INumeri 18

18 ¹UBaba wethu wathi ku-Aroni: “Wena, namadodana akho, nendlu kayihlo niyakuthwala icala lendlu engcwele; wena namadodana akho niyakuthwala icala lobupristi benu. ²Letha nabafowenu—isizwe sakwaLevi, isizwe sakayihlo—ukuba bazihlanganise nawe bakusebenzele, wena namadodana akho, phambi kwetende lobufakazi. ³Bayakugcina imisebenzi yakho nayo yonke imisebenzi yetende, kodwa bangasondeli ezintweni ezingcwele zendlu engcwele noma e-altare, funa bafe bona kanye nani. ⁴Bayakuzihlanganisa nawe bagcine umsebenzi wetende lokuhlangana, yonke inkonzo yalo—kungasondeli owezizwe kini.

⁵Gcinani indlu engcwele ne-altare, ukuze intukuthelo ingaphindi yehlele phezu kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ⁶Mina ngibathathile abafowenu abaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli—bayisipho kini, abanikelwe kimi, ukuba bakhonze etendeni lokuhlangana. ⁷Wena namadodana akho niyakugcina ubupristi benu kuzo zonke izindaba ze-altare nangaphakathi kwekhethini; nikhonze lapho. Ngininika ubupristi benu njengesipho; wonke owezizwe osondelayo uyakubulawa.”

UBaba Ulungiselela Izinceku Zakhe

⁸UBaba wethu wathi ku-Aroni: “Ngikunikile umsebenzi wokugcina iminikelo yami, zonke izipho ezingcwele zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Ngizinike wena njengesabelo, nakumadodana akho njengesabelo esimi njalonjalo. ⁹Lokhu kungokwakho kokungcwelengcwele okugcinwe emlilweni: yonke iminikelo yabo—wonke umnikelo wempuphu, wonke umnikelo wesono, nawo wonke umnikelo wecala abawuletha kimi—kungcwelengcwele, kungokwakho namadodana akho. ¹⁰Kudle endaweni engcwelengcwele; wonke owesilisa angakudla—kungcwele kuwe.

¹¹Nalokhu kungokwakho: umnikelo wezipho zabo, yonke iminikelo yokuzuliswa yakwa-Israyeli. Ngizinike wena, namadodana akho, namadodakazi akho kanye nawe—kuyisimiso esimi njalonjalo. Wonke ohlanzekileyo endlini yakho angakudla. ¹²Konke okungcono kwamafutha, newayini elisha, namabele—ulibo lwabo abalunika kimi—ngikunika khona. ¹³Izithelo zokuqala zezwe labo, ezilethwa kimi, zingezakho. Wonke ohlanzekileyo endlini yakho angazidla.

¹⁴Yonke into enikelwe ngokupheleleyo kwa-Israyeli iyakuba ngeyakho. ¹⁵Lonke izibulo, elomuntu noma elesilwane, elinikelwa kimi lingelakho—kodwa uyakulihlenga izibulo labantu, ulihlenge nezibulo lezilwane ezingcolileyo. ¹⁶Uyakuwahlenga esanenyanga eyodwa ubudala, ngesiliva esicishe sibe ama-awunsi amabili, ngokwesilinganiso sendlu engcwele.

¹⁷Kodwa izibulo lenkomazi, noma elemvu, noma elembuzi awuyikulihlenga—lingcwele. Fafaza igazi lazo e-altare, ushise amanoni azo njengomnikelo wokudla, iphunga elimnandi kimi. ¹⁸Kodwa inyama yazo ingeyakho, njengoba isifuba somnikelo wokuzuliswa nethanga lesokunene kungokwakho. ¹⁹Yonke iminikelo engcwele abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abayiletha kimi ngiyinika wena, namadodana akho namadodakazi akho kanye nawe, njengesabelo esimi njalonjalo. Kuyisivumelwano sikasawoti saphakade phambi kwami, kuwe nakuyo inzalo yakho kanye nawe.” ^a a v19 Isivumelwano sosawoti kwakuyisivumelwano esingenakwephulwa, esihlala kuze kube phakade—usawoti uyalondoloza futhi awuboli, ufanekisela ukuma njalonjalo.

²⁰UBaba wethu wathi ku-Aroni: “Awuyikuba nelifa ezweni labo, ungabi nasabelo phakathi kwabo. Mina ngiyisabelo sakho nelifa lakho phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”

²¹“AbaLevi ngibanike konke okweshumi kwa-Israyeli kube yilifa, ngenxa yomsebenzi abawenzayo, umsebenzi wetende lokuhlangana. ²²Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abasayikusondela etendeni lokuhlangana, funa bathwale icala, bafe. ²³Kodwa abaLevi bayakwenza umsebenzi wetende lokuhlangana, bathwale icala labo. Lokhu kuyisimiso esimi njalonjalo ezizukulwaneni zenu: phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abayikuba nalifa. ²⁴Ngokuba okweshumi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abakunikela kimi kube ngumnikelo, ngikunike abaLevi kube yilifa labo. Yikho ngithe kubo: phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abayikuba nalifa.”

²⁵UBaba wethu wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

²⁶“Khuluma kubaLevi, uthi kubo: Lapho nithatha okweshumi engininike khona kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli kube yilifa lenu, niyakukhipha kukho umnikelo kimi—okweshumi kwalokho okweshumi. ²⁷Umnikelo wenu uyakubalelwa kini njengamabele asesibuyeni, nanjengenala yesikhamo sewayini. ²⁸Ngokunjalo nani niyakukhipha umnikelo kimi kukho konke okweshumi kwenu enikuthathe kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ninike kukho umnikelo wami ku-Aroni umpristi. ²⁹Kuzo zonke izipho zenu niyakukhipha wonke umnikelo kimi—kukho konke, ingxenye engcono nengcwelengcwele yakhona.

³⁰“Ngakho uthi kubo: Lapho nikhipha ingxenye engcono yakho, kuyakubalelwa kubaLevi njengenala yesibuya neyesikhamo sewayini. ³¹Ningakudla nomaphi, nina nabendlu yenu—kungumholo wenu ngenxa yomsebenzi wenu etendeni lokuhlangana. ³²Aniyikuthwala cala ngenxa yakho, uma senikhiphe ingxenye yakho engcono. Kodwa ningazingcolisi izinto ezingcwele zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, funa nife.”