1 IZikhronike 23

₁UDavide wayesemdala esenelisiwe yizinsuku; wambeka uSolomoni, indodana yakhe, ukuba abe yinkosi kwa-Israyeli. ₂Waqoqa bonke abaholi bakwa-Israyeli, abaphristi nabaLevi. ₃AbaLevi babalwa kusukela kwabaneminyaka engama-30 kuya phezulu. Inani labo laliyizi-38 000. ₄Abayizi-24 000 kulaba yibona abayongamela umsebenzi wendlu kaSimakade. Abayizi-6 000 babe yizikhulu nabehluleli. ₅Abayizi-4 000 bayoba ngabalindisango, kuthi abayizi-4 000 badumise uSimakade ngezinto engazenzela ukudumisa.

₆UDavide wabehlukanisa ngezigaba zabo njengamadodana kaLevi: uGereshoni, uKhohathi noMerari.

₇KwabakaGereshoni: nguLadani noShimeyi. ₈Amadodana kaLadani: nguJehiyeli, inhloko, uZethamu noJoweli, emathathu. ₉Amadodana kaShimeyi: nguShelomothi, uHaziyeli noHarana, emathathu. Labo babeyizinhloko zoyise kwaLadani. ₁₀Amadodana kaShimeyi: uJahathi, uZina, uJewushe noBheriya. Labo bobane kwakungamadodana kaShimeyi. ₁₁UJahathi wayeyinhloko, owesibili kunguZina, kodwa uJewushe noBheriya babengenawo amadodana amaningi, ngakho-ke bahlanganiswa baba yindlu eyodwa.

₁₂Amadodana kaKhohathi: ngu-Amramu, uJizihari, uHebhroni no-Uziyeli, bebane. ₁₃Amadodana ka-Amramu: ngu-Aroni noMose. U-Aroni wahlukaniswa wangcweliselwa izinto ezingcwelengcwele, yena namadodana akhe, kuze kube phakade, ukuba ashise impepho phambi kukaSimakade, amkhonze, nokuba abusise egameni likaSimakade, kuze kube phakade. ₁₄UMose, umuntu kaNkulunkulu, amadodana akhe abizwa ngesizwana sakwaLevi. ₁₅Amadodana kaMose, nguGereshomu no-Eliyezeri. ₁₆Amadodana kaGereshomu, nguShebuweli owayeyinhloko. ₁₇Amadodana ka-Eliyezeri: nguRehabhiya, inhloko. U-Eliyezeri wayengenawo amanye amadodana, kodwa amadodana kaRehabhiya ayemaningi kakhulu. ₁₈Amadodana kaJizihari: nguShelomithi, inhloko. ₁₉Amadodana kaHebhroni: nguJeriya, inhloko, owesibili u-Amariya, owesithathu uJahaziyeli, owesine nguJekhameyamu. ₂₀Amadodana ka-Uziyeli: nguMikha, inhloko, owesibili nguJishiya.

₂₁Amadodana kaMerari: nguMaheli noMushi. Amadodana kaMaheli: ngu-Eleyazare noKhishi. ₂₂U-Eleyazare wafa enganandodana, enamadodakazi wodwa; athathwa ngabafowabo amadodana kaKhishi. ₂₃Amadodana kaMushi: nguMaheli, u-Edere noJeremoti, bebathathu.

₂₄Yilabo-ke okwakungabozalo lukaLevi ngokwezindlu zokhokho babo, izinhloko zoyise, bebalwa ngamanani abo, ngamagama abo nangezinhloko zabo. Yibona ababenza umsebenzi wokukhonza endlini kaSimakade, kusukela kwabaneminyaka engama-20 kuya phezulu. ₂₅UDavide wathi: “USimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli unikile abantu bakhe ukuphumula, uhleli eJerusalema, kuze kube phakade. ₂₆AbaLevi bayakuthwala ithabanakeli nazo zonke izinto zalo zenkonzo.”

₂₇Njengokwezwi lokugcina likaDavide, leli yinani labozalo lukaLevi, kusukela kwabaneminyaka engama-20 kuya phezulu.

₂₈Umsebenzi wabo kwakungukusiza abozalo luka-Aroni emsebenzini wendlu kaSimakade, emagcekeni, emakamelweni, ukuhlambulula zonke izinto ezingcwele, nokwenza umsebenzi wokukhonza endlini kaNkulunkulu, ₂₉ukusiza futhi nangezinkwa zokubukwa, impuphu ecolisekileyo yomnikelo wempuphu, amaqebelengwane angenamvubelo, okuphekwe ngamabhodwe, okuxutshanisiweyo, neyazo zonke izilinganiso nobukhulu; ₃₀ukuma njalo ekuseni ukuba babe ngabadumisa uSimakade, kanjalo nakusihlwa; ₃₁ukunikela njalo kuSimakade, ngayo yonke iminikelo yokushiswa, ngamasabatha, ngokwethwasa kwenyanga, nangemikhosi emisiweyo, njengokubalula komthetho wabo phambi kukaSimakade. ₃₂Bayakugcina umsebenzi wethende lokuhlangana, nezimfanelo zendawo engcwele, nezimfanelo zabozalo luka-Aroni, abafowabo, ekukhonzeni endlini kaSimakade.