Bakololo ba Aroni
1 Edzi ithawu ngekwe nsha wa Aroni na Mushe mu zhuba Yahwe labakalebeleka na Mushe pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Sinai. 2 Aroni wakabe ana bakololo bali banna: Mbano ali Nadabu, etobegwa ndi Abihu, Abihu etobegwa ndi Eleazari, Eleazari etobegwa ndi Ithamari. 3 Bakazhodziwa bebigigwa nshingo we bupirisiti. 4 Koga Nadabu na Abihu bakafila mbeli kwa Yahwe pabakayisa moto wakatemapala mbeli kwa Yahwe mu tjilambanyika tje Sinai, befa basina bana. Ndizo Eleazari na Ithamari bakashinga bali bapirisiti butjilo gose gwa Aroni tate babo.
Balevi banobigigwa kushingila bapirisiti
5 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 6 “Sedzedza ludzi gwa Levi mbeli kwe mpirisiti Aroni kuti babe babhatshi babe. 7 Bakafanila kuti babhatshe Aroni kose ne gubungano lose mu mishingo ye nshasha we bushanganilo abe shinga mu bugalo gwe Ndzimu. 8 Batjengete zwija zose zwe nshasha we bushanganilo, kakale bebhatsha bathu be Iziraela kushinga mu bugalo gwe Ndzimu. 9 Upe Aroni ne bakololo babe Balevi, wakabapiwa nge buzhalo, be shalugwa mu bathu be Iziraela. 10 Unowobiga Aroni ne bakololo babe kushinga bali bapirisiti, koga ha kuna mmwe upoga ungagwisa kukuthama abulawe.” 11 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 12 “Bona, ndazwitolegwa Balevi mu bathu be Iziraela kube bangu mu bumo gwe mbano imwe ne imwe inozwagwa mu bathu be Iziraela. Balevi banowobe bangu, 13 ngobe mbano dzose nde dzangu, ngoti mu zhuba landakabulaya mbano dzose dze Baegipiti, ndaka zwishaluligwa mbano dzose mu Iziraela, mbano ye nthu kene ye ithuwo, dzowobe dzangu, ndimi Yahwe.” 14 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe kakale bali mu tjilambanyika tje Sinai bakati, 15 “Bala Balevi nge ng'umba dza botate babo nenge misha yabo, ubale kudwa mu nlume mmwe ne mmwe ana mwedzi ng'ompela akazwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi.” 16 Ndizo Mushe kababala kuyendidzana ne dama la Yahwe sekwa bandwa. 17 Awa ndiwo mazina e bakololo ba Levi: Geshoni na Kohati na Merari. 18 Awa mazina e bakololo ba Geshoni nge misha yabo: Libeni na Shimeyi 19 Bakololo ba Kohati nge misha yabo ndi Amuramu na Izha na Heburoni na Uziele. 20 Bakololo ba Merari nge misha yabo ndi Mahili na Mushi. Eyi ndiyo misha ye Balevi nge ng'umba dza botate babo.
21 Bakololo ba Geshoni nge misha yabo ndi Libini na Shimeyi. Eyi ndiyo misha ye Bageshoni nge ng'umba dza botate babo. 22 Bakabagwa kudwa mu bana betjilume bana mwedzi ng'ompela bakazwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi bakabe zwiwulu zwili kutendeka zwina mazana ali mashanu (7 500). 23 Be misha ye Bageshoni bakabe bakafanila baka mishasha ku bhezuba shule kwe bugalo gwe Ndzimu, 24 na Eliyasafu nkololo wa Laeli ali nsholo we ludzi gwe Bageshoni. 25 Bageshoni bakabe bakalingisana ngotjengeta bugalo gwe Ndzimu ne mukati kwago ne tjinogufukidza ne tjisitilo tji pa nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo 26 ne zwisitilo zwakatendenyedza bugalo gwe Ndzimu ne tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ne tjisitilo tje nkoba we nsha wakatendenyedza nshasha we bushanganilo ne misungo yawo, nshingo wose wakalingisana ngoshingwa ipapo.
27 Ng'umba ya Kohati yakabe ili ye nsha we Baamuramu ne nsha we Baizhari ne nsha we Baheburoni ne nsha we Bauzieli, misha iyeyi ndiyo ye Bakohati. 28 Balume bose bakabagwa kudwa muna una mwedzi ng'ompela akazwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi, bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili zhanakadzi ne mazana ali tathatu (8 600), betjengeta mishingo ye bugalo gwakayengemala. 29 Misha ye bakololo ba Kohati yakabe yakafanila gala ku burwa gwe bugalo gwe Ndzimu, 30 bana Elizafani nkololo wa Uziele ali ntungamili we ng'umba dza botate be misha ye Bakohati. 31 Nshingo wabo wakabe uli kutjengeta Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu ne tafuli ne tjigadziko tje mavone ne zwibeso ne zwija zwe bugalo gwakayengemala gunoshingisiwa nge bapirisiti ne tjisitilo, nshingo wose wakalingisana ngoshingwa ipapo.
32 Eleazari nkololo wa Aroni mpirisiti, wakabe ali ntungamili we batungamili be Balevi, kakale akalingilila banoshinga mu bugalo gwakayengemala. 33 Bakololo ba Merari yakabe ili Maheli na Mushi. Eyi ndiyo misha ye Bamerari nge ng'umba dza botate babo. 34 Balume bose bakabagwa kudwa muna ana mwedzi ng'ompela akazwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi bakabe zwiwulu zwili tathatu ne mazana ali mabili (6 200). 35 Ntungamili we ng'umba ya botate be misha ya Merari wakabe ali Zuriele nkololo wa Abihaile, bakabe bakafanila gala ku bunandzwa gwe bugalo gwe Ndzimu. 36 Bakololo ba Merari bakabigwa kutjengeta makwasayili e bugalo gwe Ndzimu ne makoko ne phanda ne misemo ne zwithu zwazo zose ne nshingo wose wakalingisana ne zwithu izwezwi, 37 nenge phanda dzakapoteleka nsha ne misemo yadzo ne mbambo ne misungo yawo.
38 Mushe na Aroni ne bakololo babe bakabe bakafanila gala mbeli kwe bugalo gwe Ndzimu ku bhezhuba, mbeli kwe nshasha we bushanganilo, bakalingisana ne kunobhuda zhuba, bakalingisana ngoshinga mishingo ye bugalo gwakayengemala ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakafanila yitigwa bathu be Iziraela, koga kwakabe kuti ntaya esedzela ebulawa. 39 Balevi bose be tjilume kudwa mu mwana we mwedzi azwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi bakabagwa ndi Mushe na Aroni nge misha yabo nge ndaulo ya Yahwe, bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana mabili (22 000).
Balevi banotola bumo gwe bakololo be mbano
40 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Bala bana bose be bathu be Iziraela be mbano be tjilume, kutangisa ne una mwedzi akazwagwa kuyenda pezhugwi, ubabale nge mazina. 41 Ngono unditolele Balevi, mu bumo gwe mbano dzose dze bathu be Iziraela, ne bana be kutanga be zwithuwo zwe Balevi mu bumo gwe bana be kutanga be zwithuwo zwe bathu be Iziraela, ndimi Yahwe.” 42 Ndizo Mushe kabala mbano dzose dze bathu be Iziraela sekwa akadwiwa ndi Yahwe. 43 Ngono be tjilume bose be mbano bakabagwa nge mazina, kudwa muna una mwedzi ng'ompela kuyenda pezhugwi, bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana bubili ne mazana ali mabili ana makumi ali kutendeka ana butatu (22 273).
44 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 45 “Tjitola Balevi mu bumo gwe mbano dzose dze bathu be Iziraela ne zwithuwo zwe Balevi mu bumo gwabo, ngono Balevi banowobe bangu, ndimi Yahwe. 46 Se bana be tjilume be mbano be bathu be Iziraela bekulila be Balevi nge bali mazana mabili ana makumi ali kutendeka ne butatu, (273) bakafanila dzutunula mbalo ipezhugwi kwe mbalo ye Balevi. 47 Ng'ompela unlipile nge maloso e siliva ali mashanu, kuyendidzana nge shekele dze bugalo gwakayengemala, shekele kuli gira dzili makumi mabili (20), 48 mari akadzutunula be mbalo yakapinda uape Aroni ne bakololo babe.” 49 Mushe katola mari ye kudzutunugwa muna ibaba bakabe bepinda nge mbalo yakadzutunugwa nge Balevi 50 Wakatola maloso e shekele dzili tjiwulu tjing'ompela tjina mazana matatu ana makumi ali tathatu ana mashanu (1 365) kuyendizana ne shekele dze bugalo gwakayengemala mu mbano dze bathu be Iziraela. 51 Mari e kudzutunugwa Mushe kaapa Aroni ne bakololo babe kuyendidzana ne dama la Yahwe sekwa Yahwe bakabe bandwa.
The Sons of Aaron
1 When the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 Aaron's four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, 3 were the ones to be ordained as priests. 4 But the Lord killed Nadab and Abihu in the Sinai Desert when they used fire that was unacceptable in their offering to the Lord. And because Nadab and Abihu had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with their father Aaron.
The Duties of the Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses:
6 Assign the Levi tribe to Aaron the priest. They will be his assistants 7 and will work at the sacred tent for him and for all the Israelites. 8 The Levites will serve the community by being responsible for the furnishings of the tent. 9 They are assigned to help Aaron and his sons, 10 who have been appointed to be priests. Anyone else who tries to perform the duties of a priest must be put to death.
11-13 Moses, I have chosen these Levites from all Israel, and they will belong to me in a special way. When I killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in every Israelite family and the first-born males of their flocks and herds would be mine. But now I accept these Levites in place of the first-born sons of the Israelites.
The Levites Are Counted
14 In the Sinai Desert the Lord said to Moses, 15 “Now I want you to count the men and boys in the Levi tribe by families and by clans. Include every one at least a month old.” 16 So Moses obeyed and counted them.
17 Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, had become the heads of their own clans. 18 Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei. 19 Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. These were the sons and grandsons of Levi, and they had become the leaders of the Levite clans.
21 The two Gershon clans were the Libnites and Shimeites, 22 and they had 7,500 men and boys at least one month old. 23-24 The Gershonites, under the leadership of Eliasaph son of Lael, were to camp on the west side of the sacred tent. 25 Their duties at the tent included taking care of the tent itself, along with its outer covering, the curtain for the entrance, 26 the curtains hanging inside the courtyard around the tent, as well as the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard and its altar. The Gershonites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.
27 The four Kohath clans were the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and the Uzzielites, 28 and they had 8,600 men and boys at least one month old. 29-30 The Kohathites, under the leadership of Elizaphan son of Uzziel, were to camp on the south side of the sacred tent. 31 Their duties at the tent included taking care of the sacred chest, the table for the sacred bread, the lampstand, the altars, the objects used for worship, and the curtain in front of the most holy place. The Kohathites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.
32 Eleazar son of Aaron was the head of the Levite leaders, and he made sure that the work at the sacred tent was done.
33 The two Merari clans were the Mahlites and the Mushites, 34 and they had 6,200 men and boys at least one month old. 35 The Merarites, under the leadership of Zuriel son of Abihail, were to camp on the north side of the sacred tent. 36-37 Their duties included taking care of the tent frames and the pieces that held the tent up: the bars, the posts, the stands, and its other equipment. They were also in charge of the posts that supported the courtyard, as well as their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merari clans were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.
38 Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the sacred tent, on the east side, and to make sure that the Israelites worshiped in the proper way. Anyone else who tried to do the work of Moses and Aaron was to be put to death.
39 So Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord and counted the Levites by their clans. The total number of Levites at least one month old was 22,000.
The Levites Are Accepted as Substitutes for the First-Born Sons
40 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a list and count the first-born sons at least one month old in each of the Israelite families. 41 They belong to me, but I will accept the Levites as substitutes for them, and I will accept the Levites' livestock as substitutes for the Israelites' first-born livestock.”
42 Moses obeyed the Lord and counted the first-born sons; 43 there were 22,273 of them.
44 Then the Lord said, 45 “The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the first-born sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' first-born livestock. 46 But since there are more first-born sons than Levites, the extra 273 men and boys must be bought back from me. 47 For each one, you are to collect five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 48 This money must then be given to Aaron and his sons.”
49 Moses collected the silver from the extra 273 first-born men and boys, 50 and it amounted to 1,365 pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 51 Then he gave it to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded.