1 UDavide wayesemdala, esanelisiwe yizinsuku; wambeka uSolomoni indodana yakhe abe yinkosi kwa-Israyeli.
2 Wabutha zonke izikhulu zakwa-Israyeli kanye nabapristi namaLevi.
3 AmaLevi abalwa kusukela kwaneminyaka engamashumi amathathu kuya phezulu; umumo wawo ngezinhloko zawo, indoda ngendoda, wawuyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu nesishiyagalombili.
4 Ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nane kuwona ayengawokwengamela umsebenzi wendlu kaJehova; izinkulungwane eziyisithupha zaziyizinduna nabahluleli;
5 izinkulungwane ezine zazingabalindisango; izinkulungwane ezine ziyakudumisa uJehova ngezinto zokubethwa engazenzayo, washo uDavide, ukuba zidumise ngazo.
6 UDavide wabahlukanisa ngezigaba njengamadodana kaLevi: oGereshoni, noKohati, noMerari.
7 KumaGereshoni: ngoLadani noShimeyi.
8 Amadodana kaLadani: nguJehiyeli inhloko, noZethamu, noJoweli, bebathathu.
9 Amadodana kaShimeyi: ngoShelomoti, noHaziyeli, noHarana, bebathathu. Labo babe yizinhloko zawoyise bakaLadani.
10 Amadodana kaShimeyi: ngoJahati, noZina, noJewushe, noBeriya. Labo bobane babe ngamadodana kaShimeyi.
11 UJahati wayeyinhloko, noZiza ngowesibili; kepha oJewushe noBeriya babengenamadodana amaningi; ngalokho baba yindlu inye kayise, bebalwa kanyekanye.
12 Amadodana kaKohati: ngo-Amramu, noJisihari, noHebroni, no-Uziyeli, bebane.
13 Amadodana ka-Amramu: ngo-Aroni noMose; u-Aroni wahlukaniswa ukuba angcwelise izinto ezingcwelengcwele, yena namadodana akhe, kuze kube phakade, ukushisa impepho phambi kukaJehova, nokumkhonza, nokubusisa egameni lakhe kuze kube phakade.
14 Kepha uMose, lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, amadodana akhe abizwa ngesizwe sakwaLevi.
15 Amadodana kaMose: ngoGereshomu no-Eliyezeri.
16 Amadodana kaGereshomu: nguShebuweli owayeyinhloko.
17 Amadodana ka-Eliyezeri: nguRehabiya inhloko. U-Eliyezeri wayengenawo amanye amadodana; kepha amadodana kaRehabiya ayemaningi kakhulu.
18 Amadodana kaJisihari: nguShelomiti inhloko.
19 Amadodana kaHebroni: nguJeriya inhloko, no-Amariya owesibili, noJahaziyeli owesithathu, noJekameyamu owesine.
20 Amadodana ka-Uziyeli: nguMika inhloko noJishiya owesibili.
21 Amadodana kaMerari: ngoMaheli noMushi. Amadodana kaMaheli: ngo-Eleyazare noKishi.
22 U-Eleyazare wafa engenamadodana, enamadodakazi odwa; abafowabo, amadodana kaKishi, bawathatha.
23 Amadodana kaMushi: ngoMaheli, no-Edere, noJeremoti, bebathathu.
24 Yilabo ababe ngamadodana kaLevi ngezindlu zawoyise, izinhloko zawoyise, bebalwa ngomumo wamagama ngezinhloko zabo, abawenza umsebenzi wenkonzo yendlu kaJehova, kusukela kwabaneminyaka engamashumi amabili kuya phezulu.
25 Ngokuba uDavide wathi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli unike abantu bakhe ukuphumula; uhlezi eJerusalema kuze kube phakade;
26 namaLevi awasayikuthwala itabernakele* nazo zonke izinto zalo zenkonzo yalo.”
27 Ngokuba amadodana kaLevi abalwa ngamazwi okugcina kaDavide, kusukela kwaneminyaka engamashumi amabili kuya phezulu.
28 Ngokuba indawo yawo yayingasesandleni samadodana ka-Aroni ukukhonza endlini kaJehova, nasemagcekeni, nasemakamelweni, nokuhlambulula zonke izinto ezingcwele, nomsebenzi wenkonzo endlini kaNkulunkulu,
29 eyezinkwa zokubukwa, neyempuphu ecolekileyo yomnikelo wempuphu, neyemiqathane engenamvubelo, neyokuphekwe ekhanzini, neyexutshanisiweyo, neyazo zonke izilinganiso nobukhulu;
30 nokuma njalo ekuseni ukubonga nokudumisa uJehova, kanjalo nakusihlwa;
31 nokunikela njalo ngayo yonke iminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova ngamasabatha, nangokwethwasa kwenyanga, nanemikhosi emisiweyo ngomumo onjengomthetho wabo, phambi kukaJehova;
32 bayakugcina imfanelo yetende lokuhlangana, nemfanelo yendawo engcwele, nemfanelo yamadodana ka-Aroni abafowabo ekukhonzeni endlini kaJehova.