Mbalo ye bathu ye kutanga
1 Kwakati Yahwe bakalebeleka na Mushe bali mu tjilambanyika tje Sinai bali mu nshasha we bushanganilo, mu zhuba le kutanga le mwedzi we bubili mu gole le bubili shule kwe basinobhuda mu shango ye Egipiti beti, 2 “Balani gubungano le bathu be Iziraela, nge njudzi dzabo nenge misha yabo, mubale nlume mmwe ne mmwe nsha nge nsha. 3 Balume bose be Iziraela bana makole ali makumi mabili kuyenda pezhugwi bakalizana kuyenda ku ngwa, mubabige nge makupo abo iwe na Aroni. 4 Mutole nlume ng'ompela kudwa mu ludzi gumwe ne gumwe kumubhatsha ali nsholo we ng'umba ya katate babe.” 5 Awa ndiwo mazina e balume banowomubhatsha: Kudwa mu ludzi gwa Rubheni, Elizuri nkololo wa Shedeuri, 6 mu ludzi gwa Simiyoni, Shelumieli nkololo wa Zurishadayi 7 mu ludzi gwa Juda, Nashoni nkololo wa Aminadabu, 8 mu ludzi gwa Isakari, Nethanele nkololo wa Zuari, 9 mu ludzi gwa Zebuluni Eliabu nkololo wa Heloni, 10 kudwa mu bakololo ba Josefa ne kudwa mu bakololo ba Ifureimi, Elishama nkololo wa Amihudi ne kudwa mu Manase, Gamaliyele nkololo wa Phedahizu, 11 mu Bhenjamini, Abidani nkololo wa Gideoni, 12 mu Dani, Ahieza nkololo wa Amishadai, 13 mu Asheri, Pagiele nkololo wa Okirani, 14 mu Gadi, Eliyasafu nkololo wa Deuele, 15 mu Nafutali, Ahira nkololo wa Enani. 16 Ibaba ndibo bakashalugwa mu gubungano bali batungamili be njudzi dzabo ne misholo ye ng'umba dze Iziraela.
17 Mushe na Aroni bakatola balume be mazina iyawa akalongolosiwa, 18 ngono bakati mu zhuba le kutanga le mwedzi we bubili bakakubunganya gubungano lose bakazwikwalisa nge misha, nge ng'umba dza botate babo, bakabagwa nge mazina kudwa muna be makole ali makumi mabili kuyenda pezhugwi, mmwe ne mmwe wabo, 19 koga sekwa kadwiwa Mushe ndi Yahwe, ndizo wakakwalisa bathu bali mu tjilambanyika tje Sinai.
20-46 Balume bose bakabe bana makole ali makumi mabili kuyenda pezhugwi, bose bakabe bakalizana kuyenda ku ngwa, bakakwagwa nge mazina abo mmwe ne mmwe nge ludzi gugwe, kutangisa nge ludzi gwa Rubheni nkololo wa Jakubo wola. Mbalo yabo yakabe ili sahwoku:
Ludzi MbaloRubheni 46 500Simiyoni59 300Gadi 45 650Juda 74 600Isakari 54 400Zebuluni 57 400Ifureimi 40 500Manase32 200Bhenjamini 35 400Dani 62 700Asheri 41 500Nafutali 53 400Bose bakabe bali603 550
47 Koga ludzi gwe Balevi gwakabe gusabaligwa mu bali, 48 ngobe Yahwe bakabe badwa Mushe beti, 49 “Usitongo kwalisa ludzi gwe Balevi, kene kuli kubabalilanya mu bathu be Iziraela. 50 Koga ubige Balevi kutjengeta nshasha we butendeki ne zwija zose zwago na zose zwimu guli, basenge bugalo gwe Ndzimu ne zwija zwago, kakale bagutjengete bagale bakagupoteleka. 51 Ha bugalo gwe Ndzimu gufulusiwa, Balevi banowoguliga ngono ha bugalo gwakafanila teyiwa butshwa, Balevi banowoguteya. Ngono ha mmwe upoga angasedzela paguli abulawe. 52 Baiziraela banowobambula mishasha yabo nge makupo abo, mmwe ne mmwe ebe pa nshasha uwe, mmwe ne mmwe nge gupo lile. 53 Koga Balevi banowogala bakapoteleka nshasha we butendeki, kuti gubungano le bathu be Iziraela lisiwigwe nge bushongola gwangu, ngono Balevi banowotjengeta nshasha we butendeki.” 54 Ndizo bathu be Iziraela bakathama kose Yahwe sekwa bakadwa Mushe.
The First Census of Israel
1 On the first day of the second month in the second year after the people of Israel left Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses there in the Tent of his presence in the Sinai Desert. He said, 2 “You and Aaron are to take a census of the people of Israel by clans and families. List the names of all the men 3 twenty years old or older who are fit for military service. 4 Ask one clan chief from each tribe to help you.” 5-16 These are the men, leaders within their tribes, who were chosen from the community for this work:
Tribe Clan chiefReuben Elizur son of ShedeurSimeon Shelumiel son of ZurishaddaiJudah Nahshon son of AmminadabIssachar Nethanel son of ZuarZebulun Eliab son of HelonEphraim Elishama son of AmmihudManasseh Gamaliel son of PedahzurBenjamin Abidan son of GideoniDan Ahiezer son of AmmishaddaiAsher Pagiel son of OchranGad Eliasaph son of DeuelNaphtali Ahira son of Enan
17 With the help of these twelve men Moses and Aaron 18 called together the whole community on the first day of the second month and registered all the people by clans and families. The names of all the men twenty years old or older were recorded and counted, 19 as the Lord had commanded. In the Sinai Desert, Moses registered the people. 20-46 The men twenty years old or older who were fit for military service were registered by name according to clan and family, beginning with the tribe of Reuben, Jacob's oldest son. The totals were as follows:
Tribe NumberReuben 46,500Simeon 59,300Gad 45,650Judah 74,600Issachar 54,400Zebulun 57,400Ephraim 40,500Manasseh 32,200Benjamin 35,400Dan 62,700Asher 41,500Naphtali 53,400Total: 603,550
47 The Levites were not registered with the other tribes, 48 because the Lord had said to Moses, 49 “When you take a census of the men fit for military service, do not include the tribe of Levi. 50 Instead, put the Levites in charge of the Tent of my presence and all its equipment. They shall carry it and its equipment, serve in it, and set up their camp around it. 51 Whenever you move your camp, the Levites shall take the Tent down and set it up again at each new campsite. Anyone else who comes near the Tent shall be put to death. 52 The rest of the Israelites shall set up camp, company by company, each man with his own group and under his own banner. 53 But the Levites shall camp around the Tent to guard it, so that no one may come near and cause my anger to strike the community of Israel.” 54 So the people of Israel did everything that the Lord had commanded Moses.