Amanani 8
1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The Lord told Moses,
2 Tshono kuAroni uthi kuye: Nxa ulumathisa izibane, izibane eziyisikhombisa zizakhanyisa ngaphambili phambi koluthi lwesibane.
“Tell Aaron, ‘When you place the seven lamps on the lampstand, make sure they shine towards the front.’”
3 UAroni wasesenza njalo; ngaphambili phambi koluthi lwesibane walumathisa izibane zalo, njengokulaya kweNkosi kuMozisi.
So that's what Aaron did. He placed the lamps facing towards the front of the lampstand, as the Lord had ordered Moses.
4 Lalo umsebenzi woluthi lwesibane wawungowegolide elikhandiweyo, kuze kube sesidindini salo kuze kuye emalubeni alo lwalukhandiwe; njengesifanekiso iNkosi eyamtshengisa sona uMozisi, walwenza njalo uluthi lwesibane.
The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the flower decorations on the top, in accordance with the design that the Lord had shown Moses.
5 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The Lord told Moses,
6 Khupha amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, uwahlambulule;
“Separate the Levites from the other Israelites and purify them.
7 wenze ngokunjalo kuwo ukuwahlambulula; ufafaze phezu kwawo amanzi okuhlambulula, njalo adlulise impuco emzimbeni wawo wonke, awatshe izigqoko zawo, azihlambulule.
This is how you will purify them. Sprinkle on them the water of purification. They are to shave off all the hair from their bodies and wash their clothes so they will be clean.
8 Athathe ijongosi ithole lenkomo, lomnikelo walo wokudla, impuphu ecolekileyo ixubene lamafutha, uthathe lelinye ijongosi ithole lenkomo, libe ngumnikelo wesono.
Have them bring a young bull with its grain offering of the best flour mixed with olive oil, and you are to bring a second young bull as a sin offering.
9 Njalo uzasondeza amaLevi phambi kwethente lenhlangano, ubuthanise inhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Take the Levites and have them stand in front of the Tent of Meeting and have all the Israelites gather there.
10 Usondeze amaLevi phambi kweNkosi, njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazabeka izandla zabo phezu kwamaLevi,
When you bring the Levites to the Lord the Israelites are to place their hands upon them.
11 loAroni azunguze amaLevi, abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kweNkosi, evela ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, ukuze abe ngasebenza umsebenzi weNkosi.
Aaron shall present the Levites to the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites so that they can do the Lord's work.
12 AmaLevi azabeka-ke izandla zawo enhlokweni yamajongosi; unikele elinye libe ngumnikelo wesono, lelinye libe ngumnikelo wokutshiswa eNkosini, ukuwenzela amaLevi inhlawulo yokuthula.
The Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. One is to be sacrificed as a sin offering to the Lord, and the other as a burnt offering to set the Levites right with the Lord.
13 Njalo uzawamisa amaLevi phambi kukaAroni laphambi kwamadodana akhe, uwazunguze abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa eNkosini.
Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present them to the Lord as a wave offering.
14 Ngakho uzakwehlukanisa amaLevi uwakhuphe phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuthi amaLevi abe ngawami.
This is how you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites, and the Levites will belong to me.
15 Lemva kwalokho amaLevi azangena ukukhonza ethenteni lenhlangano. Njalo uzawahlambulula, uwazunguze abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa.
They can come and serve at the Tent of Meeting once you've purified them and presented them as a wave offering.
16 Ngoba wona aphiwe lokuphiwa mina ephuma phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli. Esikhundleni salokho okuvula sonke isizalo, izibulo laye wonke wabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngizithathele wona.
The Levites have been completely given over to me by the Israelites. I have accepted them as mine in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
17 Ngoba lonke izibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli ngelami, phakathi kwabantu laphakathi kwezifuyo. Ngosuku engatshaya ngalo lonke izibulo elizweni leGibhithe ngazingcwelisela wona;
Every firstborn male in Israel belongs to me, both human and animal. I reserved them for myself at the time when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt.
18 sengithethe amaLevi esikhundleni sawo wonke amazibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
19 Ngiwanikile amaLevi njengabaphiweyo kuAroni lakumadodana akhe, ephuma phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukukhonza inkonzo yabantwana bakoIsrayeli ethenteni lenhlangano, lokwenzela abantwana bakoIsrayeli inhlawulo yokuthula, ukuze kungabi lenhlupheko phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, nxa abantwana bakoIsrayeli besondela endlini engcwele.
Of all the Israelites, the Levites are a gift from me to Aaron and his sons to serve the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting, and on their behalf to set them right, so that nothing bad will happen to them when they come to the sanctuary.”
20 UMozisi loAroni lenhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza kumaLevi njengakho konke iNkosi eyakulaya uMozisi mayelana lamaLevi; benza njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kuwo.
Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites did everything that the Lord had ordered Moses that they should do regarding the Levites.
21 LamaLevi azihlambulula, ahlamba izembatho zawo; uAroni wasewazunguza aba ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kweNkosi; loAroni wawenzela inhlawulo yokuthula ukuwahlambulula.
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering to the Lord. Aaron also presented the sacrifice to make them right with the Lord so they would be clean.
22 Lemva kwalokho amaLevi angena ukwenza inkonzo yawo ethenteni lenhlangano phambi kukaAroni laphambi kwamadodana akhe. Njengalokhu iNkosi yamlaya uMozisi ngamaLevi, benza njalo kuwo.
Afterwards the Levites came to perform their service at the Tent of Meeting under the direction of Aaron and his sons. They followed all the instructions regarding the Levites that the Lord had given to Moses.
23 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The Lord told Moses,
24 Yilokhu okuqondene lamaLevi: Kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu langaphezulu azangena ukukhonza inkonzo, enkonzweni yethente lenhlangano.
“This rule applies to the Levites. Those twenty-five or older shall serve at the Tent of Meeting.
25 Njalo kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu azaphuma enkonzweni yenkonzo, angabe esasebenza;
However, once they reach the age of fifty they need to retire from the work and won't serve any longer.
26 kodwa azasiza abazalwane bawo ethenteni lenhlangano ukugcina umlindo, kodwa angasebenzi umsebenzi. Uzakwenza njalo kumaLevi kumfanelo zawo.
They can still help their fellow Levites in their assignments, but they are not to do the actual work themselves. These are the arrangements in the case of the Levites.”
