Deuteronomy 18:1-8

The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no allotment or inheritance within Israel. They may eat the sacrifices that are the Lord’s portion but they shall have no inheritance among the other members of the community; the Lord is their inheritance,¹ as he promised them. This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two jowls, and the stomach.² The first fruits of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.³ For the Lord your God has chosen Levi out of all your tribes, to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.⁴

If a Levite leaves any of your towns, from wherever he has been residing in Israel, and comes to the place that the Lord will choose (and he may come whenever he wishes), then he may minister in the name of the Lord his God,⁵ like all his fellow-Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord. They shall have equal portions to eat, even though they have income from the sale of family possessions.

1 “the Lord is their inheritance” is actually a very strange phrase. Isn't He all of Israel's? As best as I can understand it, his promise that the rest of Israel will continue to provide for the Levites is their compensation for not having an inheritance of land.

2 That sounds like a raw deal – jowls and stomach. At least they get a shoulder.

3 Broadening out the provision.

4 This is God's decision, respect it.

5 Interesting – he seems to be able to minister in the temple whenever he wants. Study Bible states that later (2 Kings 23:4) this wasn't adhered to.

Take-home: Some basic instructions are given regarding the Levites.