The Duties of the Levite Clan of Kohath
1 The Lord told Moses 2 to take a census of the Levite clan of Kohath by subclans and families, 3 and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence. 4 Their service involves the most holy things.
5 The Lord gave Moses the following instructions. When it is time to break camp, Aaron and his sons shall enter the Tent, take down the curtain in front of the Covenant Box, and cover the Box with it. 6 They shall put a fine leather cover over it, spread a cloth of solid blue on top, and then insert the carrying poles.
7 They shall spread a blue cloth over the table for the bread offered to the Lord and put on it the dishes, the incense bowls, the offering bowls, and the jars for the wine offering. There shall always be bread on the table. 8 They shall spread a red cloth over all of this, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles.
9 They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand, with its lamps, tongs, trays, and all the olive oil containers. 10 They shall wrap it and all its equipment in a fine leather cover and place it on a carrying frame.
11 Next they shall spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, put a fine leather cover over it, and then insert the carrying poles. 12 They shall take all the utensils used in the Holy Place, wrap them in a blue cloth, put a fine leather cover over them, and place them on a carrying frame. 13 They shall remove the greasy ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They shall put on it all the equipment used in the service at the altar: fire pans, hooks, shovels, and basins. Then they shall put a fine leather cover over it and insert the carrying poles. 15 When it is time to break camp, the clan of Kohath shall come to carry the sacred objects only after Aaron and his sons have finished covering them and all their equipment. The Kohath clan must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die.
These are the responsibilities of the Kohath clan whenever the Tent is moved.
16 Eleazar son of Aaron the priest shall be responsible for the whole Tent and for the oil for the lamps, the incense, the grain offerings, the anointing oil, and everything else in the Tent that has been consecrated to the Lord.
17 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18 “Do not let the clan of Kohath 19 be killed by coming near these most sacred objects. To prevent this from happening, Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each man his task and tell him what to carry. 20 But if the Kohathites enter the Tent and see the priests preparing the sacred objects for moving, they will die.”
The Duties of the Levite Clan of Gershon
21 The Lord told Moses 22 to take a census of the Levite clan of Gershon by subclans and families, 23 and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence. 24 They shall be responsible for carrying the following objects: 25 the Tent, its inner cover, its outer cover, the fine leather cover on top of it, the curtain for the entrance, 26 the curtains and ropes for the court that is around the Tent and the altar, the curtains for the entrance of the court, and all the fittings used in setting up these objects. They shall perform all the tasks required for these things. 27 Moses and Aaron shall see to it that the Gershonites perform all the duties and carry everything that Aaron and his sons assign to them. 28 These are the responsibilities of the Gershon clan in the Tent; they shall carry them out under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
The Duties of the Levite Clan of Merari
29 The Lord told Moses to take a census of the Levite clan of Merari by subclans and families, 30 and to register all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence. 31 They shall be responsible for carrying the frames, bars, posts, and bases of the Tent, 32 and the posts, bases, pegs, and ropes of the court around the Tent, with all the fittings used in setting them up. Each man will be responsible for carrying specific items. 33 These are the responsibilities of the Merari clan in their service in the Tent; they shall carry them out under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
The Census of the Levites
34-48 Following the Lord's command, Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community took a census of the three Levite clans, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. They did this by subclans and families and registered all the men between the ages of thirty and fifty who were qualified to work in the Tent of the Lord's presence, as follows:
Clan NumberKohath 2,750Gershon 2,630Merari 3,200Total: 8,580
49 Each man was registered as the Lord had commanded Moses; and at the command of the Lord given through Moses, each man was assigned responsibility for his task of serving or carrying.
Oilonga yOvalevi
1 NOmwene okwa popya naMoses naAron ndee ta ti: 2 “Vala omuvalu aushe wovana ovamati vaKohat womovana vaLevi pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo, 3 ava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu naava va koya po fiyo okomudo omutimilongo nhano, aveshe ava va pewa oiwanifwalonga, ve i wanife metwali leongalo.
4 “Oshiyakulwalonga shovana ovamati vaKohat metwali leongalo osheshi: okukala noshisho shoinima iyapukielela. 5 Onhanda ngeenge tai hanaunwa po, mokufikama opo nee Aron novana vaye ovamati ve nokuuya ndee tava kulula oshitukulifoyata ndee tava tuvike nasho oshikefa shoundobwedi; 6 ndele vo nava tule kombada yasho oshikututuviko shoipa yonguluve noshiyata sha tungwa ashishe neengodi domavala sha yalwa kombada yasho, ndele ve nokuxwekela mo omitengi dokuhumbata. 7 Vo ve nokuuvika oshitaafula shomingome detaliko noshiyata shomavala, nokombada yasho ve nokutula ko oiyaxa noikwatelwa nomaholo neekana doikunwayambo. Nomingome odo di nokukala ko efimbo keshe, nadi kale ko yo. 8 Opo nee tava yale kombada oshiyata shapurpuri noku shi uvika noshituvikoyata shoipa yonguluve ndee tava xwekele mo omitengi dokuhumbata. 9 Opo nee nava kufe oshiyata shomavala ndee tava tuvike oshikwatelwalamba pamwe neelamba dasho neengodo dasho noukopi neekana adishe domaholo asho noilongifwa aishe. 10 Ndele vo ve noku shi tonyena pamwe noilongifo yasho aishe moshiyatatuviko shoipa yonguluve noku shi tula kolutala. 11 Ndele ve nokuyala oshiyata shomavala kombada yoaltari yoshingoldo noku i tuvika noshiyatatuviko shoipa yonguluve nokuxwekela mo omitengi dokuhumbata. 12 Vo ve nokukufa yo oilongifo aishe hava longo nayo metwali liyapuki ndee tave i tula moshiyata shomavala noku i tonyena mo moshiyatatuviko shoipa yonguluve nokuxwekela mo omitengi dokuhumbata. 13 Vo nava yuke ko omute moaltari nokutula ko oshiyata shopurpuri. 14 Ndele vo ve nokutula ko oilongifo aishe hava longo nayo nokutya: oikwatelwa yomakala, neenyala dombelela, nouxupulo nomaholo, noinima aishe yoaltari. Ndele vo ve nokuyala oshiyatatuviko shoipa yonguluve kombada yayo nokuxwekela mo omitengi dokuhumbata. 15 Aron novana vaye ovamati ngeenge va mane okutuvika etwali liyapuki noinima aishe yetwali, opo nee ovana ovamati vaKohat nave uye va ka humbate. Ndele vo vaha kume oinima iyapuki, opo vaha fye. Oinima oyo tuu oyo yetwali leongalo ovana ovamati vaKohat ve nokuhumbata. 16 Ndele Eliaser, omona womupristeli Aron na kale noshisho shomahooli oshikwatelwalamba noitwiminifo yedimba liwa neendjayambo defiku keshe nomaadi okuvaeka. Ye e nokukala noshisho shetwali alishe liyapuki naaishe i li mo: etwali liyapuki noinima aishe yalo.”
17 Ndele Omwene okwa popya naMoses naAron ndee ta ti: 18 “Taleni, epata laKohat liha dimwe po kongudu yomapata Ovalevi. 19 Va ningileni hano ngaha, opo va shiive okukala nomwenyo mokweehena kwavo koinima iyapukielela. Aron novana vaye ovamati nava ye oku va tula, keshe umwe, moshilonga shaye nokuhumbata oshihumbatwa shaye. 20 Ndelenee vo vaha ye mo okutala oinima iyapuki nande papakumo leisho, vaha fye.”
21 Ndele Omwene okwa popya naMoses ndee ta ti: 22 “Vala omuvalu aushe wovana ovamati vaGerson pamaumbo avo nopamapata avo. 23 U noku va vala okudja kwaava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu naava va koya po fiyo okomido omilongo nhano, aveshe ava ve nokulonga vo va yakule moilonga yetwali leongalo.
24 “Oiwanifwalonga yomapata Ovagerson mokuyakula nomokuhumbata oyei: 25 Vo ve nokuhumbata eefailayata detwali, netwali leongalo noshikututuviko shalo shoipa yeedi noshikututuviko shoipa yonguluve, eshi shi li kombada yalo kombada yaaishe noshiidilifoyata shetwali leongalo, 26 noiyata ya kambakanifwa kehale lokomesho noshiidilifoyata shoshivelo shehale lokomesho eli tali dingilile etwali liyapuki noaltari, neengodi dasho noilongifo aishe tai longifwa moilonga yomulo. Vo nava longe oilonga aishe i nokulongwa mulo. 27 Eyakulwalonga alishe lovana ovamati Ovagerson nokutya, aishe ei ve nokuhumbata, noilonga yavo aishe oi nokuwanifwa palombwelo laAron novana vaye ovamati. Ndele ava nave va shiivifile aishe ei ve noku i humbata nokukala noshisho shayo. 28 Oshiwanifwalonga shopetwali leongalo shovana ovamati vaGerson osheshi hano. Naashi ve noku shi kalela noshisho ve noku shi diinina nokupashukilwa kwaItamar, omona omumati womupristeli Aron.”
29 Ovana ovamati vaMerari u noku va vala pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo. 30 U noku va vala okudja kwaava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu naava va koya po, fiyo okomido omilongo nhano. Aveshe ava ve nokulonga vo va yakule moilonga yetwali leongalo.
31 Oinima ei ve noku i kalela noshisho mokuhumbata kwavo meyakulwalonga lavo petwali leongalo oyei: oipilangi yetwali liyapuki neenhikifo dayo neengudi dalo noikwatelwamhadi yado 32 neengudi dehale lokomesho keembinga adishe noikwatelwamhadi yado neendungu dado neengodi dado, heeno, oilongifo aishe naashishe eshi tashi pumbiwa mokuyakulwa mulo. Noilongifo ei tai yandjwa kuvo ve i humbate, i nokutumbulwa kunye. 33 Eshi hano eyakulwalonga lomapata ovana ovamati vaMerari, oilonga yavo aishe mokuyakula petwali leongalo paulikilo laItamar, omona omumati womupristeli Aron.
Okuvalwa kwOvalevi
34 Ndele Moses naAron novakulunhu veongalo ova vala ovana ovamati vaKohat pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo, 35 okudja kwaava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu naava va koya po fiyo okomido omilongo nhano, aveshe ava ve nokulonga vo va yakule moilonga yetwali leongalo. 36 Ndele ava va valwa pamapata avo ova li ve fike pomayovi avali nomafele aheyali nomilongo nhano. 37 Oo hano omuvalu waava va valwa vomomapata Ovakohati, aveshe ava va yakula petwali leongalo, ava va valwa kuMoses naAron palombwelo lOmwene ye e li lombwela Moses.
38 Ndele ovana ovamati vaGerson ava va valwa pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo, 39 ava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu naava va koya po fiyo okomido omilongo nhano, aveshe ava va li ve nokulonga vo va yakule moilonga petwali leongalo. 40 Omuvalo waava va valwa pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo wa li u fike pomayovi avali nomafele ahamano nomilongo nhatu. 41 Ovo hano va valwa vomomapata ovana ovamati vaGerson aveshe ava va yakula moilonga petwali leongalo ava va valwa kuMoses naAron palombwelo lOmwene ye e li lombwela Moses.
42 Ndele ovana ovamati vaMerari ava va valwa pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo, 43 ava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu naava va koya po fiyo okomido omilongo nhano, aveshe ava va li ve nokuyakula moilonga petwali leongalo, 44 omuvalu waava va valwa pamapata avo ou fike pomayovi atatu nomafele avali. 45 Oo hano omuvalu waava va valwa vomomapata ovana ovamati vaMerari, ava va valwa kuMoses nokuAron palombwelo lOmwene, Moses e li lombwelwa.
46 Ovalevi aveshe ava va valwa kuMoses naAron novakulunhu Ovaisraeli pamapata avo nopamaumbo avo, 47 ava va wanifa omido omilongo nhatu ile va koya po fiyo okomido omilongo nhano, aveshe ava va li ve nokuyakula moilonga petwali leongalo ile mokuhumbata, 48 omuvalu wavo wa li u fike pomayovi ahetatu nomafele atano nomilongo ahetatu. 49 Palombwelo Moses e li lombwelwa kOmwene, keshe umwe wavo a ulikilwa eyakulwalonga laye noshilonga shaye mokuhumbata. Okuvala oko Moses e ku wanifa ngaashi Omwene e mu lombwela.
