Amanani 8

1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Tshono kuAroni uthi kuye: Nxa ulumathisa izibane, izibane eziyisikhombisa zizakhanyisa ngaphambili phambi koluthi lwesibane.

“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’”

3 UAroni wasesenza njalo; ngaphambili phambi koluthi lwesibane walumathisa izibane zalo, njengokulaya kweNkosi kuMozisi.

Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as the LORD commanded 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.

This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses.

5 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

6 Khupha amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, uwahlambulule;

“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

7 wenze ngokunjalo kuwo ukuwahlambulula; ufafaze phezu kwawo amanzi okuhlambulula, njalo adlulise impuco emzimbeni wawo wonke, awatshe izigqoko zawo, azihlambulule.

You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

8 Athathe ijongosi ithole lenkomo, lomnikelo walo wokudla, impuphu ecolekileyo ixubene lamafutha, uthathe lelinye ijongosi ithole lenkomo, libe ngumnikelo wesono.

Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

9 Njalo uzasondeza amaLevi phambi kwethente lenhlangano, ubuthanise inhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.

You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

10 Usondeze amaLevi phambi kweNkosi, njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bazabeka izandla zabo phezu kwamaLevi,

You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

11 loAroni azunguze amaLevi, abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kweNkosi, evela ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, ukuze abe ngasebenza umsebenzi weNkosi.

and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

12 AmaLevi azabeka-ke izandla zawo enhlokweni yamajongosi; unikele elinye libe ngumnikelo wesono, lelinye libe ngumnikelo wokutshiswa eNkosini, ukuwenzela amaLevi inhlawulo yokuthula.

“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.

13 Njalo uzawamisa amaLevi phambi kukaAroni laphambi kwamadodana akhe, uwazunguze abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa eNkosini.

You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

14 Ngakho uzakwehlukanisa amaLevi uwakhuphe phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuthi amaLevi abe ngawami.

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

15 Lemva kwalokho amaLevi azangena ukukhonza ethenteni lenhlangano. Njalo uzawahlambulula, uwazunguze abe ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa.

“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer 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.

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

17 Ngoba lonke izibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli ngelami, phakathi kwabantu laphakathi kwezifuyo. Ngosuku engatshaya ngalo lonke izibulo elizweni leGibhithe ngazingcwelisela wona;

For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.

18 sengithethe amaLevi esikhundleni sawo wonke amazibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.

I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

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.

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near 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, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

21 LamaLevi azihlambulula, ahlamba izembatho zawo; uAroni wasewazunguza aba ngumnikelo wokuzunguzwa phambi kweNkosi; loAroni wawenzela inhlawulo yokuthula ukuwahlambulula.

The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 Lemva kwalokho amaLevi angena ukwenza inkonzo yawo ethenteni lenhlangano phambi kukaAroni laphambi kwamadodana akhe. Njengalokhu iNkosi yamlaya uMozisi ngamaLevi, benza njalo kuwo.

After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

24 Yilokhu okuqondene lamaLevi: Kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu langaphezulu azangena ukukhonza inkonzo, enkonzweni yethente lenhlangano.

“This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

25 Njalo kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu azaphuma enkonzweni yenkonzo, angabe esasebenza;

and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more,

26 kodwa azasiza abazalwane bawo ethenteni lenhlangano ukugcina umlindo, kodwa angasebenzi umsebenzi. Uzakwenza njalo kumaLevi kumfanelo zawo.

but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”