Kubiga Mavone
1 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 2 “Idwa Aroni abige mavone, ali kutendeka avoneke mbeli kwe tjigadziko tje mavone.” 3 Ngono Aroni kathama eijalo, kagadza mavone atjo kuvoneka mbeli kwe tjigadziko tje mavone Yahwe sekwa badwa Mushe. 4 Oku ndiko tjigadziko tje mavone sekwa tjakabe tjithamwa ndiko, golide yakabe ithugwa kudwa mu bhato latjo kunoti ku thabi dzatjo, kuyendidzana nge mbiko Yahwe yabakalakidza Mushe.
Kutjenapadziwa ne bigwa kwe Balevi
5 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 6 “Tola Balevi pakati kwe bathu be Iziraela, ubatjenapadze. 7 Ngono ubathame sahwoku kubatjenapadza, ubanyase nge vula yakayengamala inotjenapadza, babe bezwitesela mbili wose, babe besuka zwiambalo zwabo. Ngono banowobe batjenapala. 8 Kudwapo babe betola nkong'wana ne tjipo tje mathunde tje bgwisa gwakanathiwa gwakashanganyiwa ne mafuta, ne mmwe nkong'wana we tjibhayilo tje tjibi. 9 Ngono uzhise Balevi mbeli kwe nshasha we bushanganilo, ube ukubunganya gubungano lose le bathu be Iziraela, 10 kuti wazhisa Balevi mbeli kwa Yahwe, bathu be Iziraela babige maboko abo pezhugwi kwe misholo ye Balevi, 11 Aroni abe ezhisa Balevi mbeli kwa Yahwe, kube tjipo tjinozunguziwa tjidwa mu bathu be Iziraela, kuti babe bathu banoshinga nshingo wa Yahwe. 12 Ndizo Balevi babe bebiga maboko abo pezhugwi kwe misholo ye mikong'wana mibili. Ngono unowobe udusa mmwe kube tjibhayilo tje tjibi, mmwe kube tjibhayilo tjinopisigwa Yahwe, kuthamila Balevi gadzano na Yahwe. 13 Umise Balevi mbeli kwa Aroni ne bakololo babe, ube ubayisa se tjipo tjikazunguziwa kuna Yahwe.
14 “Nge zila iyeyi dusila Balevi ntome mu bathu be Iziraela, ngono Balevi banowobe bangu. 15 Shule kwe basinobe babigwa, banongina bakashinga nshingo we nshasha we bushanganilo, ha wabatjenapadza ubuya ubadusa bali tjipo tjikazunguziwa. 16 Ngobe ndabapiwa nge buzhalo bedwa mu bathu be Iziraela, mu bumo gwe mbano dzose dze bathu be Iziraela, ndazwitolegwa ibo. 17 Ngobe mbano dzose dze bathu be Iziraela nge dzangu, dzose dze bathu nenge zwithuwo. Mu zhuba landakabulaya mbano dzose mu shango ye Egipiti, ndakazwishalulila idzo. 18 Ngono ngwenu, ndatola Balevi mu bumo gwe mbano dzose dze bathu be Iziraela. 19 Ndatola Balevi mu bathu be Iziraela ndibalonga mu maboko a Aroni ne bakololo babe, kushingila bathu be Iziraela mu nshasha we bushanganilo ne kuthamila bathu be Iziraela gadzano na Yahwe, kuti kusitongobe ne tjiga tjingawila bathu be Iziraela, ha bathu be Iziraela bangasedzela pejo ne bugalo gwakayengemala.”
20 Mushe, na Aroni ne gubungano lose le bathu be Iziraela, bakashingila Balevi kuyendidzana ne tjakalauligwa Mushe ndi Yahwe. 21 Ngono Balevi bakazwitjenapadza mu tjibi, bakasuka zwiambalo zwabo, Aroni kabayisa bali tjipo tjikazunguziwa mbeli kwa Yahwe, ngono Aroni kabathamila gadzano na Yahwe kubatjenapadza. 22 Ndizo Balevi bakangina mu nshingo wabo mu nshasha we bushanganilo bali mu ndaulo ya Aroni ne bakololo babe seleba kwa Yahwe kuna Mushe ngekwe Balevi.
23 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 24 “Etji nditjo tjakalingisana ne Balevi: Kudwa muna bana makole ali makumi mabili ana ali mashanu (25) ne bawola pabali banowoshinga nshingo mu nshasha we bushanganilo, 25 ngono kudwa muna be makole ali makumi mashanu (50) baletje nshingo basitjashinge. 26 Shule kwa ipapo, bangabhatsha Balevi banowobe bali mu nshingo mu nshasha we bushanganilo, ibo basingashinge. Ndiko sekwa unowothama ngekwe Balevi mu kubapa nshingo.”
Aaron Puts the Gold Lamps in Place
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron to put the seven lamps on the lampstand so they shine toward the front.”
3 Aaron obeyed and placed the lamps as he was told. 4 The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the decorative flowers on top, exactly like the pattern the Lord had described to Moses.
Instructions for Ordaining the Levites
5 The Lord said to Moses:
6 The Levites must be acceptable to me before they begin working at the sacred tent. So separate them from the rest of the Israelites 7 and sprinkle them with the water that washes away their sins. Then have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes.
8 They are to bring a bull and its proper grain sacrifice of flour mixed with olive oil. And they must bring a second bull as a sacrifice for sin.
9 Then you, Moses, will call together all the people of Israel and send the Levites to my sacred tent, 10 where the people will place their hands on them. 11 Aaron will present the Levites to me as a gift from the people, so that the Levites will do my work.
12 After this, the Levites are to place their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one of the bulls for the forgiveness of sin, and the other to make sure that I am pleased. Then the Levites will be acceptable to me. 13 They will stand at my altar in front of Aaron and his sons, who will dedicate the Levites to me.
14 This ceremony will show that the Levites are different from the other Israelites and belong to me in a special way. 15 After they have been made acceptable and have been dedicated, they will be allowed to work at my sacred tent. 16 They are mine and will take the place of the first-born Israelite sons. 17 When I killed the oldest sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in each Israelite family would be mine, as well as every first-born male from their flocks and herds. 18 But now I have chosen these Levites as substitutes for the first-born sons, 19 and I have given them as gifts to Aaron and his sons to serve at the sacred tent. I will hold them responsible for what happens to anyone who gets too close to the sacred tent.
The Levites Are Dedicated to the Lord
20 Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelites made sure that the Levites did everything the Lord had commanded. 21 The Levites sprinkled themselves with the water of forgiveness and washed their clothes. Then Aaron brought them to the altar and offered sacrifices to forgive their sins and make them acceptable to the Lord. 22 After this, the Levites worked at the sacred tent as assistants to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded.
23 The Lord also told Moses, 24-25 “Levites who are between the ages of 25 and 50 must work at my sacred tent. But once they turn 50, they must retire. 26 They may help the other Levites in their duties, but they must no longer be responsible for any work themselves. Remember this when you assign their duties.”