U-Eksodusi 30
1 “Yenza i-alithari lokutshisela impepha ngesihlahla somʼakhakhiya.
“[Tell the skilled workers to] make an altar from acacia wood, for burning incense.
2 Amacele womane kumele alingane, kube yingalo ubude lengalo ububanzi, kuthi ukudepha kube zingalo ezimbili, impondo zalo zibe yinto yinye lalo.
It is to be square, (18 in./45 cm.) on each side. It is to be (3 feet/90 cm.) high. [Tell them to] make [a projection that looks like] a horn on each of the top corners. The projections must be carved from the same block of wood that the altar [is made from].
3 Huqa phezulu lamacele wonke, lempondo zalo ngegolide elicolekileyo ubumbele umqolo wegolide inxa zonke.
[They must] cover the top and the four sides, including the projections, with pure gold. Put a gold border around the altar, [near the top].
4 Yenza amasongo egolide amabili e-alithare abe ngaphansi komqolo emaceleni amabili ehlukeneyo ukuba abambe imijabo yokulithwala.
[They must] make two gold rings for carrying the altar. [They must] attach them to the altar below the border, one on each side of the altar. These rings are for the poles for carrying the altar.
5 Imijabo yenze ngesihlahla somʼakhakhiya uyihuqe ngegolide.
[Tell them to] make these [two] poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.
6 Beka i-alithari phambi kwekhetheni elisithe umtshokotsho wobufakazi, nganeno kwesihlalo somusa esiphezu kwezibhebhedu zesivumelwano somthetho lapho engizahlangana lawe khona.
[They must] put this altar outside the curtain that hangs in front of the sacred chest and its lid. That is the place where I will talk with you.
7 U-Aroni kumele atshise impepha enuka mnandi e-alithareni nsuku zonke ekuseni elungisa izibane.
Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar. He must burn some every morning when he takes care of the lamps,
8 Kumele impepha ayitshise futhi kusihlwa lapho eselumathisa izibane ukuze impepha itshe kokuphela phambi kukaThixo kuze kube kuzizukulwane ezizayo.
and he must burn some in the evening when he lights the lamps. The incense must be burned continually, throughout all future generations.
9 Linganikeli kuleli-alithare olunye uhlobo lwempepha kumbe umnikelo wokutshiswa loba umnikelo wamabele, njalo lingatheli umnikelo wokunathwa phezu kwalo.
The priests must not burn on the altar any incense that I have not told you to burn, or burn any animal on it, or any grain offering for me, or pour any wine on it as an offering.
10 Kanye ngomnyaka u-Aroni uzakwenza inhlawulelo empondweni zalo. Inhlawulo yeminyaka yonke le kumele yenziwe ngegazi lomnikelo wokuhlawulela izono zezizukulwane ezizayo. Ingcwele kakhulu kuThixo.”
One time every year Aaron must perform the ritual for making this altar pure. He must do it by putting on its four projections some of the blood from the animal that was sacrificed (to remove the guilt of the people’s sins/so that the people would no longer be guilty for sins). This ritual is to be done by Aaron and his descendants throughout all future generations. This altar must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.”
11 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
12 “Lapho usubala abantu bako-Israyeli omunye lomunye kumele anike uThixo inhlawulo yokuphila kwakhe. Ngalokho akuyikuba lesifo esizabehlela lapho ubabala.
“When your [leaders] (take a census of/count) the Israeli people, each man [who is counted] must pay to me a price to save his life. They must do this in order that no disaster will happen to them while the people are being counted.
13 Akuthi lowo lalowo odlulela ngakulabo asebebaliwe anike ingxenye yeshekeli, ngokweshekeli lendawo engcwele, okuyisisindo esingamagera angamatshumi amabili. Ingxenye yeshekeli le ingumnikelo kuThixo.
Every man who is counted must pay to me (0.2 ounces/5.7 grams) of silver. They must use the official standard when they weigh the silver.
14 Wonke umuntu obaliweyo, kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu, uzanikela umnikelo kuThixo.
All the men who are at least 20 years old must pay this amount to me when the people are counted.
15 Abanothileyo akumelanga banikele ngokwedlula ingxenye yeshekeli, labayanga kabanganikeli ngokungaphansi lapho selinikela kuThixo ukuba lenze inhlawulelo yokuphila kwenu.
Rich men must not pay more than this amount, and poor men must not pay less than this amount, when they pay this money to save their lives.
16 Wamukele imali yenhlawulo kwabako-Israyeli uyisebenzise enkonzweni yethente lokuhlangana. Izakuba yisikhumbuzo kwabako-Israyeli phambi kukaThixo ukwenzela inhlawulelo yokuphila kwenu.”
Your leaders must collect this money from the Israeli people and give it to [those who will] take care of the Sacred Tent. This money is the payment for the lives of those who take care of the Sacred Tent, (to enable me not to forget them/and then I will remember to protect them).”
17 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi,
Yahweh [also] said to Moses/me,
18 “Yenza inkonxa yethusi ibe lensika yethusi, izakuba ngeyokugezela. Uyibeke phakathi laphakathi kwethente lokuhlangana le-alithari, uthele amanzi phakathi kwayo.
“[Tell the skilled workers to] make a bronze washbasin and a bronze base for it. [They must] put it between the Sacred Tent and the altar, and fill it with water.
19 U-Aroni lamadodana akhe bazageza izandla lezinyawo zabo ngamanzi akuyo.
Aaron and his sons must ritually wash their hands and their feet with this water
20 Nxa bengena ethenteni lokuhlangana bazageza ngamanzi ukuze bangafi. Phezu kwalokho, lapho besondela e-alithareni ukuba bakhonze ngokwethula umnikelo wokutshiswa onikelwa kuThixo,
before they enter the Sacred Tent and before they come to the altar to sacrifice offerings that will be burned on it. If [they do that], they will not die [because of disobeying my instructions].
21 bazageza izandla zabo lezinyawo ukuze bangafi. Lokhu kuzakuba yisimiso esingapheliyo ku-Aroni lenzalo yakhe lakuzizukulwane ezizayo.”
They must wash their hands and their feet, in order that they will not die. They and the males descended from them must obey this ritual throughout all generations.”
22 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
23 “Thatha lezinhlobo zamakha amahle: Amashekeli angamakhulu amahlanu emure elingamanzi, isinamoni enuka mnandi eyingxenye yalokho (okuyikuthi amakhulu amabili lamatshumi amahlanu amashekeli), amashekeli angamakhulu amabili lamatshumi amahlanu ekhalamu elilephunga elimnandi,
“[Tell the people to] collect some of the finest spices— (12 pounds/6 kg.) of (liquid myrrh/sweet-smelling sap named myrrh), (6 pounds/3 kg.) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, (6 pounds/3 kg.) of a sweet-smelling cane/reed,
24 amashekeli angamakhulu amahlanu ekhasiya, konke kumayelana lamashekeli endawo engcwele, kanye lehini lamafutha ama-oliva.
and (12 pounds/6 kg.) of (cassia/a sweet-smelling bark named cassia). [Be sure] that they use the official standard when they weigh these things. Tell an expert perfumer to mix these with (one gallon/four liters) of olive oil
25 Lokhu kwenze kube ngamafutha angcwele okugcoba abakhethiweyo alungiswe ngumenzi wamakha, azakuba ngamafutha angcwele okugcoba abakhethiweyo.
to make sacred oil for anointing.
26 Ngawo-ke uzagcoba ithente lokuhlangana, umtshokotsho wobufakazi,
Use this oil for anointing the Sacred Tent, the sacred chest,
27 itafula kanye lezitsha zawo zonke, uluthi lwesibane lezitsha zawo, i-alithari lempepha,
the table and all the things that are used with it, the lampstand and all the things that are used to take care of it, the altar for [burning] incense,
28 i-alithari lomnikelo wokutshiswa lezitsha zawo lomganu wokugezela kanye lezinyawo zawo.
and the altar for offering sacrifices that will be burned, along with its bases and the washbasin and all the things that are used with it.
29 Uzakungcwelisa konke ukuba kube ngcwele kakhulu, njalo loba yini ekuthintayo izakuba ngcwele.
Dedicate them by anointing them, in order that they will be completely holy/sacred. Anyone or anything that touches the altar will become taboo.
30 Mgcobe u-Aroni lamadodana akhe ubehlukanisele ukuba bangisebenzele bengabaphristi.
And anoint Aaron and his sons. [By doing that], you will dedicate them to serve me [by being] priests.
31 Batshele abako-Israyeli uthi, ‘Lokhu kuzakuba ngamafutha ami angcwele okugcoba abakhethiweyo lakuzizukulwane zenu ezizayo.
And tell the Israeli people, ‘This oil will be my sacred anointing oil that must be used throughout all future generations.
32 Lingawatheli emizimbeni yabantu, njalo lingenzi amanye amafutha ngale indlela yokuwenza. Ingcwele, izakuba ngcwele lakini.
You must not pour it on the bodies of people who are not priests, and you must not make other oil to be like it by mixing the same amount of those things. This oil is sacred, and you must consider it to be sacred.’
33 Lowo ozakwenza amakha afana lawo kumbe agcobe ngawo umuntu ongasuye mphristi, uzasuswa ebantwini bakibo.’”
I will consider that anyone who makes ointment like this [for any other purpose], and anyone who puts any of this ointment on someone who is not a priest, no longer be allowed to associate with my people.”
34 UThixo wabuye wathi kuMosi, “Thatha amakha anuka mnandi, isitakete, i-onika legalibhanumi kanye lenhlaka enhle, konke kungesilinganiso esifanayo,
Yahweh also said to Moses/me, “[Tell the people to] take equal parts of several sweet spices—stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—
35 wenze ingxube yempepha elephunga elimnandi njengomxubi wamakha, ifakwe itswayi ibenhle njalo ibe ngcwele.
and tell an expert perfumer to mix them together to make some perfume. Add some salt to keep it pure and make it holy.
36 Chola enye yayo ibe yimpuphu uyifake phambi komtshokotsho wobufakazi phakathi kwethente lokuhlangana lapho engizahlangana lawe khona. Izakuba ngcwele kakhulu kini.
Beat some of it into a fine powder. Then take some of it into the Sacred Tent and sprinkle it in front of the sacred chest. You must all consider this incense to be very holy.
37 Lingazenzeli eyenu impepha ngale indlela, iboneni njengento engcwele kuThixo.
The people must not mix the same spices to make incense for themselves. This incense must be completely dedicated to me, Yahweh.
38 Lowo ozakwenza enye efana layo ukuba akholise ukunukelela kwayo kamnandi, kumele asuswe ebantwini bakibo.”
I will consider that anyone who makes incense like this to use it for perfume will no longer be allowed to associate with my people.”
