Genesis 47:22

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.

Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.

or he who exhorts, to his exhorting; he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”

Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.

Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.

The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.

We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor,

As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Joab’s men went out after him, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow.

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief officials serving the king.

Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or laborers of this house of God.

and that we should bring the first fruits of our dough, our wave offerings, the fruit of all kinds of trees, and the new wine and the oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in fleshly things.

named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat.

You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting.

“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites.

You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion.

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they have caused him to ride on the king’s mule.

King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell on him, so that he died.

When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to Yahweh’s law.

Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.

Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me.

His tabernacle is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion.

Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth will fall by the sword. They will go into captivity.

Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,

Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.

But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.

and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you;

Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers;

The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops.

But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.

Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.

Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Yahweh’s wave offering.

These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth.

but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates. You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God in all that you put your hand to.

Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him.

He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich.

The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “The blind and the lame will keep you out of here;” thinking, “David can’t come in here.”

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief ministers.

I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled to his field.

I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches.

So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.”

(but how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule one’s own house take care of God’s assembly?)

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.