UDavida uhlela amaLevi kobana alotjhe ngethempelini
1Kuthe lokha uDavida nasele amdala angasakhanuki litho, wabeka indodanakhe uSolomoni bona ibe yikosi yakwa-Israyeli. 2Wahlanganisa boke abarholi bakwa-Israyeli, abaphristi kanye namaLevi. 3Wabala amaLevi abasele aneminyaka ematjhumi amathathu nokudlula. Bekuziinhloko zamadoda aziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amathathu nabunane. 4UDavida wathi: “Phakathi kwamadoda la, iinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amabili nane zizakuqalana nokulotjha ngethempelini lakaSomnini, iinkulungwana ezisithandathu kube ziinkhulu nabagwebi, 5iinkulungwana ezine zibe balindisango bese kuthi iinkulungwana ezine zona zidumise uSomnini ngeenliliswa engazenzela bona adunyiswe ngazo.”
6UDavida wahlukanisa amaLevi ngeenqhema ukuya ngokwemindeni kaGeritjhoni, uKhehathi noMerari.
7Emndenini kaGeritjhoni kwavela imindeni kaLadani noTjhimeyi. 8Iinzukulwana zakaLadani bekumindeni kaJehiyeli ogade angoqakatheke khulu, uZethamu noJuweli; kwaba mindeni emithathu. 9Endodaneni kaJuweli enguTjhimeyi kwavela imindeni kaTjhelomithi, uRhaziyeli noHarana; kwaba mindeni emithathu. 10Iinzukulwana zakaTjhimeyi bekumindeni kaJarhathi, uZina, uJewutjhi noBheriya. Imindeni emine le gade iziinzukulwana zakaTjhimeyi. 11Umndeni kaJarhathi gade ungoqakathekileko, ulandelwe ngewakaZina. UJewutjhi noBheriya akhange babe namadodana amanengi, yeke babalwa njengomndeni munye banikelwa umsebenzi munye.
12Iinzukulwana zakaKhehathi bekumindeni emine elandelako: u-Amramu, uJitsihari, uRhebroni no-Uziyeli. 13Amadodana ka-Amramu kungu-Aroni noMosi. U-Aroni wahlukaniselwa bonyana esikhathini soke yena nesizukulwana sakhe baphathe iminikelo ezilwako. Bebamele batjhise itjhwalo phambi kwakaSomnini, bamlotjhe bebamemezele isibusiso ebizweni lakhe isiphelani. 14Iinzukulwana zakaMosi umuntu kaZimu zabalwa nengcenye yekoro yakaLevi. 15Amadodana kaMosi bekunguGeritjhomu no-Eliyezeri. 16Eenzukulwaneni zakaGeritjhomu, uTjhebuyeli gade angoqakatheke khulu. 17URerhabiya gade ayihloko yeenzukulwana zaka-Eliyezeri. U-Eliyezeri gade anganawo amanye amadodana, kodwana uRerhabiya waba namadodana amanengi. 18Eenzukulwaneni zakaJitsihari, uTjhelomithi gade angoqakatheke khulu. 19Eenzukulwaneni zakaRhebroni, uJeriya gade angoqakatheke khulu, wesibili kungu-Amariya, wesithathu kunguJarhaziyeli, uJekhameyamu angowesine. 20Eenzukulwaneni zaka-Uziyeli, uMika gade angoqakatheke khulu, kulandele uYitjhiya.
21Iinzukulwana zakaMerari bekumindeni kaMarhili noMutjhi. Amadodana kaMarhili bekungu-Eliyazari noKhitjhi. 22U-Eliyazari wahlongakala anganawo amadodana, anabentazana kwaphela. Abentazanabo bathathwa bomnakwabo okumadodana kaKhitjhi. 23Iinzukulwana zakaMutjhi bekumindeni kaMarhili, u-Ederi noJeremothi; kwaba mindeni emithathu.
24Laba-ke bekumindeni yamaLevi ebekumele basebenze ngethempelini lakaSomnini. Boke ebebangaphezu kweminyaka ematjhumi amabili ubudala babalwa, amabizwabo abe atloliswa eenqhemeni zomsebenzi ngaphasi kweenhloko zemindeni. 25Kwaba njalo ngombana uDavida wathi: “USomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli unikele abantu bakhe ukuphumula begodu uhlala eJerusalema isiphelani, 26yeke amaLevi nawo akusafuneki ahlale athwele ithaberinakeli nanyana enye into esetjenziselwa ukulotjha uSomnini.” 27Ngokuya ngomyalo wokugcina kaDavida, amaLevi gade abalwe kusukela kwabaneminyaka ematjhumi amabili ubudala nanyana ukudlula.
28Umsebenzi wamaLevi bekukusiza iinzukulwana zaka-Aroni ekulotjheni ngethempelini lakaSomnini: ukutjheja iinrhodlo zethempeli namarhayisi, ukuhlanza zoke izinto ezikhethekileko nokwenza eminye imisebenzi ephathelene nokulotjha endlini kaZimu. 29Bebatjheja izikwa ezibekwa etafuleni, iflowuru esefiweko yomnikelo weenthoro, izikwa ezirhwamuzelako, izikwa zedendeleko, ihlama nokulinganisa iinthako. 30Bekufuze njalo ekuseni bathokoze bebadumise uSomnini, nantambama benze soneso. 31Godu bekufuze benze njalo ngaso soke isikhathi lokha nakutjhiselwa uSomnini imihlabelo yokutjhiswa, ngamaSabatha, ngeminyanya yokuthwasa kwenyanga nangemigidi ejanyisiweko. Bekumele njalo nje isibalo esibekiweko samaLevi silotjhe ngethempelini lakaSomnini. 32Ngendlela leyo amaLevi enza imisebenzawo ngetendeni lokuhlangana nangendaweni ecwengileko. Enza lokhu asiza abafowabo okuziinzukulwana zaka-Aroni malungana nokulotjha ngethempelini lakaSomnini.
