Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



The total number of all the Levite males at least one month old was twenty-three thousand. They were not counted along with the other Israelites, because they were given no land of their own.

Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers. Jehovah is his inheritance; just as Jehovah your God spoke to him.

Rejoice (be filled with joy) before Jehovah your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.

You and your sons and daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levites who live in your cities must eat these in the presence of Jehovah your God at the place he will choose. There in the presence of Jehovah your God enjoy everything for which you have worked. Remember to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land.

Do not neglect the Levites who live in your towns. They have no property of their own. At the end of every third year bring the tithe of all your crops and store it in your towns. This food is for the Levites, since they own no property, and for the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns. They are to come and get all they need. Do this, and Jehovah your God will bless you in everything you do.

The Levitical priests including the entire tribe of Levi will receive no land or property of their own like the rest of the Israelites. They will eat what has been sacrificed to Jehovah. These sacrifices will be what they receive. They are to own no land, as the other tribes do. Their inheritance is the privilege of being Jehovah's priests, as Jehovah told them. When cattle or sheep are sacrificed, the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jaw, and the stomach. read more.
They are to receive the first share of the grain, wine, olive oil, and wool. Jehovah chose from all your tribes the tribe of Levi to serve him and his sons as priests forever. Any Levite who wants to may come from any town in Israel to the one place of worship. He may serve there, as a priest of Jehovah his God, like the other Levites who are serving there. He is to receive the same amount of food as the other priests. He may keep everything his family sends him.

He gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The sacrifices of Jehovah God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said to them.

Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and a half tribe on the other side of the Jordan. He gave no inheritance to the Levites.

The Levites have no part among you. The priesthood of Jehovah is their inheritance. Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Jehovah gave them.

These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them): They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. read more.
So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. These towns, which were distributed among the Kohathite clans, were thirteen in all. The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh. The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan. The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands. From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns. Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim. In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth Horon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands. And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans. The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands, from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands; from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon, Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands; and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. The Merarites (the rest of the Levites)) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands, from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands; and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon with its pastureland, and Jazer with its pastureland.

He then said to the whole assembly of Israel: If it seems good to you and if it is the will of Jehovah our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us.

They went around Judah, gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the leaders of the families of Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

Jehovah continued to speak to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy to these shepherds. Tell them: 'The Lord Jehovah says: How horrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who have been taking care of only themselves. Should shepherds take care of the sheep? You eat the best parts of the sheep, dress in the wool, and butcher the finest sheep. Yet, you do not take care of the sheep. read more.
You have not strengthened those that were weak, healed those who were sick, or bandaged those who were injured. You have not brought back those who strayed away or looked for those who were lost. You have ruled them harshly and violently. They were scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal at the time they were scattered.