The Duties of the Priests and Levites
1 The Lord said to Aaron:
You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. 2 The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. 3 You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. 4 No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or do anything connected with it. 5 Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again.
6 I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. 7 But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.
The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the Lord
(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)8-9 The Lord said to Aaron:
I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. 10 Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.
11 You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. 12 For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. 13 And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.
14 Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me will now belong to you.
15 The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But every first-born son and first-born donkey must be bought back from me. 16 The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. 17 However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. 18 You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices.
19 From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.
20 You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the Lord, and I will give you whatever you need.
What the Levites Receive
The Lord said to Aaron:
21 Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. 22-23 They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do come near must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.
Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own, 24 they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.
What the Levites Must Give
25 The Lord told Moses 26 to say to the Levites:
When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. 27 Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive 28 as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, 29 so the best of what you receive will be mine.
30 After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. 31 Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. 32 You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me.
The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.
Oilonga yovapristeli no yOvalevi
1 NOmwene okwa lombwela Aron ndee ta ti: “Ove novana voye ovamati nepata laxo, nye otamu pulwa omanyonauno etwali liyapuki ndele nye novana voye ovamati otamu pulwa omanyonauno oupristeli. 2 Novakweni yo, epata laLevi, epata laxo yeni, nave uye kwaame pamwe naave, nave mu kalele po noku ku longela fimbo ove novana voye ovamati pamwe naave mu li petwali londobwedi. 3 Ndele nava longe oilonga yoye noilonga aishe yetwali. Ndelenee vo vaha ehene popepi noinima iyapuki ile oaltari, vaha fye, osho vo ngaashi nanye yo. 4 Vo nava kale pwoove ndele nava longe oilonga yetwali leongalo, oilonga aishe yetwali. Ndele omuyeni aha ehene kunye. 5 Ndele nye mu nokulonga oilonga yetwali liyapuki noilonga yoaltari, opo paha holoke vali ehandu kombada yovana vaIsrael. 6 Osheshi Ame mwene nda kufa mo ovakweni, Ovalevi movana vaIsrael ngaashi oshali yeni, vo ovanhu va yandjelwa omwene, a longe eyakulwalonga letwali leongalo. 7 Ndelenee ove novana voye ovamati pamwe naave mu nokulonga oshilonga shoupristeli weni moinima aishe yoaltari naashi shi li meni loshitukulifoyata, omo tamu longo oilonga yeni. Oshilonga sheni shoupristeli ohandi shi mu pe oshali. Nomuyeni ou ta ehene po e nokudipawa.”
Oitukulwa yovapristeli
8 Omwene okwa popya vali naAron ndee ta ti: “Ame mwene nde ku pa oshilonga sheeshaliyambo dange. Eeshali adishe diyapuki dovana vaIsrael Ame ohandi di ku pe oshitukulwa shoye noshovana voye ovamati, eshi onghedimhango yaalushe. 9 Meeshali diyapukielela odo itadi xwikwa po, otadi ningi doye: omayambo avo aeshe nokutya, eendjayambo keshe, etimbayambo keshe nokuvelombediyambo keshe lavo, aa tava etele nge, oo naa kale ngaashi mayapukielela kwoove nokovana voye ovamati. 10 U noku a lya monhele iyapukielela: ovalumenhu aveshe nave a lye. Naa kale mayapuki kunye.
11 “Ndele oshitukulwa shoye shomeeshaliyambo davo osheshi: aishe ei ovana vaIsrael hava yambe omadungadungifwayambo. Ame ohandi i ku pe novana voye ovamati noukadona pamwe naave i kale onghedimhango yaalushe. Meumbo keshe ou a yela ne i lye.
12 “Omaadi omaadielela nomaviinyu manyenye aeshe noilya hai yandjwa oshipe shayo tave i etele Omwene, Ame ohandi i ku pe. 13 Oshipe shakeshe eshi tashi mene moshilongo shavo, eshi tave shi etele Omwene, shi nokuninga shoye. Keshe umwe a yela meumbo loye ne shi lye.
14 “Oinima aishe yomuIsrael eshi sha yapulwa, oshoye.
15 “Keshe eshi tashi yeulula oshidalelo shaina, ombelela aishe tai etelwa Omwene, ovanhu ile oinamwenyo, otai ningi yoye. Ndelenee oiveli yovanhu ove u noku i kulila shili. Nosho yo u nokukulila oiveli yoinamwenyo inai koshoka. 16 Nokukulila kwasho otaku ningwa ngaha: ovakulilwa ove u noku va kulilifa, vo eshi va wanifa ohani imwe ile va koya po. Nondjele yekulilo lavo nai yelekwe eesekeli eendjele nhano pasekeli yetwali liyapuki. Osekeli imwe oyo eegera omilongo mbali. 17 Ndelenee ino kulilifa oiveli yongobe ile oiveli yodi ile oiveli yoshikombo. Oyo oiyapuki. Ohonde yayo u noku i tila koaltari nokuxwika po omakaadi ayo omundiloyambo wedimba liwa kOmwene. 18 Nombelela yayo tai ningi yoye, ngaashi ombadja yedungadungifwayambo noshilama shokolulyo nai ninge yoye.
19 “Eeshaliyambo adishe doinima iyapuki ei tai yandjelwa Omwene kovana vaIsrael, Ame ohandi i ku pe novana voye ovamati noukadona i kale onghedimhango yaalushe. Eshi hano ehangano lomongwa koshipala shOmwene pokati keni noludalo leni pamwe nanye.”
Oitukulwafyuululo yOvalevi shimwe shomomulongo
20 Omwene okwa lombwela yo Aron: “Ove ito ka kala u noshitukulwafyuululwa medu lavo, ndele ino kala u noshitukulwa edu mokati kavo: Aame mwene oshitukulwa shoye nefyuululo loye mokati kovana vaIsrael.”
21 Ndele tala, ovana vaLevi Ame ohandi va pe oitimulongo aishe muIsrael i kale oshitukulwafyuululwa omolweyakulwalonga vo tave li longo, eyakulwalonga letwali leongalo. 22 Novana vaIsrael vaha ehene vali popepi netwali leongalo vaha mone etimba ndele vaha fye. 23 Ndelenee Ovalevi ve nokulonga eyakulwalonga petwali leongalo, ndee vo ve nokuhumbata omanyonauno avo. Eshi nashi kale onghedimhango yaalushe momaludalo avo. Ndele mokati kovana vaIsrael vaha kale ve noshitukulwafyuululwa. 24 Osheshi oitimulongo yovana vaIsrael, tave i yandje kOmwene eeshaliyambo, oyo ohandi i pe Ovalevi i kale efyuululo. Onghee Ame ihandi va pe efyuululo mokati kovana vaIsrael.
25 NOmwene okwa popya naMoses ndee ta ti: 26 “Lombwela Ovalevi u tye kuvo: Nye eshi tamu tambula oitimulongo kovana vaIsrael ngaashi Ame nde va lombwelele, ve i mu pe oshitukulwa sheni shefyuululo hano muyo nye mu nokuyandja kOmwene oshitimulongo shomoitimulongo. 27 Ndele otashi talwa osho oshaliyambo yeni ngaashi oilya yomoshipale nomaviinyu omoshikolelo. 28 Osho ngaha hano nanye yo yandjeni kOmwene oitimulongo yomwaaishe ei tamu i pewa kovana vaIsrael. Ndele oshaliyambo ei i peni omupristeli Aron. 29 Meeshali adishe deni mu nokuyandja kOmwene oshaliyambo ya wana. Heeno, mwaashishe eshi shiwelela mu nokuyandja oshali iyapuki.
30 “Ove u noku va lombwela: Nye eshi tamu yandje eshi shiwelela, sho otashi talwa, osho oshaliyambo yOvalevi, ngaashi oilya yomoshipale nomaviinyu omoshikolelo. 31 Ndele nye mu noku i lya monhele imwe aike, nye neumbo leni. Osheshi oyo ondjabi yeni molweyakulwalonga petwali leongalo. 32 Nye eshi tamu yandje ngaha oshitukulwa shiwelela shomuyo, nye itamu nyono ndele itamu nyateke eeshali diyapuki dovana vaIsrael, opo muha fye.”
