ULevi 21
1 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Tshono kubapristi, amadodana kaAroni, uthi kubo: Kakungabi khona ozingcolisayo ngofileyo phakathi kwabantu bakibo,
Yahweh said to Moses: “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, 'No one among you shall make himself unclean for those who die among his people,
2 ngaphandle kwesihlobo sakhe, esiseduze laye, ngonina, langoyise, langendodana yakhe, langendodakazi yakhe, langomfowabo,
except for his closest relatives—his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,
3 langodadewabo intombi emsulwa, eseduze laye, engazange ibe ngeyendoda; angazingcolisa ngayo.
or his virgin sister who is dependent on him, since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean.
4 Kayikuzingcolisa, eyisikhulu phakathi kwabantu bakibo, ukuzingcolisa.
But he must not make himself unclean for other relatives and so defile himself.
5 Kabayikwenza impabanga ekhanda labo, bangageli igumbi lodevu lwabo, bangacabi inhlanga enyameni yabo.
Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the corners of their beards, nor cut 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 disgrace the name of their God, because the priests offer Yahweh's food offerings, the bread of their God. Therefore the priests must be holy.
7 Kabayikuthatha owesifazana oyisifebe kumbe ongcolileyo, njalo kabayikuthatha owesifazana olahlwe yindoda yakhe; ngoba ungcwele kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
They must not marry any woman who is a prostitute and who is defiled, and they must not marry a woman divorced from her husband, for they are separate for their God.
8 Ngakho uzamngcwelisa, ngoba unikela ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakho. Uzakuba ngcwele kuwe, ngoba mina Nkosi elingcwelisayo ngingcwele.
You will set him apart, for he is the one who offers bread to your God. He must be holy to you, because I, Yahweh who makes you holy, am holy.
9 Lendodakazi yaloba nguwuphi umpristi, uba izingcolisa ngokuphinga, iyamngcolisa uyise; izatshiswa ngomlilo.
Any daughter of any priest who defiles herself by becoming a prostitute disgraces her father. She must be burned.
10 Lompristi omkhulu phakathi kwabafowabo, okuthelwe ekhanda lakhe amafutha okugcoba, lowehlukaniselwa ukuthi embathe izembatho, kayikuvumela ukuthi ikhanda lakhe lembulwe, angadabuli izembatho zakhe;
The one who is the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured, and who has been consecrated to wear the special garments of the high priest, must not wear his hair loose or tear his clothes.
11 angayi lakusiphi isidumbu, angazingcolisi ngoyise loba ngonina;
He must not go anywhere that a dead body is present and defile himself, even for his father or his mother.
12 angaphumi endlini engcwele, angangcolisi indlu engcwele kaNkulunkulu wakhe, ngoba umqhele wamafutha okugcoba kaNkulunkulu wakhe uphezu kwakhe. NgiyiNkosi.
The high priest must not leave the sanctuary area of the tabernacle or profane the sanctuary of his God, because he has been consecrated as high priest by the anointing oil of his God. I am Yahweh.
13 Njalo yena uzathatha umfazi ebuntombini bakhe.
The high priest must marry a virgin as his wife.
14 Umfelokazi, kumbe olahliweyo, loba isifebe esingcolisiweyo, laba kangabathathi. Kodwa uzathatha intombi emsulwa ebantwini bakibo ibe ngumkakhe,
He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman who is a prostitute. He will not marry these kinds of women. He may only marry a virgin from his own people,
15 njalo angangcolisi inzalo yakhe phakathi kwabantu bakibo. Ngoba ngiyiNkosi emngcwelisayo.
so he will not defile his children among his people, for I am Yahweh, who makes him holy.'”
16 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
17 Khuluma kuAroni usithi: Loba ngubani owenzalo yakho ezizukulwaneni zabo okulesici kuye kangasondeli ukunikela ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
“Speak to Aaron and tell him, 'Whoever of your descendants throughout their generations has a bodily defect, he must not approach to offer the food to his God.
18 Ngoba loba nguwuphi umuntu okulesici kuye angasondeli, umuntu oyisiphofu, kumbe oyisiqhuli, kumbe olimele ebusweni, kumbe olesitho eselulekileyo,
Any man who has a bodily defect must not approach Yahweh, such as a blind man or a man who is unable to walk, one who is disfigured or deformed,
19 kumbe umuntu okulokwephuka konyawo kuye, kumbe ukwephuka kwesandla,
a man with a crippled hand or foot,
20 kumbe olesifumbu, kumbe ongumuthwa, kumbe olomntwana elihlweni lakhe, kumbe olentembuzane, kumbe oloqweqwe olulumayo, loba olimele emasendeni.
a man who has a hump in his back or is abnormally thin or short, or a man with a defect in his eyes, or with a disease, sore, scabs, or whose testicles have been crushed.
21 Kakulamuntu owenzalo kaAroni umpristi okukuye isici ozasondela ukunikela iminikelo yeNkosi eyenziwe ngomlilo; kulesici kuye, angasondeli ukunikela ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
No man among the descendants of Aaron the priest with a bodily defect may come near to perform the offerings made by fire for Yahweh. Such a man has a bodily defect; he must not come near to offer the bread of his God.
22 Angadla ukudla kukaNkulunkulu wakhe, ezintweni ezingcwelengcwele lezintweni ezingcwele,
He may eat the food of his God, whether some of the most holy or some of the holy.
23 kodwa angezi kulo iveyili, angasondeli elathini, ngoba kulesici kuye, ukuze angangcolisi izindlu zami ezingcwele. Ngoba ngiyiNkosi ebangcwelisayo.
However, he must not enter inside the curtain or come near the altar, because he has a bodily defect, so that he does not defile my holy place, for I am Yahweh, who makes them holy.'”
24 UMozisi wasekhuluma lokho kuAroni, lakumadodana akhe, lakubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
So Moses spoke these words to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the people of Israel.
