Amanani 8
1 UThixo wathi kuMosi,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “Tshono ku-Aroni uthi, ‘Nxa usumisa izibane eziyisikhombisa, kufanele zikhanyise indawo ephambi koluthi lwezibane.’”
“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.”
3 U-Aroni wenza njalo; wamisa izibane oluthini zikhangele phambili, njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.
And Aaron did so, and he placed the lamps on the lampstand, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.
4 Uluthi lwesibane lwalwenziwe ngale indlela: Lwalwenziwe ngegolide elikhandiweyo kusukela esidindini salo kusiya embaxeni zamaluba alo. Uluthi lwesibane lwenziwa lwafana xathu lalokho uThixo ayekutshengise uMosi.
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.
5 UThixo wathi kuMosi:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6 “Yahlukanisa abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli ubahlambulule ngokomkhuba.
“Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them
7 Nanku ozakwenza nxa usubahlambulula: Bachele ngamanzi okuhlambulula, uthi baphuce imizimba yabo yonke njalo bagezise izigqoko zabo, bazihlambulule.
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,
8 Kabathathe inkunzi eliguqa ndawonye lomnikelo wayo wamabele ayifulawa ecolekileyo exutshaniswe lamafutha; ubusuthatha inkunzi yesibili ibe ngumnikelo wesono.
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.
9 Letha abaLevi phambi kwethente lokuhlangana ubusubuthanisa isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli.
And you shall bring forward the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the sons of Israel.
10 Letha abaLevi phambi kukaThixo, abako-Israyeli babeke izandla zabo phezu kwabaLevi.
And when the Levites are before the Lord, the sons of Israel shall place their hands upon them.
11 U-Aroni kethule abaLevi phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wabako-Israyeli wokuzunguzwa, ukuze balungele ukwenza umsebenzi kaThixo.
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.
12 Nxa abaLevi sebebeke izandla zabo phezu kwamakhanda enkunzi, uzakwenza umnikelo wesono kuThixo ngenye yazo kanye lomnikelo wokutshiswa, ukwenzela abaLevi indlela yokubuyisana.
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.
13 Misa abaLevi phambi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe ubethule njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kukaThixo.
And you shall set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and his sons, and you shall consecrate those being offered to the Lord,
14 Ngalokhu uzabe usubahlukanisile abaLevi kwabanye bonke abako-Israyeli, ngakho abaLevi bazakuba ngabami.
and you shall separate them from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may be for me.
15 Ngemva kokuba usuhlambulule wethula abaLevi njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa, kabeze benze umsebenzi wabo ethenteni lokuhlangana.
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.
16 Bangabako-Israyeli abaphiwe mina ngokugcweleyo. Sengibathethe baba ngabami esikhundleni samazibulo, wonke umntwana ongumfana wokuqala ozelwe ngowesifazane wako-Israyeli.
I have accepted them in place of the firstborn which open every womb in Israel.
17 Wonke amazibulo ako-Israyeli, awabantu kumbe awezinyamazana, angawami. Ngazehlukanisela wona mhla ngibulala amazibulo wonke eGibhithe.
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.
18 Ngakho-ke sengithethe abaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo wonke angabafana bako-Israyeli.
And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.
19 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.”
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.”
20 UMosi lo-Aroni kanye labo bonke abako-Israyeli benza njalo kubaLevi njengalokhu uThixo walaya uMosi.
And Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel, accomplished all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
21 AbaLevi bazihlambulula njalo bagezisa izigqoko zabo. Ngakho u-Aroni wabethula phambi kukaThixo njengomnikelo wokuzunguzwa njalo wabenzela indlela yokubuyisana ebahlambulula.
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,
22 Ngemva kwalokho, abaLevi beza ethenteni lokuhlangana ukuzokwenza umsebenzi wabo ngaphansi kuka-Aroni kanye lamadodana akhe. Benza njalo kubaLevi njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo.
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.
23 UThixo wathi kuMosi,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
24 “Lokhu kuqondane labaLevi: Abesilisa abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu kusiya phezulu bazakwenza umsebenzi ethenteni lokuhlangana,
“This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years and above, they shall enter to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.
25 kodwa asebeleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu okuzalwa bazamiswa ukuphatha imisebenzi yabo yensuku ngensuku bangabe besasebenza futhi.
And when they will have completed the fiftieth year of age, they shall cease to serve.
26 Bangasiza nje abafowabo nxa besenza imisebenzi yabo ethenteni lokuhlangana, kodwa bona ngokwabo bangasebenzi. Le yiyo-ke indlela ozakupha ngayo abaLevi imisebenzi.”
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.”
