ULevi 21
1 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Tshono kubapristi, amadodana kaAroni, uthi kubo: Kakungabi khona ozingcolisayo ngofileyo phakathi kwabantu bakibo,
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,
2 ngaphandle kwesihlobo sakhe, esiseduze laye, ngonina, langoyise, langendodana yakhe, langendodakazi yakhe, langomfowabo,
except for his immediate family—his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother,
3 langodadewabo intombi emsulwa, eseduze laye, engazange ibe ngeyendoda; angazingcolisa ngayo.
or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband.
4 Kayikuzingcolisa, eyisikhulu phakathi kwabantu bakibo, ukuzingcolisa.
He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself.
5 Kabayikwenza impabanga ekhanda labo, bangageli igumbi lodevu lwabo, bangacabi inhlanga enyameni yabo.
Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies.
6 Bazakuba ngcwele kuNkulunkulu wabo, bangeyisi ibizo likaNkulunkulu wabo. Ngoba banikela iminikelo yeNkosi eyenziwe ngomlilo, ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wabo. Ngakho bazakuba ngcwele.
They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.
7 Kabayikuthatha owesifazana oyisifebe kumbe ongcolileyo, njalo kabayikuthatha owesifazana olahlwe yindoda yakhe; ngoba ungcwele kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
8 Ngakho uzamngcwelisa, ngoba unikela ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakho. Uzakuba ngcwele kuwe, ngoba mina Nkosi elingcwelisayo ngingcwele.
You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy—I who set you apart.
9 Lendodakazi yaloba nguwuphi umpristi, uba izingcolisa ngokuphinga, iyamngcolisa uyise; izatshiswa ngomlilo.
If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
10 Lompristi omkhulu phakathi kwabafowabo, okuthelwe ekhanda lakhe amafutha okugcoba, lowehlukaniselwa ukuthi embathe izembatho, kayikuvumela ukuthi ikhanda lakhe lembulwe, angadabuli izembatho zakhe;
The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments.
11 angayi lakusiphi isidumbu, angazingcolisi ngoyise loba ngonina;
He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother.
12 angaphumi endlini engcwele, angangcolisi indlu engcwele kaNkulunkulu wakhe, ngoba umqhele wamafutha okugcoba kaNkulunkulu wakhe uphezu kwakhe. NgiyiNkosi.
He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD.
13 Njalo yena uzathatha umfazi ebuntombini bakhe.
The woman he marries must be a virgin.
14 Umfelokazi, kumbe olahliweyo, loba isifebe esingcolisiweyo, laba kangabathathi. Kodwa uzathatha intombi emsulwa ebantwini bakibo ibe ngumkakhe,
He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,
15 njalo angangcolisi inzalo yakhe phakathi kwabantu bakibo. Ngoba ngiyiNkosi emngcwelisayo.
so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”
16 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
Then the LORD said to Moses,
17 Khuluma kuAroni usithi: Loba ngubani owenzalo yakho ezizukulwaneni zabo okulesici kuye kangasondeli ukunikela ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
“Say to Aaron, ‘For the generations to come, none of your descendants who has a physical defect may approach to offer the food of his God.
18 Ngoba loba nguwuphi umuntu okulesici kuye angasondeli, umuntu oyisiphofu, kumbe oyisiqhuli, kumbe olimele ebusweni, kumbe olesitho eselulekileyo,
No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed;
19 kumbe umuntu okulokwephuka konyawo kuye, kumbe ukwephuka kwesandla,
no man who has a broken foot or hand,
20 kumbe olesifumbu, kumbe ongumuthwa, kumbe olomntwana elihlweni lakhe, kumbe olentembuzane, kumbe oloqweqwe olulumayo, loba olimele emasendeni.
or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle.
21 Kakulamuntu owenzalo kaAroni umpristi okukuye isici ozasondela ukunikela iminikelo yeNkosi eyenziwe ngomlilo; kulesici kuye, angasondeli ukunikela ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a defect shall approach to present the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God.
22 Angadla ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakhe, ezintweni ezingcwelengcwele lezintweni ezingcwele,
He may eat the most holy food of his God as well as the holy food,
23 kodwa angezi kulo iveyili, angasondeli elathini, ngoba kulesici kuye, ukuze angangcolisi izindlu zami ezingcwele. Ngoba ngiyiNkosi ebangcwelisayo.
but because he has a defect, he must not go near the veil or approach the altar, so as not to desecrate My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.’”
24 UMozisi wasekhuluma lokho kuAroni, lakumadodana akhe, lakubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
