INumeri 3

3 ¹Lolu uhlu lozalo luka-Aroni noMose, mhla uBaba wethu ekhuluma noMose entabeni iSinayi. ²Lawa ngamagama amadodana ka-Aroni: uNadabi izibulo, bese kuba u-Abihu, u-Eleyazare, no-Ithamari. ³Lawa ngamagama amadodana ka-Aroni, abapristi abagcotshiwe, uMose abamisa ukuba basebenze njengabapristi. ⁴UNadabi no-Abihu bafa phambi kukaBaba wethu ehlane laseSinayi ngesikhathi benikela umlilo ongavunyelwe phambi kwakhe; babengenabantwana. Ngakho u-Eleyazare no-Ithamari basebenza njengabapristi phambi kuka-Aroni uyise.

⁵UBaba wethu wathi kuMose:

⁶“Sondeza isizwe sakwaLevi usibeke phambi kuka-Aroni umpristi, ukuba simsebenzele. ⁷Bayakugcina imisebenzi yakhe neyalo lonke ibandla phambi kwetende lokuhlangana, benza inkonzo yetabernakele. ⁸Bayakulinda zonke izimpahla zetende lokuhlangana nomsebenzi wama-Israyeli, benza inkonzo yetabernakele. ⁹Nika amaLevi ku-Aroni nakumadodana akhe; banikelwe kuye ngokupheleleyo bephuma phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli. ¹⁰Beka u-Aroni namadodana akhe ukuba balinde ubupristi babo; noma ngubani ongaphandle osondelayo kufanele afe.”

¹¹UBaba wethu wathi kuMose:

¹²“Bheka, ngithethe amaLevi phakathi kwama-Israyeli esikhundleni sezibulo ngalinye elivula isizalo phakathi kwama-Israyeli. AmaLevi angawami. ^a a v12 AmaLevi athatha indawo yamazibulo akwa-Israyeli, ayekade ahlukaniselwe uNkulunkulu ekuqaleni lapho ebulala amazibulo aseGibhithe ngesikhathi sokuPhuma (bheka u-Eksodusi 13:2). ¹³Wonke amazibulo angawami. Ngosuku engabulala ngalo wonke amazibulo eGibhithe, ngazahlukanisela wonke amazibulo kwa-Israyeli—kokubili abantu nezilwane. Ayakuba ngawami. NginguBaba wenu.”

¹⁴UBaba wethu wakhuluma noMose ehlane laseSinayi:

¹⁵“Bala amadodana kaLevi ngezindlu zawoyise nangemindeni; bala bonke abesilisa kusukela kwabaneyinyanga eyodwa kuya phezulu.”

¹⁶Ngakho uMose wawabala ngezwi likaBaba wethu, njengoba nje ayeyalelwe.

¹⁷La ayengamadodana kaLevi ngamagama awo: uGereshoni, uKohati, noMerari. ¹⁸Lawa ngamagama amadodana kaGereshoni ngemindeni yawo: uLibhini noShimeyi. ¹⁹Amadodana kaKohati ngemindeni yawo: u-Amramu, u-Izhari, uHebroni, no-Uziyeli. ²⁰Amadodana kaMerari ngomndeni: uMahli noMushi. Le yimindeni yamaLevi ngezindlu zawoyise.

²¹KuGereshoni: umndeni wakwaLibhini nomndeni wakwaShimeyi—le yimindeni yakwaGereshoni. ²²Inani labesilisa ababalwa, abaneyinyanga eyodwa nangaphezulu, laliyizi-7 500.

²³Imindeni yakwaGereshoni yamisa ngemuva kwetabernakele ngasentshonalanga. ²⁴Umholi wendlu yawoyise yakwaGereshoni kwakungu-Eliyasafu indodana kaLayeli. ²⁵Amadodana kaGereshoni etendeni lokuhlangana ayenakekela itabernakele, itende, isimbozo salo, nesihenqo somnyango wetende lokuhlangana. ²⁶Amakhethini egceke nesihenqo somnyango walo, azungeza itabernakele ne-altare, nezintambo zalo zayo yonke inkonzo yalo.

²⁷KuKohati kwavela umndeni wakwa-Amramu, umndeni wakwa-Izhari, umndeni wakwaHebroni, nomndeni wakwa-Uziyeli; le yimindeni yakwaKohati. ²⁸Abesilisa abaneyinyanga eyodwa nangaphezulu babeyizi-8 600, bephethe indlu engcwele.

²⁹Imindeni yamadodana kaKohati yamisa ngaseningizimu yetabernakele. ³⁰Umholi wendlu yawoyise yemindeni yakwaKohati kwakungu-Elizafani indodana ka-Uziyeli. ³¹Ayenakekela umphongolo, itafula, uthi lwesibani, ama-altare, izitsha zendlu engcwele ezisetshenziswa enkonzweni, isihenqo, nawo wonke umsebenzi walo. ³²U-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni umpristi wayengumholi omkhulu wamaLevi, ephethe labo abalinda indlu engcwele.

³³KuMerari: umndeni wakwaMahli nomndeni wakwaMushi—le yimindeni kaMerari. ³⁴Inani labesilisa ababalwa, abaneyinyanga eyodwa nangaphezulu, laliyizi-6 200.

³⁵Umholi wendlu yawoyise yemindeni yakwaMerari: uZuriyeli indodana ka-Abihayili; bamisa ngasenyakatho yetabernakele. ³⁶Amadodana kaMerari ayephethe amapulangwe etabernakele, imishayo, izinsika, izisekelo, zonke izimpahla zalo, nayo yonke inkonzo yalo, ³⁷kanye nezinsika zegceke elizungezayo kanye nezisekelo zazo, izikhonkwane, nezintambo.

³⁸Ababemise ngasempumalanga yetabernakele, phambi kwetende lokuhlangana lapho liphuma khona ilanga, kwakunguMose, u-Aroni, namadodana akhe, ababephethe indlu engcwele ngenxa yama-Israyeli; noma ngubani ongaphandle owayesondela kwakufanele abulawe. ³⁹Wonke amaLevi uMose no-Aroni ababawala ngomyalo kaBaba wethu, ngemindeni yawo, bonke abesilisa abaneyinyanga eyodwa nangaphezulu: izi-22 000.

Ukuhlengwa Kwamazibulo

⁴⁰UBaba wethu wathi kuMose: “Bala wonke amazibulo esilisa akwa-Israyeli aneyinyanga eyodwa nangaphezulu, ubhale phansi inani lamagama awo. ⁴¹Ngithathele amaLevi—nginguBaba wenu—esikhundleni sawo wonke amazibulo phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, nemfuyo yamaLevi esikhundleni sawo wonke amazibulo emfuyo yakwa-Israyeli.”

⁴²Ngakho uMose wabala wonke amazibulo phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, njengoba nje uBaba wethu ayemyalile. ⁴³Wonke amazibulo esilisa, aneyinyanga eyodwa nangaphezulu, abhalwe ngamagama: izi-22 273.

⁴⁴UBaba wethu wakhuluma noMose:

⁴⁵“Thatha amaLevi esikhundleni sawo wonke amazibulo phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, nemfuyo yamaLevi esikhundleni seyabo. AmaLevi ayakuba ngawami. NginguBaba wenu. ⁴⁶Ukuhlenga amazibulo ama-273 akwa-Israyeli adlula inani lamaLevi. ⁴⁷Qoqa cishe ama-ounce amabili emuntwini ngamunye, ngesilinganiso sendlu engcwele (isilinganiso ngasinye cishe uhhafu we-ounce yesiliva). ⁴⁸Nika u-Aroni namadodana akhe imali njengentengo yokuhlenga amazibulo asele.”

⁴⁹Ngakho uMose waqoqa imali yokuhlenga kuwo amazibulo ayedlula inani lamaLevi; ⁵⁰kuwo amazibulo akwa-Israyeli wathatha i-1 365—cishe ama-ounce amabili, ngesilinganiso sendlu engcwele. ⁵¹UMose wanika u-Aroni namadodana akhe imali yokuhlenga, ngezwi likaBaba wethu, njengoba nje uBaba wethu ayemyalile uMose.