UDavide Ulungisa AbaLevi Ngenxa Yendlu

Emdala, enikela ubukumkani kuSolomon, uDavide uphinda acwangcise abaLevi ngenxa yetempile engayi kufuduka. Ekubeni kungasekho bani uthwala umnquba, umsebenzi uchazwa ngokutsha: amabala, amagumbi okugcina, isonka, imilinganiselo, nokuma ukuze babulele kuBawo wethu kusasa nangokuhlwa.

Isahluko 23.

Akuba uDavide elixhego, eminyaka mininzi, wammisa uSolomon unyana wakhe ukuba abe ngukumkani wamaSirayeli. Wabahlanganisa bonke abathetheli bakwaSirayeli, kunye nababingeleli nabaLevi. AbaLevi abaminyaka imashumi mathathu ezelwe nangaphezulu babalwa, inani labo lonke laba ngamashumi amathathu anesibhozo amawaka. Kwaba kubo amashumi amabini anamane amawaka abeza kongamela umsebenzi wendlu kaBawo wethu; amawaka amathandathu babengabathetheli nabagwebi. Amawaka amane babengabagcini-masango, amawaka amane bambonga uBawo wethu ngezixhobo awazenzayo uDavide zendumiso.

Wabahlula ke uDavide ngokwamaqela ngoonyana bakaLevi: nguGershon, noKehati, noMerari.

Imizalwane kaGershon

KumaGershon: nguLadan, noShimehi. Oonyana bakaLadan: nguYehiyeli inkulu, aze aba nguZetam noYoweli, bebathathu bebonke. Oonyana bakaShimehi: nguShelomoti, noHaziyeli, noHaran—bebathathu. Ziintloko zezindlu zooyise kwaLadan ezo. Oonyana bakaShimehi: nguYahati, noZina, noYehushe, noBheriya. Aba bane bangoonyana bakaShimehi. UYahati wayeyinkulu, uZizah wesibini; uYehushe noBheriya babengenabanunyana baninzi, ngoko babalwa ndawonye njengendlu-nye, njengomsebenzi omnye.

Imizalwane kaKehati

Oonyana bakaKehati: nguAmram, noItsare, noHebron, noUziyeli, bebane bebonke. Oonyana baka-Amram: nguAron noMoses. UAron wahlulwa ukuba angcwalise izinto eziyingcwele kangcwele, yena noonyana bakhe ngonaphakade, ukuba enze iminikelo phambi koBawo wethu, amlungiselele, asikelele egameni lakhe ngonaphakade. Ke yena uMoses, indoda kaBawo wethu—oonyana bakhe babalwa phakathi kwesizwe sakwaLevi. Oonyana bakaMoses: nguGershom noEliyezere. Oonyana bakaGershom: nguShebhuweli inkulu. Oonyana bakaEliyezere: nguRehabhiya inkulu. UEliyezere wayengenabanye oonyana; oonyana bakaRehabhiya babebaninzi kunene. Oonyana bakaItsare: nguShelomiti inkulu. Oonyana bakaHebron: nguYeriya inkulu, uAmariya owesibini, uYahaziyeli owesithathu, noYekameham owesine. Oonyana bakaUziyeli: nguMika inkulu noIshiya owesibini.

Imizalwane kaMerari

Oonyana bakaMerari: nguMaheli noMushi. Oonyana bakaMaheli: nguElazare noKishe. UElazare wafa engenabanunyana, enamantombi odwa; ngoko babazeka abazalwana babo, oonyana bakaKishe. Oonyana bakaMushi: nguMaheli, noEdere, noYeremoti, bebathathu bebonke.

Ngabo abo oonyana bakaLevi ngokwezindlu zooyise, iintloko zezindlu zooyise ababalwa ngenani lamagama, abalungiselela endlwini kaBawo wethu, bethabathela kominyaka imashumi mabini ezelwe banyuse. Kuba uDavide wathi: “UBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, wabanika ukuphumla abantu bakhe, wahlala eYerusalem ngonaphakade. Ngoko abaLevi abasawuthwali umnquba, nazo zonke iimpahla zawo zokulungiselela.” Kuba ngokwala mazwi okugqibela kaDavide abaLevi babalwa bethabathela kominyaka imashumi mabini ezelwe banyuse. Umsebenzi wabo yayikukunceda oonyana baka-Aron ekulungiseleleni indlu kaBawo wethu: ukugcina amabala neengontsi, ukuhlambulula zonke izinto ezingcwele, nawuphi na umsebenzi wendlu kaBawo wethu. Babegcina isonka sokubonisa, nomgubo ocoliweyo womnikelo wokudla, nezonkana ezingenagwele, nokosa nokuxuba, nako konke ukulinganisela ukuzala kwento nobukhulu bayo. Babemelwe kukuma rhoqo kusasa ukuze babulele bambonge uBawo wethu, kananjalo nangokuhlwa, nakuwo onke amadini anyukayo kuBawo wethu ngeesabatha, nasekuthwaseni kweenyanga, nangamaxesha amisiweyo—ngangenani elifunekayo, ngamaxesha onke phambi koBawo wethu. ^a Basigcina isigxina sentente yokuhlangana, nesigxina sengcwele, nesigxina sabazalwana babo, oonyana baka-Aron, ekulungiseleleni indlu kaBawo wethu.