Isahluko 18
1
UJehova wathi ku-Aroni: “Wena namadodana akho nendlu kayihlo kanye nawe niyakuthwala ububi bendlu engcwele; wena namadodana akho kanye nawe niyakuthwala ububi bobupristi benu.
2
Nabafowenu, isizwe sakwaLevi, isizwe sikayihlo, sondela nabo ukuba bahlanganiswe nawe, bakukhonze; kepha wena namadodana akho kanye nawe niyakuba ngaphambi kwetende lobufakazi.
3
Bayakugcina imfanelo yakho nenkonzo yetende lonke; kodwa abayikusondela empahleni yendlu engcwele nase-altare, ukuze bangafi, nabo nani.
4
Bayakuhlanganiswa nawe, bagcine inkonzo yetende lokuhlangana kuwo wonke umsebenzi wetende; umfokazi akayikusondela kuwe.
5
“Niyakugcina inkonzo yendlu engcwele nenkonzo yase-altare, ukuze ulaka lungabe lusaba khona phezu kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
6
Bhekani, mina ngithabathe abafowenu amaLevi phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; bayisipho kini, benikelwe kuJehova ukwenza umsebenzi wetende lokuhlangana.
7
Wena namadodana akho kanye nawe niyakugcina ubupristi kukho konke okwe-altare, nakukho konke okuphakathi kwesihenqo; niyakukhonza; ngiyaninika ubupristi njengenkonzo yesipho; umfokazi osondelayo wobulawa.”
8
UJehova wakhuluma ku-Aroni, wathi: “Bheka, mina ngikunike ukugcina iminikelo yami yokuphakanyiswa; zonke izinto ezingcwelisiwe zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngikunikile zona wena namadodana akho ngenxa yokugcotshwa, kube yisimiso esiphakade.
9
Lokhu kuyakuba ngokwakho ezintweni ezingcwelengcwele ezisale emlilweni: yonke iminikelo yabo, yonke iminikelo yabo yempuphu, nayo yonke iminikelo yabo yesono, nayo yonke iminikelo yabo yecala abanikela ngayo kimi iyakuba ngcwelengcwele kuwe nakumadodana akho.
10
Niyakudlela lokhu endaweni engcwelengcwele; bonke abesilisa bayakukudla; kuyakuba ngcwele kuwe.
11
“Lokhu kungokwakho: umnikelo wokuphakanyiswa wesipho sabo, nayo yonke iminikelo yokuzuliswa yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; ngiyinikile wena namadodana akho namadodakazi akho kanye nawe ibe yimfanelo ephakade; yilowo nalowo ohlambulukileyo endlini yakho uyakukudla.
12
“Konke okuhle kwamanoni nakho konke okuhle kwewayini nokwamabele, ulibo lwalokho abanikela ngakho kuJehova ngikunikile khona.
13
Ulibo oluvuthwa kuqala lwakho konke okusezweni lakubo abaluletha kuJehova luyakuba ngolwakho; yilowo nalowo ohlambulukileyo endlini yakho uyakukudla.
14
“Konke okwahlukanisiwe kwa-Israyeli kuyakuba ngokwakho.
15
Konke okuvula isizalo senyama yonke abanikela ngakho kuJehova, okomuntu nokwesilwane, kuyakuba ngokwakho; nokho izibulo lomuntu wolihlenga ngempela, nezibulo lezilwane ezingcolileyo wolihlenga.
16
Okuhlengwayo kuyakuhlengwa kusukela kokunenyanga ngokulinganisa kwakho ngemali yamashekeli ayisihlanu ngokweshekeli lendlu engcwele elingamagera angamashumi amabili.
17
“Kepha izibulo lenkomo, noma izibulo lemvu, noma izibulo lembuzi, awuyikulihlenga, lingcwele; uyakufafaza i-altare ngegazi lazo, ushise amanoni azo abe ngumnikelo womlilo wephunga elimnandi kuJehova.
18
Inyama yazo iyakuba ngeyakho; njengesifuba sokuzuliswa nomlenze wokunene iyakuba ngeyakho.
19
Yonke iminikelo yezinto ezingcwele abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abanikela ngayo ngiyinikile wena namadodana akho namadodakazi akho kanye nawe ibe yimfanelo ephakade; kuyisivumelwano sikasawoti kuze kube phakade ngaphambi kukaJehova kuwena nakuyo inzalo yakho kanye nawe.”
20
UJehova wathi ku-Aroni: “Awuyikuba nafa ezweni lakubo, futhi ungabi nasabelo phakathi kwabo; mina ngiyisabelo sakho nefa lakho phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
21
“Bhekani, ngibanikile abantwana bakwaLevi konke okweshumi kwa-Israyeli, kube yifa labo, ngomsebenzi abawusebenzayo, inkonzo yetende lokuhlangana.
22
Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli mabangabe besasondela etendeni lokuhlangana, funa bathwale isono, bafe.
23
Kepha amaLevi ayakugcina inkonzo yetende lokuhlangana, athwale ububi bawo; kuyakuba yisimiso esiphakade ezizukulwaneni zenu; naphakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abayikuba nafa.
24
Ngokuba okweshumi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abanikela ngakho, kube ngumnikelo wokuphakanyiswa kuJehova, ngikunikile amaLevi kube yifa lawo; ngalokho ngishilo kuwo, ngathi: ‘Phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli aniyikubanafa.’ ”
25
UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:
26
“Futhi uyakukhuluma kumaLevi, uthi kuwo: ‘Nxa nithabatha kwabakwa-Israyeli okweshumi engininike khona kuvela kubo, kube yifa lenu, niyakunikela ngomnikelo wokuphakanyiswa kuJehova, okweshumi kokweshumi.
27
Umnikelo wenu wokuphakanyiswa uyakubalelwa nina, njengalokho bekungamabele esibuya nanjengokugcwala kwesikhamo sewayini.
28
Kanjalo nani niyakunikela ngomnikelo wokuphakanyiswa kuJehova ngakho konke okweshumi kwenu enikwamukelayo kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli; niyakunikela ku-Aroni umpristi ngomnikelo wokuphakanyiswa kaJehova.
29
Kuzo zonke izipho zenu niyakunikela ngayo yonke iminikelo yokuphakanyiswa kuJehova, konke okuhle kwayo, inxenye yayo engcwelisiweyo.’
30
“Ngalokho uyakusho kubo ukuthi: ‘Nxa niphakamisa okuhle kwayo, kuyakubalelwa amaLevi njengokwanda kwesibuya nokwanda kwesikhamo sewayini.
31
Niyakukudlela ezindaweni zonke, nina nabezindlu zenu, ngokuba kungumvuzo wenu ngomsebenzi wenu etendeni lokuhlangana.
32
Aniyikuthwala sono ngenxa yakho, lapho seniphakamisile okuhle kwakho, ningahlambalazi izinto ezingcwele zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukuba ningafi.’ ”