Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites since the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before Him always.”
They appointed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it had been written in the Book of Moses.
and of the temple servants whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty temple servants, all of them designated by name.
Does it seem a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the assembly of Israel to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the assembly to minister to them?
Your brothers also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring with you, and let them be joined with you, and minister to you. But you and your sons with you will minister before the tent of witness.
For they are completely set aside for Me by the Israelites. Instead of all who open the womb, instead of the firstborn of all the Israelites, I have taken them for Myself.
I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the Israelites, to serve the service of the Israelites in the tent of meeting and to make an atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague among the Israelites when the Israelites approach the sanctuary.