At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to stand before the Lord as his ministers, and to pronounce blessings in his name. These are their duties to this day.

那时，耶和华将利未支派分别出来，抬耶和华的约柜，又侍立在耶和华面前侍奉他，奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那时，耶和华将利未支派分别出来，抬耶和华的约柜，又侍立在耶和华面前事奉他，奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那时，耶和华将利未支派分别出来，抬耶和华的约柜，又侍立在耶和华面前事奉他，奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那时，耶和华把利未支派分别出来，派他们抬祂的约柜，站立在祂面前事奉祂，奉祂的名祝福，至今未变。

那时，耶和华把利未支派分别出来，叫他们抬耶和华的约柜，侍立在耶和华面前事奉他，并且奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那時，耶和華將利未支派分別出來，擡耶和華的約櫃，又侍立在耶和華面前事奉他，奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那時，耶和華將利未支派分別出來，抬耶和華的約櫃，又侍立在耶和華面前事奉他，奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那時，耶和華將利未支派分別出來，抬耶和華的約櫃，又侍立在耶和華面前事奉他，奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那時，耶和華把利未支派分別出來，派他們抬祂的約櫃，站立在祂面前事奉祂，奉祂的名祝福，至今未變。

那時，耶和華把利未支派分別出來，叫他們抬耶和華的約櫃，侍立在耶和華面前事奉他，並且奉他的名祝福，直到今日。

那時永恆主將利未族派分別出來，來抬永恆主的約櫃，來站在永恆主面前伺候他，來奉他的名祝福，直到今日還這樣行。

時、耶和華區別利未支派、使舁耶和華約匱、立於耶和華前、以崇事之、奉其名而禱祝、迄於今日、

當時耶和華、區別利未支派、使舁耶和華約匱、立於其前、以奉事之、籲其名而頌禱、即以今日之事為證。

當時主區別利未支派、使舁主之約匱、立於主前以奉事之、託主之名為民祝福、直至今日、

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.

At that time the Lord set the tribe of Levi apart. He appointed them to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He wanted them to serve him. He told them to bless the people in his name. And they still do it today.

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 to him and to bless in his name, to this day.

“ At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the LORD’s covenant, to stand before the LORD to serve him, and to pronounce blessings in his name, as it is today.

At that time the Lord singled out the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name, until this day.

At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.

At that time Jehovah set apart the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, to stand before Jehovah to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

“ At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as it is today.

At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the LORD’s covenant, to stand before the LORD to serve him, and to formulate blessings in his name, as they do to this very day.

At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day.

Then the Levitical priests must step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in the Lord’s name. They are to decide all legal and criminal cases.

For the Lord your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the Lord’s name forever.

The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred articles. The Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. But they must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. So these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry.

“ Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants.

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

“ Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:‘ May the Lord bless you and protect you.May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’

Then the Lord said to Aaron:“ You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood.“ Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi— your ancestral tribe— to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die.The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.“ You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the Lord’s anger will never again blaze against the people of Israel.I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord for service in the Tabernacle.But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain. I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death.”The Lord gave these further instructions to Aaron:“ I myself have put you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and your sons as your permanent share.You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the most holy offerings— including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings— will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons.You must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it as most holy.“ All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings.“ I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the Lord— the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain.All the first crops of their land that the people present to the Lord belong to you. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.“ Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the Lord also belongs to you.“ The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the Lord will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals.Redeem them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces of silver( as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs).“ However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats. They are holy and have been set apart for the Lord. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before the altar.Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of Israel bring to the Lord. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant between the Lord and you, and it also applies to your descendants.”And the Lord said to Aaron,“ You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.“ From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die.Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites,because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the Lord. This will be the Levites’ share. That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the Israelites.”The Lord also told Moses,“ Give these instructions to the Levites: When you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you receive— a tithe of the tithe— to the Lord as a sacred offering.The Lord will consider this offering to be your harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing floor or wine from your own winepress.You must present one tenth of the tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the Lord. This is the Lord’s sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest.Be sure to give to the Lord the best portions of the gifts given to you.“ Also, give these instructions to the Levites: When you present the best part as your offering, it will be considered as though it came from your own threshing floor or winepress.You Levites and your families may eat this food anywhere you wish, for it is your compensation for serving in the Tabernacle.You will not be considered guilty for accepting the Lord’s tithes if you give the best portion to the priests. But be careful not to treat the holy gifts of the people of Israel as though they were common. If you do, you will die.”

And because God was clearly helping the Levites as they carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar.

But this total did not include the Levites.For the Lord had said to Moses,“ Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites.Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it.Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death.Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner.But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord’s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle.”

He said to them,“ You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.”So the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to Jerusalem.Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

This is how the Lord responds:“ If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!

Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them?Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well?

Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from his holy dwelling in heaven.

One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“ Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”

Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the Lord your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel.

They may still be Temple guards and gatekeepers, and they may slaughter the animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people.

Then the priests carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple— the Most Holy Place— and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim.

This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:The names of Aaron’s sons were Nadab( the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests.But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.

“ However, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok continued to minister faithfully in the Temple when Israel abandoned me for idols. These men will serve as my ministers. They will stand in my presence and offer the fat and blood of the sacrifices, says the Sovereign Lord.

“ This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no defects.Then, using choice wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with oil.Place them all in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the Tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams.“ Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water.Dress Aaron in his priestly garments— the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chestpiece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him.Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban.Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head.Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics.Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.“ Bring the young bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head.Then slaughter the bull in the Lord’s presence at the entrance of the Tabernacle.Put some of its blood on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest at the base of the altar.Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all on the altar.Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat, and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering.“ Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams.Then slaughter the ram, and splatter its blood against all sides of the altar.Cut the ram into pieces, and wash off the internal organs and the legs. Set them alongside the head and the other pieces of the body,then burn the entire animal on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord.“ Now take the other ram, and have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head.Then slaughter it, and apply some of its blood to the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons. Also put it on the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar.Then take some of the blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his sons and on their garments. In this way, they and their garments will be set apart as holy.“ Since this is the ram for the ordination of Aaron and his sons, take the fat of the ram, including the fat of the broad tail, the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, along with the right thigh.Then take one round loaf of bread, one thin cake mixed with olive oil, and one wafer from the basket of bread without yeast that was placed in the Lord’s presence.Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons to be lifted up as a special offering to the Lord.Afterward take the various breads from their hands, and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. It is a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a special gift for him.Then take the breast of Aaron’s ordination ram, and lift it up in the Lord’s presence as a special offering to him. Then keep it as your own portion.“ Set aside the portions of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons. This includes the breast and the thigh that were lifted up before the Lord as a special offering.In the future, whenever the people of Israel lift up a peace offering, a portion of it must be set aside for Aaron and his descendants. This is their permanent right, and it is a sacred offering from the Israelites to the Lord.“ Aaron’s sacred garments must be preserved for his descendants who succeed him, and they will wear them when they are anointed and ordained.The descendant who succeeds him as high priest will wear these clothes for seven days as he ministers in the Tabernacle and the Holy Place.“ Take the ram used in the ordination ceremony, and boil its meat in a sacred place.Then Aaron and his sons will eat this meat, along with the bread in the basket, at the Tabernacle entrance.They alone may eat the meat and bread used for their purification in the ordination ceremony. No one else may eat them, for these things are set apart and holy.If any of the ordination meat or bread remains until the morning, it must be burned. It may not be eaten, for it is holy.“ This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons to their offices, just as I have commanded you. The ordination ceremony will go on for seven days.Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as a sin offering to purify them, making them right with the Lord. Afterward, cleanse the altar by purifying it; make it holy by anointing it with oil.Purify the altar, and consecrate it every day for seven days. After that, the altar will be absolutely holy, and whatever touches it will become holy.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.

When all the elders of Israel arrived, the Levites picked up the Ark.The priests and Levites brought up the Ark along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it.

The Lord said to Moses,“ Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.”So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the Lord had shown Moses.Then the Lord said to Moses,“ Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean.Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean.Have them bring a young bull and a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull for a sin offering.Then assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites at the entrance of the Tabernacle.When you present the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them.Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the Lord as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the Lord’s service.“ Next the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls. Present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to purify the Levites and make them right with the Lord.Then have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons, and raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the Lord.In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel, and the Levites will belong to me.After this, they may go into the Tabernacle to do their work, because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering.“ Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel.And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.”So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the Lord’s instructions to Moses.The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the Lord as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the Lord.After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the Lord gave Moses concerning the Levites.The Lord also instructed Moses,“ This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty five,and they must retire at the age of fifty.After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”

Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings from place to place.”

When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests picked up the Ark.The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it.

you who serve in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him

Lift your hands toward the sanctuary, and praise the Lord.

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.

He placed the turban on Aaron’s head and attached the gold medallion— the badge of holiness— to the front of the turban, just as the Lord had commanded him.

These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.

My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”