The Levites

¹Lezi ziyizizukulwane zika-Aroni nezikaMose ngalolo suku uJehova akhuluma ngalo kuMose entabeni yaseSinayi.

²Lawa angamagama amadodana ka-Aroni: uNadabi izibulo, no-Abihu, no-Eleyazare, no-Itamari.

³Yilawo angamagama amadodana ka-Aroni, abapristi abagcotshiweyo, abahlukaniselwa ukukhonza esikhundleni sobupristi.

⁴ONadabi no-Abihu bafa phambi kukaJehova, benikela ngomlilo ongafanele ebusweni bukaJehova ehlane laseSinayi; babengenabantwana. Kwase kukhonza o-Eleyazare no-Itamari esikhundleni sobupristi ebusweni buka-Aroni uyise.

⁵UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

⁶“Sondeza isizwe sakwaLevi, usimise phambi kuka-Aroni, umpristi, ukuba simkhonze.

⁷Bayakugcina izimfanelo zakho nezimfanelo zenhlangano yonke phambi kwetende lokuhlangana ukwenza inkonzo yetabernakele.

⁸Bayakugcina yonke impahla yetende lokuhlangana nezimfanelo zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukwenza inkonzo yetabernakele.

⁹Uyakunikela amaLevi ku-Aroni nakumadodana akhe; ayanikelwa ngempela kuye, evela kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

¹⁰Uyakumisa u-Aroni namadodana akhe, bagcine ubupristi babo; umfokazi osondelayo uyakubulawa.”

¹¹UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

¹²“Mina ngikhiphile amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli esikhundleni samazibulo onke avula isizalo phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; amaLevi ayakuba ngawami.

¹³Ngokuba onke amazibulo angawami; ngalolo suku engabulala ngalo onke amazibulo ezweni laseGibithe ngazingcwelisela amazibulo onke kwa-Israyeli, awabantu nawezilwane; ayakuba ngawami; nginguJehova.”

¹⁴UJehova wakhuluma kuMose ehlane laseSinayi, wathi:

¹⁵“Bala abantwana bakwaLevi ngezindlu zawoyise nangemindeni yabo; uyakubala bonke abesilisa kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu.”

¹⁶UMose wababala njengezwi likaJehova, njengalokho wayalwa.

¹⁷Lawa angamadodana kaLevi ngamagama awo: oGereshoni, noKohati, noMerari.

¹⁸Lawa angamagama amadodana kaGereshoni ngemindeni yawo: oLibini noShimeyi.

¹⁹Namadodana kaKohati ngemindeni yawo: o-Amramu, noJisihari, noHebroni, no-Uziyeli.

²⁰Namadodana kaMerari ngemindeni yawo: oMaheli noMushi. Leyo iyimindeni yamaLevi ngezindlu zawoyise.

²¹KwaGereshoni kwavela umndeni wamaLibini nomndeni wamaShimeyi; yileyo eyimindeni yamaGereshoni.

²²Labo ababalwayo kubo njengokomumo wabesilisa bonke kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu, ababalwayo kubo babe yizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa namakhulu ayisihlanu.

²³Imindeni yamaGereshoni iyakumisa emva kwetabernakele ngasentshonalanga.

²⁴Isikhulu sendlu kayise wamaGereshoni siyakuba ngu-Eliyasafa indodana kaLayeli.

²⁵Imfanelo yamadodana kaGereshoni etendeni lokuhlangana iyakuba yitabernakele, netende, nesimbozo salo, neveli lomnyango wetende lokuhlangana,

²⁶nezilenge zegceke, neveli lomnyango wegceke elingasetabernakele nangase-altare nxazonke, nezintambo zalo, nayo yonke inkonzo yalokho.

²⁷KwaKohati kwavela umndeni wama-Amramu, nomndeni wamaJisihari, nomndeni wamaHebroni, nomndeni wama-Uziyeli; yileyo eyimindeni yamaKohati.

²⁸Njengokomumo wabo bonke abesilisa kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu babe yizinkulungwane eziyisishiyagalombili namakhulu ayisithupha, begcina inkonzo yendlu engcwele.

²⁹Imindeni yamadodana kaKohati iyakumisa eceleni kwetabernakele ngaseningizimu.

³⁰Isikhulu sendlu kayise wemindeni yamaKohati siyakuba ngu-Elisafani indodana ka-Uziyeli.

³¹Okugcinwa yibo kuyakuba ngumphongolo, netafula, nothi lwezibani, nama-altare, nezimpahla zendlu engcwele abakhonza ngazo, neveli, nayo yonke inkonzo yalokho.

³²U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni umpristi uyakuba yisikhulu sezikhulu zamaLevi, abonise abagcina inkonzo yendlu engcwele.

³³KwaMerari kwavela umndeni wamaMaheli nomndeni wamaMushi; yileyo eyimindeni yamaMerari.

³⁴Labo ababalwayo kubo njengokomumo wabesilisa bonke kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu babe yizinkulungwane eziyisithupha namakhulu amabili.

³⁵Isikhulu sendlu kayise wemindeni yamaMerari sasinguSuriyeli indodana ka-Abihayili; bayakumisa eceleni kwetabernakele ngasenyakatho.

³⁶Imfanelo emiselwe amadodana kaMerari iyakuba ngamapulangwe etabernakele, nemishayo yalo, nezinsika zalo, nezinyawo zalo, nezinto zonke zalo, nenkonzo yonke yalokho,

³⁷nezinsika zegceke nxazonke, nezinyawo zazo, nezikhonkwane zazo, nezintambo zazo.

³⁸Labo abamisa phambi kwetabernakele ngasempumalanga, ngaphambi kwetende lokuhlangana ngasekuphumeni kwelanga, bayakuba ngoMose no-Aroni namadodana akhe, begcina inkonzo yendlu engcwele, begcina imfanelo yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; umfokazi osondelayo uyakubulawa.

³⁹Bonke ababalwayo bamaLevi ababalwa nguMose nangu-Aroni ngesiyalezo sikaJehova ngemindeni yabo, bonke abesilisa kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu, babe yizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili.

⁴⁰UJehova wathi kuMose: “Bala onke amazibulo esilisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu, ubale umumo wamagama abo.

⁴¹Uyakungithabathela amaLevi nginguJehova esikhundleni samazibulo onke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, nezinkomo zamaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo onke ezinkomo zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”

⁴²UMose wabala, njengalokho uJehova emyalile, onke amazibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

⁴³Onke amazibulo esilisa njengokomumo wamagama kusukela kwabanenyanga kuya phezulu alabo ababalwayo kubo ayeyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili namakhulu amabili namashumi ayisikhombisa nantathu.

⁴⁴UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

⁴⁵“Thabatha amaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo onke phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nezinkomo zamaLevi esikhundleni sezinkomo zabo, amaLevi abe ngawami; nginguJehova.

⁴⁶Ukuba kuhlengwe labo abangamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisikhombisa nantathu bamazibulo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abadlula amaLevi,

⁴⁷uyakuthabatha amashekeli ayisihlanu ngamunye ngenhloko; ngokweshekeli lendlu engcwele uyakuwathabatha ishekeli lingamagera angamashumi amabili;

⁴⁸umnike u-Aroni namadodana akhe imali umumo wabo odlulelayo ohlengwa ngayo.”

⁴⁹UMose wayesethatha imali yokuhlenga kulabo abadlula abahlengiwe ngamaLevi;

⁵⁰kuwo amazibulo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli wayithatha imali, amashekeli ayinkulungwane namakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha nanhlanu ngokweshekeli lendlu engcwele.

⁵¹UMose wamnika u-Aroni namadodana akhe imali yokuhlenga njengezwi likaJehova, njengalokho uJehova emyalile uMose.