Numeri 8

¹UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

²“Yisho ku-Aroni, uthi kuye: ‘Nxa ubeka izibani, izibani eziyisikhombisa mazikhanyise ngaphambi kothi lwezibani.’ ”

³U-Aroni wenze njalo; wabeka izibani zalo ukuba zikhanyise ngaphambi kothi lwezibani, njengalokho uJehova emyalile uMose.

⁴Nanku umsebenzi wothi lwezibani, umsebenzi wegolide elikhandiweyo: kuze kube sesinqeni salo nasezimbalini zalo kwakungumsebenzi okhandiweyo; njengesifanekiso uJehova asibonise uMose, wenze njalo uthi lwezibani.

⁵UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

⁶“Thabatha amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ubahlambulule.

⁷Uyakwenza kanje kubo ukuba ubahlambulule: fafaza amanzi okuphothula, baziphucule umzimba wonke, bahlanze izingubo zabo, bazihlambulule.

⁸Bathabathe iduna nomnikelo walo wempuphu, impuphu ecolekileyo exovwe namafutha; nelinye iduna uyakulithabatha libe ngumnikelo wesono.

⁹Uyakuletha amaLevi phambi kwetende lokuhlangana, ubuthe yonke inhlangano yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli,

¹⁰ulethe amaLevi phambi kukaJehova; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babeke izandla zabo phezu kwamaLevi,

¹¹u-Aroni azulise amaLevi phambi kukaJehova abe ngumnikelo wokuzuliswa ovela kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, aze asebenze umsebenzi kaJehova.

¹²“AmaLevi ayakubeka izandla zawo ezinhloko zezinkunzi, wena unikele ngenye ibe ngumnikelo wesono, enye ibe ngumnikelo wokushiswa kuJehova ukwenzela amaLevi ukubuyisana.

¹³Uyakubeka amaLevi phambi kuka-Aroni naphambi kwamadodana akhe, unikele ngawo abe ngumnikelo wokuzuliswa kuJehova.

¹⁴Uyakwahlukanisa amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, amaLevi abe ngawami.

¹⁵“Emva kwalokho amaLevi ayakungena ukwenza inkonzo yetende lokuhlangana; uyakuwahlambulula, unikele ngawo abe ngumnikelo wokuzuliswa.

¹⁶Ngokuba mina nginikiwe wona phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; esikhundleni sakho konke okuvula isizalo, amazibulo abo bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngizithabathele wona.

¹⁷Ngokuba onke amazibulo phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli angawami, awabantu nawezilwane; mhla ngishaya amazibulo onke ezweni laseGibithe ngazingcwelisela wona.

¹⁸Ngithabathile amaLevi esikhundleni samazibulo onke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

¹⁹Ngiwanikile amaLevi abe yisipho sika-Aroni nesamadodana akhe esivela kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukusebenza umsebenzi wabantwana bakwa-Israyeli etendeni lokuhlangana nokwenzela abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukubuyisana, ukuze kungabikho sifo phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, lapho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli besondela endlini engcwele.”

²⁰Benze njalo-ke oMose no-Aroni nayo yonke inhlangano yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli kumaLevi; njengakho konke uJehova amyala ngakho uMose ngamaLevi, benze njalo kuwo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

²¹AmaLevi aziphothula, ahlanza izingubo zawo; u-Aroni wanikela ngawo abe ngumnikelo wokuzuliswa phambi kukaJehova; u-Aroni wawenzela ukubuyisana ukuwahlambulula.

²²Emva kwalokho amaLevi angena ukwenza umsebenzi wawo etendeni lokuhlangana phambi kuka-Aroni naphambi kwamadodana akhe; njengalokho uJehova emyalile uMose ngamaLevi, benze njalo-ke kuwo.

²³UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

²⁴“Yilokhu okungokwamaLevi: kusukela kwabaneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu kuya phezulu ayakungena ukugcina umsebenzi wenkonzo yetende lokuhlangana:

²⁵kusukela kwabaneminyaka engamashumi ayisihlanu bayakuphuma emsebenzini wenkonzo, bangabe besakhonza;

²⁶kodwa bayakukhonza kanye nabafowabo etendeni lokuhlangana, bagcine imfanelo kepha bangabe besakhonza. Uyakwenze njalo kumaLevi ngezimfanelo zawo.”