Numbers 8

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

UThixo wathi kuMosi,

2 'Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.'

“Tshono ku-Aroni uthi, ‘Nxa usumisa izibane eziyisikhombisa, kufanele zikhanyise indawo ephambi koluthi lwezibane.’”

3 And Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

U-Aroni wenza njalo; wamisa izibane oluthini zikhangele phambili, njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.

4 And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.

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 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

UThixo wathi kuMosi:

6 'Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

“Yahlukanisa abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli ubahlambulule ngokomkhuba.

7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

Nanku ozakwenza nxa usubahlambulula: Bachele ngamanzi okuhlambulula, uthi baphuce imizimba yabo yonke njalo bagezise izigqoko zabo, bazihlambulule.

8 Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.

Kabathathe inkunzi eliguqa ndawonye lomnikelo wayo wamabele ayifulawa ecolekileyo exutshaniswe lamafutha; ubusuthatha inkunzi yesibili ibe ngumnikelo wesono.

9 And thou shalt present the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

Letha abaLevi phambi kwethente lokuhlangana ubusubuthanisa isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli.

10 And thou shalt present the Levites before the LORD; and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites.

Letha abaLevi phambi kukaThixo, abako-Israyeli babeke izandla zabo phezu kwabaLevi.

11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave-offering from the children of Israel, that they may be to do the service of the LORD.

U-Aroni kethule abaLevi phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wabako-Israyeli wokuzunguzwa, ukuze balungele ukwenza umsebenzi kaThixo.

12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks; and offer thou the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, unto the LORD, 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 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering unto the LORD.

Misa abaLevi phambi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe ubethule njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kukaThixo.

14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine.

Ngalokhu uzabe usubahlukanisile abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli, ngakho abaLevi bazakuba ngabami.

15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tent of meeting; and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for a wave-offering.

Ngemva kokuba usuhlambulule wethula abaLevi njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa, kabeze benze umsebenzi wabo ethenteni lokuhlangana.

16 For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel; instead of all that openeth the womb, even the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto Me.

Bangabako-Israyeli abaphiwe mina ngokugcweleyo. Sengibathethe baba ngabami esikhundleni samazibulo, wonke umntwana ongumfana wokuqala ozelwe ngowesifazane wako-Israyeli.

17 For all the first-born among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.

Wonke amazibulo ako-Israyeli, awabantu kumbe awezinyamazana, angawami. Ngazehlukanisela wona mhla ngibulala amazibulo wonke eGibhithe.

18 And I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel.

Ngakho-ke sengithethe abaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo wonke angabafana bako-Israyeli.

19 And I have given the Levites — they are given to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel, through the children of Israel coming nigh unto 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 Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the Levites; according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

UMosi lo-Aroni kanye labo bonke abako-Israyeli benza njalo kubaLevi njengalokhu uThixo walaya uMosi.

21 And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a sacred gift before the LORD; and Aaron 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 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

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 spoke unto Moses, saying:

UThixo wathi kuMosi,

24 'This is that which pertaineth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the service in the work of the tent of meeting;

“Lokhu kuqondane labaLevi: Abesilisa abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu kusiya phezulu bazakwenza umsebenzi ethenteni lokuhlangana,

25 and from the age of fifty years they shall return from the service of the work, and shall serve no more;

kodwa asebeleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu okuzalwa bazamiswa ukuphatha imisebenzi yabo yensuku ngensuku bangabe besasebenza futhi.

26 but shall minister with their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, but they shall do no manner of service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charges.'

Bangasiza nje abafowabo nxa besenza imisebenzi yabo ethenteni lokuhlangana, kodwa bona ngokwabo bangasebenzi. Le yiyo-ke indlela ozakupha ngayo abaLevi imisebenzi.”