1 IZikhronike 23

23 ¹Kwathi uDavida esemdala, eseneminyaka eminingi, wabeka indodana yakhe uSolomoni ukuba ibe yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli. ²Wabutha ndawonye bonke abaholi bakwa-Israyeli, kanye nabapristi nabaLevi. ³AbaLevi abaneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nangaphezulu babalwa, inani labo lonke lalifinyelela ezinkulungwaneni ezingamashumi amathathu nesishiyagalombili. ⁴Kulaba, izinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nane zaziphathiswe umsebenzi wendlu kaBaba wethu; izinkulungwane eziyisithupha zazingabaphathi nabahluleli. ⁵Izinkulungwane ezine zazingabalindi bamasango, nezinkulungwane ezine zazidumisa uBaba wethu ngezinsimbi uDavida azenzela ukudumisa.

⁶UDavida wabahlukanisa ngamaqembu ngokwamadodana kaLevi: uGereshoni, uKohati, noMerari.

Imindeni kaGereshoni

⁷KumaGereshoni: uLadani noShimeyi. ⁸Amadodana kaLadani: uJehiyeli induna, kwalandela uZethamu noJoweli, bebonke bebathathu. ⁹Amadodana kaShimeyi: uShelomoti, uHaziyeli, noHarani—bebathathu. Laba baba yizinhloko zemindeni kaLadani. ¹⁰Amadodana kaShimeyi: uJahati, uZina, uJewushi, noBheriya. Laba abane babe ngamadodana kaShimeyi. ¹¹UJahati wayeyinduna, uZiza engowesibili; uJewushi noBheriya babenamadodana ambalwa, ngakho babalwa ndawonye njengomndeni owodwa, umsebenzi owodwa.

Imindeni kaKohati

¹²Amadodana kaKohati: u-Amramu, u-Izihari, uHebroni, no-Uziyeli, bebonke bebane. ¹³Amadodana ka-Amramu: u-Aroni noMose. U-Aroni wahlukaniselwa ukungcwelisa izinto ezingcwelengcwele, yena namadodana akhe kuze kube phakade, ukunikela phambi kukaBaba wethu, ukumkhonza, nokubusisa egameni lakhe kuze kube phakade. ¹⁴Kepha uMose, umuntu kaBaba wethu—amadodana akhe abalwa esizweni sikaLevi. ¹⁵Amadodana kaMose: uGereshomu no-Eliyezeri. ¹⁶Amadodana kaGereshomu: uShebuweli induna. ¹⁷Amadodana ka-Eliyezeri: uRehabiya induna. U-Eliyezeri wayengenawo amanye amadodana; amadodana kaRehabiya ayemaningi kakhulu. ¹⁸Amadodana ka-Izihari: uShelomiti induna. ¹⁹Amadodana kaHebroni: uJeriya induna, u-Amariya owesibili, uJahaziyeli owesithathu, noJekameyamu owesine. ²⁰Amadodana ka-Uziyeli: uMika induna no-Ishiya owesibili.

Imindeni kaMerari

²¹Amadodana kaMerari: uMahli noMushi. Amadodana kaMahli: u-Eleyazare noKishi. ²²U-Eleyazare wafa engenamadodana, enamadodakazi kuphela; ngakho izihlobo zabo, amadodana kaKishi, awathatha aba ngabafazi bawo. ²³Amadodana kaMushi: uMahli, u-Ederi, noJeremoti, bebonke bebathathu.

²⁴Laba babe ngamadodana kaLevi ngokwemindeni yabo, izinhloko zemindeni ezabhalwa ngamagama azo, ababekhonza endlini kaBaba wethu, abaneminyaka engamashumi amabili nangaphezulu. ²⁵Ngokuba uDavida wathi: “UBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, unike abantu bakhe ukuphumula, futhi uhlala eJerusalema kuze kube phakade. ²⁶Ngakho abaLevi abasayithwali itabernakele nazo zonke izitsha zayo zomsebenzi.” ²⁷Ngokuba ngalezi ziyalezo zokugcina zikaDavida abaLevi babalwa kusukela eminyakeni engamashumi amabili nangaphezulu. ²⁸Umsebenzi wabo kwakuwukusiza amadodana ka-Aroni ekukhonzeni indlu kaBaba wethu: ukunakekela amagceke namakamelo, ukuhlanza zonke izinto ezingcwele, nanoma yimuphi umsebenzi wendlu kaBaba wethu. ²⁹Banakekela isinkwa sokubukwa, ufulawa ocolekileyo weminikelo yokudla, amaqebelengwane enziwe ngaphandle kwemvubelo, ukubhaka nokuxuba, nazo zonke izilinganiso zobuningi nobukhulu. ³⁰Kwakufanele beme njalo ekuseni ukubonga nokudumisa uBaba wethu, futhi njalo kusihlwa, ³¹nakuyo yonke iminikelo yokushiswa kuBaba wethu ngamaSabatha, ngokuthwasa kwezinyanga, nangemikhosi emisiweyo—ngenani elifunekayo, njalo phambi kukaBaba wethu. ^a a v31 Ukuthwasa kwezinyanga kwakuyimikhosi yenyanga eyayibanjwa ekuqaleni kwenyanga ngayinye entsha yamaHeberu. ³²Bagcina umsebenzi wetende lokuhlangana, umsebenzi wendlu engcwele, nomsebenzi wabafowabo, amadodana ka-Aroni, ekukhonzeni indlu kaBaba wethu.