Numbers 8
1 Yahweh said to Moses/me,
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
2 “Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand and place them in such a way that they shine toward the front of the lampstand.”
“Tshono ku-Aroni uthi, ‘Nxa usumisa izibane eziyisikhombisa, kufanele zikhanyise indawo ephambi koluthi lwezibane.’”
3 So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.
U-Aroni wenza njalo; wamisa izibane oluthini zikhangele phambili, njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.
4 The lampstand had been made from gold that had been hammered [from one large lump of gold], from its base to the decorations at the top [that resembled] flowers. The lampstand was made exactly like Yahweh had told Moses/me that it should be made.
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 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
UThixo wathi kuMosi:
6 “You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.
“Yahlukanisa abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli ubahlambulule ngokomkhuba.
7 Do that by sprinkling them with water [which will symbolize] their being freed/cleansed from [the guilt of] their sins. Then they must shave [off all the hair on] their bodies and wash their clothes.
Nanku ozakwenza nxa usubahlambulula: Bachele ngamanzi okuhlambulula, uthi baphuce imizimba yabo yonke njalo bagezise izigqoko zabo, bazihlambulule.
8 Then they must bring to the Sacred Tent one bull and some grain mixed with [olive] oil. [Those things will be burned] as sacrifices. They must also bring another bull [that will enable me to forgive them] for the sins they have committed.
Kabathathe inkunzi eliguqa ndawonye lomnikelo wayo wamabele ayifulawa ecolekileyo exutshaniswe lamafutha; ubusuthatha inkunzi yesibili ibe ngumnikelo wesono.
9 Then you must summon all the Israeli people to come together in front of the Sacred Tent, to [gather around] the descendants of Levi.
Letha abaLevi phambi kwethente lokuhlangana ubusubuthanisa isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli.
10 Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
Letha abaLevi phambi kukaThixo, abako-Israyeli babeke izandla zabo phezu kwabaLevi.
11 Aaron must then present them to me to be a gift from the Israeli people, in order that they can work for me [at the Sacred Tent].
U-Aroni kethule abaLevi phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wabako-Israyeli wokuzunguzwa, ukuze balungele ukwenza umsebenzi kaThixo.
12 “After that, the descendants of Levi must place their hands on the heads of the two bulls. Then the bulls will be [killed and] burned on the altar. One will be an offering to enable me [to forgive them for] sins they have committed, and the other will be completely burned [to please me].
Nxa abaLevi sebebeke izandla zabo phezu kwamakhanda enkunzi, uzakwenza umnikelo wesono kuThixo ngenye yazo kanye lomnikelo wokutshiswa, ukwenzela abaLevi indlela yokubuyisana.
13 The descendants of Levi must stand [at the altar] in front of Aaron and his sons, and you must then dedicate to me the descendants of Levi.
Misa abaLevi phambi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe ubethule njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kukaThixo.
14 This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.
Ngalokhu uzabe usubahlukanisile abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli, ngakho abaLevi bazakuba ngabami.
15 “After the descendants of Levi have been made acceptable to me, and presented to me like a special offering, they may start to work at the Sacred Tent.
Ngemva kokuba usuhlambulule wethula abaLevi njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa, kabeze benze umsebenzi wabo ethenteni lokuhlangana.
16 They will belong to me. They will work for me as substitutes for the firstborn males of all the Israelis, [who also belong to me].
Bangabako-Israyeli abaphiwe mina ngokugcweleyo. Sengibathethe baba ngabami esikhundleni samazibulo, wonke umntwana ongumfana wokuqala ozelwe ngowesifazane wako-Israyeli.
17 All the firstborn males in Israel, both the people and the animals, are mine. When I caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die, [I (spared/did not kill) the firstborn males of the Israelis]. I set them apart to belong to me. I said that the firstborn males of all their domestic animals would also belong to me.
Wonke amazibulo ako-Israyeli, awabantu kumbe awezinyamazana, angawami. Ngazehlukanisela wona mhla ngibulala amazibulo wonke eGibhithe.
18 But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.
Ngakho-ke sengithethe abaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo wonke angabafana bako-Israyeli.
19 I have appointed the descendants of Levi to help Aaron and his sons at the Sacred Tent, as Aaron and his sons offer the sacrifices so that the Israeli people’s sins will be forgiven, and to prevent the Israelis from coming close to the tent with the result that a plague would cause many of them to become sick and die.”
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 Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.
UMosi lo-Aroni kanye labo bonke abako-Israyeli benza njalo kubaLevi njengalokhu uThixo walaya uMosi.
21 The descendants of Levi [sprinkled themselves with water to symbolize that] they had been freed/cleansed from [the guilt of] their sins, and they washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to [the altar to] present them to Yahweh, and he offered sacrifices to cleanse them from [the guilt of] their sins and cause them to become acceptable to Yahweh.
AbaLevi bazihlambulula njalo bagezisa izigqoko zabo. Ngakho u-Aroni wabethula phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa njalo wabenzela indlela yokubuyisana ebahlambulula.
22 After that, the descendants of Levi started to work at the Sacred Tent to assist Aaron and his sons. They did that just as Yahweh had commanded Moses/me.
Ngemva kwalokho, abaLevi beza ethenteni lokuhlangana ukuzokwenza umsebenzi wabo ngaphansi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe. Benza njalo kubaLevi njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.
23 Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
24 “The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.
“Lokhu kuqondane labaLevi: Abesilisa abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu kusiya phezulu bazakwenza umsebenzi ethenteni lokuhlangana,
25 But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).
kodwa asebeleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu okuzalwa bazamiswa ukuphatha imisebenzi yabo yensuku ngensuku bangabe besasebenza futhi.
26 They may help the other descendants of Levi to do their work at the Sacred Tent, but they must not do the work themselves. That is what you must tell them about the work they will do.”
Bangasiza nje abafowabo nxa besenza imisebenzi yabo ethenteni lokuhlangana, kodwa bona ngokwabo bangasebenzi. Le yiyo-ke indlela ozakupha ngayo abaLevi imisebenzi.”
