Numbers 8
1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”
“Tshono ku-Aroni uthi, ‘Nxa usumisa izibane eziyisikhombisa, kufanele zikhanyise indawo ephambi koluthi lwezibane.’”
3 And Aaron did so; he set up the lamps facing toward the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
U-Aroni wenza njalo; wamisa izibane oluthini zikhangele phambili, njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.
4 This is how the lampstand was constructed: it was made of hammered gold from its base to its blossoms, fashioned according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.
Uluthi lwesibane lwalwenziwe ngale indlela: Lwalwenziwe ngegolide elikhandiweyo kusukela esidindini salo kusiya embaxeni zamaluba alo. Uluthi lwesibane lwenziwa lwafana xathu lalokho uThixo ayekutshengise uMosi.
5 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
UThixo wathi kuMosi:
6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.
“Yahlukanisa abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli ubahlambulule ngokomkhuba.
7 This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.
Nanku ozakwenza nxa usubahlambulula: Bachele ngamanzi okuhlambulula, uthi baphuce imizimba yabo yonke njalo bagezise izigqoko zabo, bazihlambulule.
8 Then have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.
Kabathathe inkunzi eliguqa ndawonye lomnikelo wayo wamabele ayifulawa ecolekileyo exutshaniswe lamafutha; ubusuthatha inkunzi yesibili ibe ngumnikelo wesono.
9 Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole congregation of Israel.
Letha abaLevi phambi kwethente lokuhlangana ubusubuthanisa isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli.
10 You are to present the Levites before the LORD and have the Israelites lay their hands upon them.
Letha abaLevi phambi kukaThixo, abako-Israyeli babeke izandla zabo phezu kwabaLevi.
11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.
U-Aroni kethule abaLevi phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wabako-Israyeli wokuzunguzwa, ukuze balungele ukwenza umsebenzi kaThixo.
12 And the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer to the LORD one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.
Nxa abaLevi sebebeke izandla zabo phezu kwamakhanda enkunzi, uzakwenza umnikelo wesono kuThixo ngenye yazo kanye lomnikelo wokutshiswa, ukwenzela abaLevi indlela yokubuyisana.
13 You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and then present them before the LORD as a wave offering.
Misa abaLevi phambi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe ubethule njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kukaThixo.
14 In this way you shall separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to Me.
Ngalokhu uzabe usubahlukanisile abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli, ngakho abaLevi bazakuba ngabami.
15 After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.
Ngemva kokuba usuhlambulule wethula abaLevi njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa, kabeze benze umsebenzi wabo ethenteni lokuhlangana.
16 For the Levites have been wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself in place of all who come first from the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.
Bangabako-Israyeli abaphiwe mina ngokugcweleyo. Sengibathethe baba ngabami esikhundleni samazibulo, wonke umntwana ongumfana wokuqala ozelwe ngowesifazane wako-Israyeli.
17 For every firstborn male in Israel is Mine, both man and beast. I set them apart for Myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.
Wonke amazibulo ako-Israyeli, awabantu kumbe awezinyamazana, angawami. Ngazehlukanisela wona mhla ngibulala amazibulo wonke eGibhithe.
18 But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel.
Ngakho-ke sengithethe abaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo wonke angabafana bako-Israyeli.
19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to perform the service for the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”
Kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, senginike abaLevi ku-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe ukuba babe yizipho ukuze benzele abako-Israyeli umsebenzi kanye lendlela yokubuyisana ethenteni lokuhlangana ukuze abako-Israyeli bangahlaselwa yisifo nxa besondela endlini engcwele.”
20 So Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel did with the Levites everything that the LORD had commanded Moses they should do.
UMosi lo-Aroni kanye labo bonke abako-Israyeli benza njalo kubaLevi njengalokhu uThixo walaya uMosi.
21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.
AbaLevi bazihlambulula njalo bagezisa izigqoko zabo. Ngakho u-Aroni wabethula phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa njalo wabenzela indlela yokubuyisana ebahlambulula.
22 After that, the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Thus they did with the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Ngemva kwalokho, abaLevi beza ethenteni lokuhlangana ukuzokwenza umsebenzi wabo ngaphansi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe. Benza njalo kubaLevi njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.
23 And the LORD said to Moses,
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
“Lokhu kuqondane labaLevi: Abesilisa abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu kusiya phezulu bazakwenza umsebenzi ethenteni lokuhlangana,
25 But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve.
kodwa asebeleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu okuzalwa bazamiswa ukuphatha imisebenzi yabo yensuku ngensuku bangabe besasebenza futhi.
26 After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”
Bangasiza nje abafowabo nxa besenza imisebenzi yabo ethenteni lokuhlangana, kodwa bona ngokwabo bangasebenzi. Le yiyo-ke indlela ozakupha ngayo abaLevi imisebenzi.”
