Numbers 8
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
2 “Speak to Aaron, and you shall say to him: When you place the seven lamps, let the lampstand be set up on the south side. Therefore, give this instruction: that the lamps should look out from the region opposite the north, toward the table of the bread of the presence; they shall give light opposite that area, toward the area that the lampstand faces.”
Tshono kuAroni uthi kuye: Nxa ulumathisa izibane, izibane eziyisikhombisa zizakhanyisa ngaphambili phambi koluthi lwesibane.
3 And Aaron did so, and he placed the lamps on the lampstand, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
UAroni wasesenza njalo; ngaphambili phambi koluthi lwesibane walumathisa izibane zalo, njengokulaya kweNkosi kuMozisi.
4 Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand: it was of ductile gold, both the main shaft and all that originated from both sides of the branches. According to the example that the Lord revealed to Moses, so did he make the lampstand.
Lalo umsebenzi woluthi lwesibane wawungowegolide elikhandiweyo, kuze kube sesidindini salo kuze kuye emalubeni alo lwalukhandiwe; njengesifanekiso iNkosi eyamtshengisa sona uMozisi, walwenza njalo uluthi lwesibane.
5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
6 “Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them
Khupha amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, uwahlambulule;
7 according to this ritual: Let them be sprinkled with the water of illumination, and let them shave off all the hairs of their body. And when they have washed their garments and have been cleansed,
wenze ngokunjalo kuwo ukuwahlambulula; ufafaze phezu kwawo amanzi okuhlambulula, njalo adlulise impuco emzimbeni wawo wonke, awatshe izigqoko zawo, azihlambulule.
8 they shall take an ox from the herd, with its libation of fine wheat flour sprinkled with oil; then you shall receive another ox from the herd for sin.
Athathe ijongosi ithole lenkomo, lomnikelo walo wokudla, impuphu ecolekileyo ixubene lamafutha, uthathe lelinye ijongosi ithole lenkomo, libe ngumnikelo wesono.
9 And you shall bring forward the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the sons of Israel.
Njalo uzasondeza amaLevi phambi kwethente lenhlangano, ubuthanise inhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
10 And when the Levites are before the Lord, the sons of Israel shall place their hands upon them.
Usondeze amaLevi phambi kweNkosi, njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazabeka izandla zabo phezu kwamaLevi,
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a gift in the sight of the Lord, from the sons of Israel, so that they may serve in his ministry.
loAroni azunguze amaLevi, abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kweNkosi, evela ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, ukuze abe ngasebenza umsebenzi weNkosi.
12 Likewise, the Levites shall place their hands upon the heads of the oxen; you shall make use of one of these for sin, and the other as a holocaust to the Lord, so that you may intercede for them.
AmaLevi azabeka-ke izandla zawo enhlokweni yamajongosi; unikele elinye libe ngumnikelo wesono, lelinye libe ngumnikelo wokutshiswa eNkosini, ukuwenzela amaLevi inhlawulo yokuthula.
13 And you shall set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and his sons, and you shall consecrate those being offered to the Lord,
Njalo uzawamisa amaLevi phambi kukaAroni laphambi kwamadodana akhe, uwazunguze abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa eNkosini.
14 and you shall separate them from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may be for me.
Ngakho uzakwehlukanisa amaLevi uwakhuphe phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuthi amaLevi abe ngawami.
15 And after this, they shall enter the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to serve me. And so shall you purify and consecrate them as an oblation to the Lord. For they were given to me as a gift from the sons of Israel.
Lemva kwalokho amaLevi azangena ukukhonza ethenteni lenhlangano. Njalo uzawahlambulula, uwazunguze abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa.
16 I have accepted them in place of the firstborn which open every womb in Israel.
Ngoba wona aphiwe lokuphiwa mina ephuma phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli. Esikhundleni salokho okuvula sonke isizalo, izibulo laye wonke wabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngizithathele wona.
17 For all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, as much from men as from beasts, are mine. From the day when I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified them to myself.
Ngoba lonke izibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli ngelami, phakathi kwabantu laphakathi kwezifuyo. Ngosuku engatshaya ngalo lonke izibulo elizweni leGibhithe ngazingcwelisela wona;
18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.
sengithethe amaLevi esikhundleni sawo wonke amazibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
19 And I have delivered them as a gift to Aaron and his sons, from the midst of the people, in order to serve me, for Israel, in the tabernacle of the covenant, and in order to pray for them, lest there be a scourge among the people, if they were to dare to approach to my Sanctuary.”
Ngiwanikile amaLevi njengabaphiweyo kuAroni lakumadodana akhe, ephuma phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukukhonza inkonzo yabantwana bakoIsrayeli ethenteni lenhlangano, lokwenzela abantwana bakoIsrayeli inhlawulo yokuthula, ukuze kungabi lenhlupheko phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, nxa abantwana bakoIsrayeli besondela endlini engcwele.
20 And Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel, accomplished all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
UMozisi loAroni lenhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza kumaLevi njengakho konke iNkosi eyakulaya uMozisi mayelana lamaLevi; benza njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kuwo.
21 And they were purified, and they washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lord, and he prayed for them,
LamaLevi azihlambulula, ahlamba izembatho zawo; uAroni wasewazunguza aba ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kweNkosi; loAroni wawenzela inhlawulo yokuthula ukuwahlambulula.
22 so that, having been purified, they might enter to their duties in the tabernacle of the covenant before Aaron and his sons. Just as the Lord had instructed Moses about the Levites, so was it done.
Lemva kwalokho amaLevi angena ukwenza inkonzo yawo ethenteni lenhlangano phambi kukaAroni laphambi kwamadodana akhe. Njengalokhu iNkosi yamlaya uMozisi ngamaLevi, benza njalo kuwo.
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
24 “This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years and above, they shall enter to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.
Yilokhu okuqondene lamaLevi: Kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu langaphezulu azangena ukukhonza inkonzo, enkonzweni yethente lenhlangano.
25 And when they will have completed the fiftieth year of age, they shall cease to serve.
Njalo kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu azaphuma enkonzweni yenkonzo, angabe esasebenza;
26 And they shall be the ministers of their brothers in the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to care for the things that have been commended to them, but not to perform the works themselves. So shall you assign the Levites in their duties.”
kodwa azasiza abazalwane bawo ethenteni lenhlangano ukugcina umlindo, kodwa angasebenzi umsebenzi. Uzakwenza njalo kumaLevi kumfanelo zawo.
