Amanani 18

1 INkosi yasisithi kuAroni: Wena lamadodana akho lendlu kayihlo kanye lawe lizathwala ububi bendlu engcwele; futhi wena lamadodana akho kanye lawe lizathwala ububi bobupristi benu.

And the Lord said to Aaron: “You, and your sons, and the house of your father with you, shall carry the iniquity of the Sanctuary. And you and your sons together shall bear the sins of your priesthood.

2 Labafowenu, isizwe sakoLevi, isizwe sikayihlo, basondeze-ke lawe ukuze bahlanganiswe lawe, bakusize. Kodwa wena lamadodana akho kanye lawe lizakuba phambi kwethente lobufakazi.

But take to yourselves also your brothers from the tribe of Levi, and the scepter of your father, and may they be prepared, and may they minister to you. Then you and your sons shall minister in the tabernacle of the testimony.

3 Bazagcina umlayo wakho, lemfanelo zethente lonke; kodwa kabayikusondela ezitsheni zendlu engcwele lelathini, ukuze bangafi, labo lani.

And the Levites shall stand watch by your precepts, and for all the works of the tabernacle; yet in such a manner that they shall not approach the vessels of the Sanctuary and of the altar, lest both they die, and you perish, at the same time.

4 Bazahlanganiswa lawe, bagcine imfanelo zethente lenhlangano kuyo yonke inkonzo yethente; kodwa owemzini kayikusondela kini.

But they may be with you, and they may watch over the care of the tabernacle and all its ceremonies. A foreigner shall not be mixed with you.

5 Njalo lizagcina imfanelo zendlu engcwele lemfanelo zelathi, ukuze kungabi kusaba khona ulaka phezu kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.

Watch over the care of the Sanctuary, and over the ministry of the altar, lest an indignation may rise over the sons of Israel.

6 Mina-ke, khangelani, ngithethe abafowenu amaLevi bevela phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli. Bayisipho kini, baphiwe iNkosi ukwenza inkonzo yethente lenhlangano.

I have given your brothers, the Levites, to you from the midst of the sons of Israel, and I have delivered them as a gift to the Lord, in order to serve in the ministries of his tabernacle.

7 Ngakho wena lamadodana akho kanye lawe lizagcina ubupristi benu kuzo zonke izinto zelathi laphakathi kweveyili, likhonze. Nginike ubupristi benu bube ngumsebenzi wesipho; kodwa owemzini osondelayo uzabulawa.

But as for you and your sons: guard the priesthood. For all that pertains to the service of the altar and of what is beyond the veil shall be exercised by the priests. If any outsider will approach, he shall be killed.”

8 INkosi yasisithi kuAroni: Mina-ke, khangela, ngikunike ukuphathwa kweminikelo yami yokuphakanyiswa yazo zonke izinto ezingcwele zabantwana bakoIsrayeli; ngiziphe wena, ngenxa yokugcotshwa, lamadodana akho, ngesimiso esilaphakade.

And the Lord said to Aaron: “Behold, I have given you custody of my first-fruits. Everything that is sanctified by the sons of Israel I have delivered to you and your sons, for the office of the priesthood, by everlasting ordinances.

9 Lokhu kuzakuba ngokwakho okuvela ezintweni ezingcwelengcwele, zivela emlilweni; yonke iminikelo yabo, yonke iminikelo yabo yokudla, layo yonke iminikelo yabo yesono, layo yonke iminikelo yabo yecala, abazayibuyisela kimi; izakuba ngengcwelengcwele ibe ngeyakho leyamadodana akho.

Therefore, you shall receive these, from the things that are sanctified and offered to the Lord. Every offering, and sacrifice, and whatever is repaid to me, on behalf of sin and also for offenses, and which becomes the Holy of holies, shall be for you and for your sons.

10 Lizakudlela engcweleni yezingcwele; wonke owesilisa uzakudla; kuzakuba ngcwele kuwe.

You shall eat it in the Sanctuary. Only the males shall eat from it, because it has been consecrated for you.

11 Lalokhu ngokwakho: Umnikelo wokuphakanyiswa wesipho sabo, layo yonke iminikelo yokuzunguzwa yabantwana bakoIsrayeli; ngikuphe wena lamadodana akho lamadodakazi akho, ngesimiso esilaphakade. Wonke ohlambulukileyo endlini yakho uzakudla.

But the first-fruits, which the sons of Israel shall vow and offer, I have given to you, and to your sons, as well as to your daughters, by a perpetual right. Whoever is clean in your house shall eat them.

12 Ikhethelo lonke lamafutha, lekhethelo lonke lewayini elitsha, lelamabele, lengqabutho yalezo abazazinikela eNkosini, ngiziphe wena.

All the innermost of the oil, and of the wine, and of the grain, whatever first-fruits they offer to the Lord, I have given to you.

13 Izithelo zokuqala zakho konke okuselizweni labo abazakuletha eNkosini kuzakuba ngokwakho. Wonke ohlambulukileyo endlini yakho uzakudla.

All the first of the crops, which the soil produces and which are carried to the Lord, shall fall to your use. Whoever is clean in your house shall eat them.

14 Konke okwehlukanisiweyo koIsrayeli kuzakuba ngokwakho.

All that the sons of Israel shall repay by vow shall be yours.

15 Konke okuvula isizalo, kwayo yonke inyama abakuletha eNkosini, phakathi kwabantu laphakathi kwezifuyo, kuzakuba ngokwakho; kodwa izibulo lomuntu uzalihlenga lokulihlenga, lezibulo lenyamazana engcolileyo uzalihlenga.

Whatever goes out first from the womb, of all flesh, which they offer to the Lord, whether from men or from cattle, shall be your right; yet only in so far as, for the firstborn of man, you shall accept a price. And every animal that is unclean you shall cause to be redeemed.

16 Lalezo ezizahlengwa uzazihlenga kusukela sezilenyanga, njengesilinganiso sakho, ngemali yamashekeli amahlanu, ngokweshekeli lendlu engcwele, elingamagera angamatshumi amabili.

And its redemption shall be, after one month, five shekels of silver, by the weight of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols.

17 Kodwa izibulo lenkomo, kumbe izibulo lemvu, kumbe izibulo lembuzi, awuyikuwahlenga, angcwele. Uzafafaza igazi lawo phezu kwelathi, utshise amahwahwa awo, abe ngumnikelo owenziwe ngomlilo, kube luqhatshi olumnandi eNkosini.

But the firstborn of a cow, or of a sheep, or of a goat, you shall not cause to be redeemed, because they have been sanctified to the Lord. Thus, their blood you shall pour out upon the altar, and their fat you shall burn as a most sweet odor to the Lord.

18 Lenyama yawo izakuba ngeyakho, njengesifuba esizunguziweyo lanjengomlenze wokunene, kuzakuba ngokwakho.

Yet truly, the flesh shall fall to your use, just as the consecrated breast and the right shoulder shall be yours.

19 Yonke iminikelo yokuphakanyiswa yezinto ezingcwele abantwana bakoIsrayeli abayinikela eNkosini ngiyinike wena lamadodana akho lamadodakazi akho kanye lawe, ngesimiso esilaphakade. Kuyisivumelwano setswayi esilaphakade phambi kweNkosi kuwe lakunzalo yakho kanye lawe.

All the first-fruits of the Sanctuary, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and to your sons as well as to your daughters, as a perpetual right. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord, for you and for your sons.”

20 INkosi yasisithi kuAroni: Kawuyikudla ilifa elizweni labo, kawuyikuba lesabelo phakathi kwabo; ngiyisabelo sakho lelifa lakho phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.

And the Lord said to Aaron: “In their land, you shall possess nothing; neither shall you have a portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel.

21 Khangela-ke, nginike abantwana bakoLevi konke okwetshumi koIsrayeli kube yilifa, ngomsebenzi wabo abawenzayo, inkonzo yethente lenhlangano.

But I have given, to the sons of Levi, all the tithes of Israel as a possession, for the ministry by which they serve me in the tabernacle of the covenant,

22 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bangabe besasondela ethenteni lenhlangano hlezi bathwale isono bafe.

so that the sons of Israel may no longer approach to the tabernacle, nor commit deadly sin.

23 Kodwa amaLevi azakwenza inkonzo yethente lenhlangano, wona athwale ububi bawo. Kuzakuba yisimiso esilaphakade ezizukulwaneni zenu; laphakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli kawayikuzuza ilifa.

Only the sons of Levi may serve me in the tabernacle and may carry the sins of the people. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in your generations. They shall possess nothing else;

24 Ngoba okwetshumi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli abakunikela eNkosini kube ngumnikelo wokuphakanyiswa, ngikunike amaLevi kube yilifa. Ngakho ngitshilo kiwo ukuthi phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli kawayikuzuza ilifa.

being content with the oblation of tithes, which I have separated for their uses and necessities.”

25 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

26 Futhi uzakhuluma kumaLevi uthi kuwo: Nxa lithatha ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli okwetshumi engilinike khona, kuvela kubo kube yilifa lenu, lizanikela kokwakho umnikelo wokuphakanyiswa weNkosi, kube ngokwetshumi kwalokho okwetshumi.

“Instruct the Levites, and also declare to them: When you will receive, from the sons of Israel, the tithes, which I have given to you, offer their first-fruits to the Lord, that is, the tenth part of a tenth,

27 Lomnikelo wenu wokuphakanyiswa uzabalelwa lina, njengamabele ebala lokubhulela lanjengokugcwala kwesikhamelo sewayini.

so that it may be accounted to you as an oblation of the first-fruits, as much from the threshing floors as from the oil and wine presses.

28 Ngalokhu lani lizanikela umnikelo wokuphakanyiswa weNkosi kukho konke okwetshumi kwenu elikwemukelayo ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli; lizanika kokwayo umnikelo wokuphakanyiswa weNkosi, kuAroni umpristi.

And offer the first-fruits of everything, from which you receive tithes, to the Lord, and give them to Aaron the priest.

29 Kuzo zonke izipho zenu lizanikela wonke umnikelo wokuphakanyiswa weNkosi; ekhethelweni lonke lazo, ingxenye yayo engcwelisiweyo evela kuyo.

Everything which you shall offer from the tithes, and which you shall separate as gifts to the Lord, shall be the finest and most select.

30 Futhi uzakuthi kuwo: Lapho linikela ikhethelo lazo elivela kuzo, kuzabalelwa amaLevi njengesivuno sebala lokubhulela lanjengesivuno sesikhamelo sewayini.

And you shall say to them: ‘If you offer the noble and the better of the tithes, it shall be accounted to you as if you had given from the first-fruits of the threshing floor and of the oil and wine presses.’

31 Lizakudla lokho endaweni zonke, lina lendlu yenu, ngoba kungumvuzo wenu ngomsebenzi wenu ethenteni lenhlangano.

And you shall eat these in all your places, both you and your families, because it is your price for the ministry, by which you serve in the tabernacle of the testimony.

32 Njalo kaliyikuthwala isono ngenxa yakho, lapho seliphakamisile ikhethelo lakho kukho; kaliyikungcolisa izinto ezingcwele zabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuze lingafi.

And you shall not sin in this way: by reserving the excellent and fat things for yourselves, lest you pollute the oblations of the sons of Israel, and lest you die.”