Mose 4 8
1 Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 “Ƒo nu na Aron, eye nàgblɔ nɛ be, ‘Ne ètsɔ akaɖi adreawo da ɖe akaɖiti la dzi la, ele be woaklẽ ɖe teƒe si le akaɖiti la ŋgɔ.’”
“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.”
3 Aron wɔ esia. Eɖo akaɖigbea atiawo dzi ɖe ɖoɖo siwo Yehowa na Mose nu tututu.
So [Moses/I told him what Yahweh said], and he did that.
4 Wotsɔ sika wɔ akaɖiti la kple seƒoƒowo ɖe akaɖiti la ƒe zɔ kple alɔdzeawo ŋu. Wowɔ akaɖitiawo abe ale si Yehowa fia Mose ene.
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.
5 Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
6 “Ɖe Levi ƒe viwo ɖa le Israelvi bubuawo dome, eye nàkɔ wo ŋu to mɔ sia dzi.
“You must cause the descendants of Levi to be acceptable to me by setting them apart from the other Israeli people.
7 Hlẽ tsi kɔkɔe la ɖe wo ŋu, eye nàna woawo ŋutɔ nalũ woƒe ŋutifuwo katã, eye woanya woƒe awuwo, ekema woanɔ kɔkɔe.
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.
8 Na woatsɔ nyitsuvi aɖe kple nuɖuvɔsanu si nye wɔ memee si wobaka kple ami la kple nyitsu bubu na nu vɔ̃ ŋuti vɔsa vɛ.
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.
9 Ekema, nàkplɔ Levi ƒe viwo va Agbadɔ la ƒe mɔnu eye naƒo Israelviwo ƒe ha blibo la nu ƒu.
Then you must summon all the Israeli people to come together in front of the Sacred Tent, to [gather around] the descendants of Levi.
10 Le afi ma la, nana Levitɔ nava Yehowa ƒe ŋkume eye Israelviwo ada asi ɖe wo dzi,
Then the Israeli people must lay their hands on the descendants of Levi.
11 ato tsɔtsɔna ƒe dzesiwo me, atsɔ wo ana Yehowa abe nunana tso Israel dukɔ blibo la gbɔ ene. Levi ƒe viwo anɔ Israelviwo katã teƒe le Yehowa subɔsubɔ me.
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].
12 “Le esia megbe la, Levi ƒe viwo ƒe kplɔlawo ada woƒe asiwo ɖe nyitsuvi eveawo ƒe tawo dzi, eye woatsɔ wo ana le Yehowa ŋkume. Woatsɔ ɖeka asa nu vɔ̃ vɔsa, eye woatsɔ evelia asa numevɔ be woalé avu ɖe Levi ƒe viwo nu.
“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].
13 Ekema woatsɔ Levi ƒe viwo ana Aron kple via ŋutsuwo abe ale si wotsɔa nu bubu ɖe sia ɖe si wodi be woana Yehowa la naa nunɔlawo ene!
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.
14 Eya ta nàtia Levi ƒe viwo ɖa le Israelvi bubuawo katã dome, eye Levi ƒe viwo azu tɔnye.
This ritual will show that the descendants of Levi are set apart from the other Israelis and that they belong to me.
15 “Ne èkɔ wo ŋuti, eye nètsɔ wo nam le mɔ sia nu vɔ la, woate ŋu age ɖe agbadɔ la me hena woƒe subɔsubɔdɔwo wɔwɔ.
“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.
16 Wonye tɔnyewo le Israelviwo katã dome. Mexɔ wo ɖe Israelviwo ƒe viŋutsu gbãtɔwo katã teƒe; mexɔ Levi ƒe viwo abe teƒenɔlawo ene.
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].
17 Israelviwo ƒe viŋutsu ŋgɔgbetɔwo kple woƒe lãwo ƒe vi ŋgɔgbetɔwo katã nye tɔnyewo. Metsɔ wo na ɖokuinye le zã si me mewu Egiptetɔwo ƒe ŋgɔgbeviwo katã.
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.
18 Ɛ̃, mexɔ Levi ƒe viwo ɖe Israelviwo ƒe viŋutsu tsitsiwo katã teƒe.
But now I have chosen the descendants of Levi to take the places of the firstborn males of other Israelis.
19 Matsɔ Levi ƒe viwo ake Aron kple via ŋutsuwo abe nunana ene. Levi ƒe viwo awɔ dɔ kɔkɔe siwo wohiã tso Israelviwo si be woawɔ le agbadɔ la me, woatsɔ nu siwo amewo na la asa vɔwoe, eye woalé avu ɖe wo nu. Dɔvɔ̃ mato le Israelviwo dome abe ale si wòanɔ ene ne ame siwo menye Levi ƒe viwo o la ge ɖe agbadɔ la me ene o.”
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.”
20 Ale Mose kple Aron kpakple Israelviwo katã wotsɔ Levi ƒe viwo na Yehowa le se si wòde na Mose la nu.
Aaron and Moses/I and the other Israelis helped the descendants of Levi to do everything that Yahweh had commanded.
21 Levi ƒe viwo kɔ wo ɖokuiwo ŋu, eye wonya woƒe awuwo. Aron to tsɔtsɔna ƒe dzesiwo me tsɔ wo na Yehowa. Ewɔ avuléle ƒe wɔnawo ɖe wo ta hekɔ wo ŋuti.
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.
22 Le esia megbe la, woyi agbadɔ la me abe Aron kple via ŋutsuawo ƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo ene. Wowɔ nu sia nu pɛpɛpɛ ɖe se si Yehowa de na Mose la nu.
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.
23 Yehowa gblɔ na Mose be,
Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
24 “Se sia ku ɖe Levi ƒe viwo ŋu. Ŋutsu siwo xɔ ƒe blaeve vɔ atɔ̃ la ava awɔ Mawu ƒe agbadɔ la ŋuti dɔ.
“The descendants of Levi who are between 25 and 50 years old will work at the Sacred Tent.
25 Ke ne woxɔ ƒe blaatɔ̃ la, woaxɔ dzudzɔ tso woƒe dɔwɔwɔ me, eye womagawɔ dɔ o.
But after they become 50 years old, they must (retire/not do that work any more).
26 Woate ŋu akpe ɖe wo nɔviwo ŋu le woƒe dɔwɔwɔwo me le agbadɔ la me, gake woawo ŋutɔ magawɔ dɔ la o. Ekema esiae nye ale si nàde dɔwo asi na Levi ƒe viwoe.”
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.”
