors to give to us.'
Gideon made an ephod [out of] it, and he put it in his town in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted [themselves] to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
His brothers and {his whole family} came down and picked him up; and they brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father; he judged Israel twenty years.
There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the clan of Judah; he [was] a Levite and [was] dwelling as a foreigner there.
All the {Israelites} went out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and they gathered as one body to Yahweh [at] Mizpah.
Then the {Israelites} got up and went up [to] Bethel, and they inquired of God, saying, "Who will go up first for the battle against the descendants of Benjamin?" And Yahweh said, "Judah [will go] first."
And all the {Israelites} and all the troops went up and came to Bethel and wept; and they sat there before Yahweh and fasted on that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Yahweh.
and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, [was] standing {before it} [to minister] in those days), saying, "Should we go out once more to battle against the descendants of Benjamin our relatives, or should we stop?" And Yahweh said, "Go up tomorrow; I will give them into your hand."
Now this man used to go up from his town {year by year} to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh, {where} the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] priests to Yahweh.
Now this man used to go up from his town {year by year} to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh, {where} the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] priests to Yahweh.
Now Hannah had been speaking in her heart; her lips [were] moving, but her voice could not be heard, so Eli considered her [to be] drunk. Then Eli said to her, "How long will you behave like someone [who is] drunk? Put away your wine!" read more. But Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord. I am a woman {deeply distressed}, but I have not drunk wine [or] strong drink. [Rather], I have poured out my soul before Yahweh.
So the man Elkanah went up with all his household {to make the annual sacrifice} to Yahweh and [to pay] his vow.
And [if] the man said to him, "Let them burn the fat completely {first}, then take for yourself as {you} desire," then he would say to him, "No! Give it now! If not, I will take it by force!"
Now Samuel [was] serving before Yahweh, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a small robe and take it to him {year by year} whenever she came up with her husband to offer the {annual sacrifice}.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they [were] having sexual relations with the women who [were] serving [at] the entrance of [the] tent of assembly.
But the boy Samuel {continued to grow in stature and in favor} with Yahweh and with the people.
Why do you despise my sacrifice and my offering which I commanded [for my] dwelling place, while you honored your sons more than me by making yourselves fat from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel?
and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, Samuel was lying in the temple of Yahweh where the ark of God [was].
Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, [was] pregnant and [about] to give birth. When she heard the news concerning the capture of the ark of God and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she {went into labor} and gave birth, because her labor pains came upon her.
The five rulers of [the] Philistines saw [it] and returned [to] Ekron that [same] day.
{While} Samuel [was] sacrificing the burnt offering, [the] Philistines drew near for the battle against Israel. But Yahweh thundered against [the] Philistines with a great noise on that day and threw them into confusion so that they were defeated before Israel.
Then {he returned} to Ramah, because his house was there, and there he judged Israel, and he built an altar to Yahweh there.
But he said to him, "Look, a man of God [is] in this town, and the man [is] honored. All that he says certainly comes true. So then let us go there; perhaps he will tell us about our journey on which we have gone."
Then Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion that I gave to you, about which I said to you, 'Keep it with you.'" So the cook took up the shank and what was on it and put it before Saul, and he said, "Look, {the saved portion} [is] placed {before you}--eat, because it has been kept for you for the appointed time," {and he said}, "I have invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
So Jonathan went up on his hands and his feet, with {his armor bearer} after him. They fell before Jonathan and then {his armor bearer} would kill them after him.
Then Saul said to Yahweh the God of Israel, "{Render a decision perfectly}." Jonathan and Saul were chosen [by lot] and the people went out. Then Saul said, "Let them cast [the lot] between me and my son Jonathan," and Jonathan was chosen.
But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me." Yahweh said, "You must take a heifer from the herd {with you}, and you must say, 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.' You will invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will make known to you what you must do. You will anoint for me [the one] whom I tell you." read more. So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, "{Have you come in peace}?" He said, "[I come in] peace. I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." So he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
Jonathan stripped off the robe {that he was wearing} and gave it to David, along with his fighting attire, and even his sword, his bow, and his belt.
David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow [is] the new moon, and I should certainly sit with the king to eat. You must send me away so that I can hide myself in the field until the third evening. If your father misses me at all, then you must say, 'David earnestly asked from me to run to Bethlehem his city, for {the yearly sacrifice} [is] there for all the clan.'
He said, 'Send me away, please, for our clan sacrifice [is] in the city, and my brother commanded me [to be present]. So then, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me slip away and see my brothers.' Therefore he has not come to the table of the king."
Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore [the] linen ephod.
{Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled} to David [at] Keilah, he went down [with] an ephod in his hand.
When David learned that Saul [was] plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."
And David's men said to him, "Look, today [is] the day about which Yahweh said to you, 'See, I am giving your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him {whatever seems good to you}.'" So David got up and secretly cut the hem of Saul's robe.
And Saul inquired of Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him, not by dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.
Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring the ephod here for me." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
Suddenly Zadok [was] there, and all of the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people passed out of the city.
To Abiathar the priest, the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your field, for {you deserve to die}, but on this day I will not kill you, for you carried the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father, and because you endured hardship in all the hardship that my father endured."
Then the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.
Then the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.
Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?"
Then two prostitutes came to the king, and they stood before him. The one woman said, "Please my lord, I and this woman are living in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the house. read more. It happened on the third day [after] my giving birth, this woman also gave birth, and we [were] together. There was not anyone with us in the house, only the two of us [were] in the house. Then the son of this woman died [in the] night because she laid on him. So she got up in the middle of the night, and she took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep, and she put him in her lap, and she put her dead son in my lap. When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead! When I looked closely at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne." Then the other woman said, "No, for my son [is] the living one, and your son [is] the dead one." The other kept on saying, "No, for your son [is] the dead one, and my son [is] the living one," and so they argued in front of the king. Then the king said, "This one [is] saying, 'This [is] my son, the living one, but your son [is] the dead one,' and the other one keeps saying, 'But no! Your son [is] the dead one, and my son [is] living!'" So the king said, "Bring me a sword," and they brought the sword before the king. Then the king said, "Divide the living child into two, and give half to the one and half to the other." Then the woman whose son [was] the living one spoke to the king because her compassion was aroused for her son, and she said, "Please, my lord, give her the living child, but certainly do not kill him!" The other one [was] saying, "As for me, so for you! Divide [him]!" Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to her, and do not kill him; she [is] his mother." When all of Israel heard the judgment that the king had rendered, they {stood in awe} of the king, because they realized that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.
Then Jeroboam {said to himself}, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem. The heart of this people will return to their master Rehoboam the king of Judah, and they shall kill me and {return to him}." read more. And the king had decided, so he made two golden calves and he said to them, "{You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough}; here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." He put one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
But the high places he did not remove. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was completely with Yahweh all of his days.
Jehoshaphat built ships of the Tarshish [type] to go to Ophir for the gold; but he did not go because the ships were destroyed at Ezion-Geber.
And he said, "Why are you going to him today? [It is] neither the new moon nor the Sabbath!" And she said, "Peace."
However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread in the midst of their relatives.
And these [are] their dwellings according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the clans of Kohathites, for the [first] lot [was] theirs, and they gave to them Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, read more. but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-Shemesh with its pasturelands. And from the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities [were] thirteen cities throughout their clans. To the Kohathites who remained from the family of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, [were given] by lot ten cities. To the Gershomites according to their clans thirteen cities [were allotted] out of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. To the Merarites twelve cities [were] allotted according to their clans out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. So the {Israelites} gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands. And they gave by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin these cities that are mentioned by name. And of the clans of the sons of Kohath were cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. And they gave them the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-Horon with its pasturelands, Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-Rimmon with its pasturelands. And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands for the remaining the clans of the Kohathites. To the Gershomites [were given] out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. To the remainder of the Merarites [were allotted] out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands. And beyond the Jordan [at] Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands. And out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.
Now the first inhabitants who [were settled] on their property in their cities [in] Israel [were] the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.
And from the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, from the sons of Merari; Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zicri, son of Asaph; read more. Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of Netophathite. And the gatekeepers [were] Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren (Shallum [was] the chief); until then they [were] gatekeepers at the gate of the king on the east [side] toward the camps of the Levites. And Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of the house of his fathers, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, the guardians of the entrances to the tent, and their fathers [were] over the camp of Yahweh, guardians of the entrance.
And Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of the house of his fathers, the Korahites, [were] over the work of the service, the guardians of the entrances to the tent, and their fathers [were] over the camp of Yahweh, guardians of the entrance. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the leader over them {in time past}; Yahweh [was] with him. read more. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah [was] gatekeeper at the doorway to the tent of assembly. All of them were chosen as gatekeepers at the entrances, two hundred and twelve. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. They [were] established [by] David and Samuel the seer on account of their faithfulness. So they and their sons [were] over the gates of the house of Yahweh at the house of the tent as guards. The gatekeepers [were] on four sides: east, west, north, and south. And their brethren in their villages [were] to come [every] seven days {by turn} [to be] with these. For the four mighty gatekeepers, they who [were] Levites, {were entrusted} and [were] over the chambers and over the storerooms of the house of God. And they lodged all around the house of God, for upon them [was] a responsibility. And {they had charge of opening [the house of God] every morning}. And some of them [were] over the utensils of the service, for {they count them} [when] they are brought in and {they count them} [when] they are brought out. And some of them were appointed over the objects, over the objects of the sanctuary, and over the wheat flour and the wine, the olive oil, the frankincense, and the spices. And some of the sons of the priests mixed the fragrant ointment for the spices. And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite and {was entrusted} with the work of the pan breads. And from the sons of the Kohathites, some of their kinsmen [were] over the {showbread} to prepare [it] {every Sabbath}. Now these [were] the singers; the heads of the {families} of the Levites [were] in the chambers free from other service, for day and night [they were] over them on the service.
Now these [were] the singers; the heads of the {families} of the Levites [were] in the chambers free from other service, for day and night [they were] over them on the service. These [were] the heads of the {families} of the Levites according to their genealogies, leaders. These lived in Jerusalem.
Then David ordered [that] none except the Levites should carry the ark of God, for Yahweh had chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him forever.
Then David ordered the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers [as] singers with instruments of song, musical instruments, stringed instruments, and cymbals, {raising their voices for joy}. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, and from his brothers, Asaph the son of Berekiah, and from the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; read more. and with them their brothers [of] the second [rank], Zechariah the son, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-Edom and Jeiel. Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, [were] to sound bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah [were to play] on harps according to Alamoth; and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah [were to play] lyres, directing according to the Sheminith. And Kenaniah, chief of the Levites in singing, [was to be] an instructor in singing because he understood.
And as for the sons of Aaron, [these were] their divisions. The sons of Aaron [were] Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and {they had no sons}, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. read more. And David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their appointments for their service. And more sons of Eleazar were found as heads of the men than the sons of Ithamar, so they divided them to the sons of Eleazar [to be] sixteen heads over the house of the fathers, and to the sons of Ithamar over the house of the fathers [were] eight [heads]. They divided them by lot {all alike}, for they were commanders of the sanctuary and commanders of God from among the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them before the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the {families} of the priests and Levites, one father's house drawn by Lot for Eleazar and one drawn by lot for Ithamar. And the first lot went out to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shekaniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Ha-Pizzez, the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Ezekiel, the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. These [were] their appointments for their service to come into the house of Yahweh according to their custom by the hand of Aaron their father, as Yahweh the God of Israel had commanded him.
As for the working groups of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, from the sons of Asaph. And Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, read more. Elam the fifth, Jehohana the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. And Obed-Edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth; for God blessed him. And to Shemaiah his son were sons born who [were] rulers in the house of their father, for they [were] mighty warriors of ability. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers [were] sons of ability, Elihu and Semakiah. All these from the sons of Obed-Edom, they and their sons, and their brothers [were] men of ability with strength for service; sixty-two of Obed-Edom. And Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, sons of ability, eighteen. And Hosah, from the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (though he was not firstborn, his father appointed him as chief), Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brothers of Hosah [were] thirteen. These working groups of gatekeepers, corresponding to the chief men, had responsibilities like their brothers to serve in the house of Yahweh. And they cast lots, small and great alike, by their fathers' houses, {for their gates}. And the lot fell to the east to Shelemiah. As for Zechariah his son, {a wise counselor}, they cast lots. And his lot came out for the north. To Obed-Edom [went out] the south, and to his sons, the storehouses. For Shuppim and Hosah [it went out] for the west, at the gate of Shalleketh, on the road that goes up, guard for guard. To the east, six Levites; to the north, four daily; to the south, four daily; and at the storerooms, two [by] two. For the court to the west, four at the road, two at the court. These [were] the working groups of the gatekeepers among the sons of the Korahites and among the sons of Merari.
And in accord with the ordinance of David his father he appointed working groups of priests for their service, Levites for their responsibilities for praise and cultic service before the priests {according to the daily requirement}, and the gatekeepers in their working groups, gate by gate. For thus David the man of God had commanded.
This is the thing that you must do: one third of you priests and Levites {coming off duty on the Sabbath} [shall be] gatekeepers at the entrances
The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,
You also should be aware that it is not permitted to place tax, tribute, or duty upon all of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, and other servants of the house of God.
You also should be aware that it is not permitted to place tax, tribute, or duty upon all of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, and other servants of the house of God.
And from the temple servants, whom David and [his] officials had set up to serve the Levites, two hundred and twenty [in total]. All of them were registered by name.
From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
Now when the wall had been built and I had erected the doors and appointed the gatekeepers, singers, and the Levites,
Now when the wall had been built and I had erected the doors and appointed the gatekeepers, singers, and the Levites,
These are the people of the province who came up from captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each one to his city.
The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,
These sought their record among those enrolled in the genealogy, but it was not found there, so they were excluded as unclean from the priesthood. So the governor said to them that they could not eat the most holy food until a priest could come with Urim and Thummim.
Now some from the heads of the {families} gave to the work. The governor gave to the storehouse one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly tunics.
So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their cities. When the seventh month came, the {Israelites} [were] in their cities.
"The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to [observe] the law of God--their wives, their sons, their daughters, and all who know and understand--
These are the heads of the province who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each one lived on his property in their cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.
These are the heads of the province who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each one lived on his property in their cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.
Now from the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni; and Shabbethai and Jehozabad, leaders over the work of the Levites outside of the house of God; read more. Mattaniah son of Micah, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, [who was] the leader to begin the thanksgiving prayer, and Bakbukiah the second of his brothers; Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. All of the Levites in the holy city [were] two hundred and eighty-four. The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, the keepers of the gates, one hundred and seventy-two.
The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, the keepers of the gates, one hundred and seventy-two. And the remainder of Israel, the priests and the Levites, in all of the cities of Judah, each in his inheritance. read more. But the temple servants were living on the Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa [were] over the temple servants.
But the temple servants were living on the Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa [were] over the temple servants. The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem [was] Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the descendants of Asaph, the singers over the work of the house of God. read more. For [there was] a command of the king concerning them and a regulation concerning the singers, required {day by day}. And Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, from the descendants of Zerah the son of Judah, [was] at the hand of the king in all matters concerning the people.
and the {priests} with trumpets; Zechariah son of Jehonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph;
They kept the responsibility of their God and the responsibility of cleansing, and the singers and gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.
So I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established responsibilities for the priests and Levites, each in his own work, a contribution of the wood offering at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
Blow [the] horn at new moon, at full moon, for our feast day,
I have said, "You [are] gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you.
[It is] like the fragrant oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, that runs down upon the edges of his robes.
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, among the priests who [were] in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,
{When the priests enter}, then they shall not go out from the sanctuary to the outer courtyard; and there they must put their garments in which they serve because they [are] holy. They must put on other garments and [then] they may approach [the area] that [is] for the people.
And Yahweh said, "Son of man, set your heart and look with your eyes and with your ears hear {everything} I [am] saying [to] you concerning all the statutes of the temple of Yahweh and concerning all its laws, and you must listen [with] your heart concerning the entrance of the temple with all of [the] exits of the sanctuary. And you must say to [the] rebellious, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Enough for you, house of Israel, of all of your detestable things! read more. At your bringing {foreigners} [who are] uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh to be in my sanctuary to profane it, my temple, {as you offered my food, fat, and blood}, so you broke my covenant by all of your detestable things. And you did not observe the responsibility of my sanctuary, but you appointed [them] as the keepers of my responsibility in my sanctuary for you." Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Every {foreigner} uncircumcised of heart and uncircumcised of flesh shall not come into my sanctuary--[not] any of [the] {foreigners} who [are] in the midst of the {Israelites}. {But} the Levites who removed themselves from me {at the going astray of Israel}, who went astray from me [and went] after their idols, as a result they will bear their guilt.
{But} the Levites who removed themselves from me {at the going astray of Israel}, who went astray from me [and went] after their idols, as a result they will bear their guilt.
But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok, who cared for the responsibility of my sanctuary {when the Israelites went astray} from me, they will approach me to serve me, and they will stand {before me} to offer to me fat and blood," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.
The contribution that you shall set apart for Yahweh, its length [shall be] twenty-five thousand [cubits], and its width ten thousand [cubits]. And to these shall be {the holy district}: to the priests northwards twenty-five thousand [cubits], and westwards [its] width ten thousand [cubits], and eastwards [its] width ten thousand [cubits], and southwards its length twenty-five thousand [cubits], and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in the midst of it. read more. To the priests, the [ones] being consecrated from the descendants of Zadok, who took care of my service [and] who {did not go astray} {when the Israelites went astray}, {just as} the Levites went astray. And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land {as a most holy object} next to the territory of the Levites. And the Levites {alongside} the territory of the priests [shall have] twenty-five thousand [cubits] [in] length and in width ten thousand [cubits], its {full length}, twenty-five thousand [cubits] and its [full width], ten thousand [cubits]. And they shall not sell [any part] from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for [it is] holy to Yahweh.
how he entered into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the presentation, which it is not permitted to eat (except the priests) and also gave [it] to those who were with him?"