1 UKora kaJisihari kaKohati kaLevi, kanye noDathani no-Abiramu, amadodana ka-Eliyabe, no-Oni indodana kaPheleti, amadodana kaRubeni, bathatha amadoda,
2 bamvukela uMose benabathile babantwana bakwa-Israyeli, abangamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisihlanu, izikhulu zenhlangano, amanxusa ebandla, amadoda adumileyo;
3 babahlanganyela oMose no-Aroni, bathi kubo: “Sekwanele okwenu, lokhu inhlangano yonke ingcwele, bonke bayo, noJehova ekubo; niziphakamiselani, pho, phezu kwebandla likaJehova na?”
4 UMose esekuzwile wawa ngobuso bakhe;
5 wakhuluma kuKora nakulo iviyo lakhe, wathi: “Kusasa uJehova uyakwazisa ukuthi ngubani ongowakhe nokuthi ngubani ongcwele, amsondeze kuye; lowo ayakumkhetha uyakumsondeza kuye.
6 Yenzani lokhu: zithabatheleni imicengezi yomlilo, wena Kora neviyo lakho lonke,
7 nifake kuyo umlilo, nibeke impepho kuyo phambi kukaJehova kusasa; kuyakuthi umuntu amkhethayo uJehova, abengcwele; sekwanele okwenu, madodana kaLevi.”
8 UMose wathi kuKora: “Ake nizwe, madodana kaLevi:
9 kuyinto encane yini kini ukuthi uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli unahlukanisile nenhlangano ka-Israyeli, wanisondeza kuye ukwenza inkonzo yetabernakele* likaJehova nokuma phambi kwenhlangano ukuyikhonza,
10 nokuthi ukusondezile wena, nabafowenu bonke, amadodana kaLevi, kanye nawe na? Senifisa nobupristi futhi na?
11 Ngalokho wena nalo lonke iviyo lakho nimhlanganyele uJehova; no-Aroni uyini yena ukuba nikhonone ngaye na?”
12 UMose wathuma wabiza oDathani no-Abiramu, amadodana ka-Eliyabe; bathi: “Asiyikukhuphuka;
13 kuyinto encane yini ukuthi wasikhuphula ezweni elivame ubisi nezinyosi ukuba usibulale ehlane; usuyazenza nesikhulu phezu kwethu na?
14 Futhi awusingenisanga ezweni elivame ubisi nezinyosi, awusinikanga ifa lamasimu nelezivini; uyakubhoboza amehlo alaba bantu na? Asiyikukhuphuka.”
15 UMose wathukuthela kakhulu, wathi kuJehova: “Unganaki umnikelo wabo; angithathanga nayinye imbongolo kubo, futhi angilimazanga namunye kubo.”
16 UMose wayesethi kuKora: “Wena yiba nayo yonke inhlangano yakho phambi kukaJehova kusasa, wena, nabo, no-Aroni;
17 thabathani, kube yilowo nalowo umcengezi wakhe womlilo, nibeke impepho kuyo, nilethe phambi kukaJehova kube yilowo nalowo umcengezi wakhe, imicengezi yomlilo engamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisihlanu, nawe futhi no-Aroni, kube yilowo nalowo umcengezi wakhe.”
18 Base bethatha, kwaba yilowo nalowo umcengezi wakhe womlilo, bafaka kuyo umlilo, babeka impepho ngaphezulu, bema ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana kanye noMose no-Aroni.
19 UKora wahlanganisela kubo yonke inhlangano ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana; inkazimulo kaJehova yabonakala kuyo yonke inhlangano.
20 UJehova wayesekhuluma kuMose naku-Aroni, wathi:
21 “Zahlukaniseni nale nhlangano ukuba ngibaqede ngokuphazima kweso.”
22 Bawa ngobuso babo, bathi: “Nkulunkulu, Nkulunkulu wemimoya yenyama yonke, kona umuntu munye, uthukuthelele inhlangano yonke, na?”
23 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:
24 “Yisho kuyo inhlangano, uthi: ‘Khuphukani ngasekamu* likaKora nelikaDathani nelika-Abiramu.’ ”
25 UMose wavuka waya kuDathani naku-Abiramu; amalunga akwa-Israyeli amlandela.
26 Wayesekhuluma kuyo inhlangano, wathi: “Ake nisuke ematendeni alaba bantu ababi, ningathinti lutho olwabo, funa niqedwe ngezono zabo zonke.”
27 Base bekhuphuka ekamu* likaKora nelikaDathani nelika Abiramu nxazonke; oDathani no-Abiramu baphuma, bema ngasemnyango wamatende abo kanye nawomkabo, namadodana abo, nezingane zabo.
28 UMose wathi: “Niyakwazi ngalokhu ukuthi uJehova ungithumile ukwenza yonke le misebenzi, ngokuba angiyenzanga ngowami umqondo.
29 Uma laba bantu befa ngokufa kwabantu bonke, noma behlelwa ngokwehlela abantu bonke, uJehova uyakube kangithumanga.
30 Kepha uma uJehova edala into entsha, umhlaba uvule umlomo wawo, ubagwinye kanye nakho konke okwabo, bashone besezwa endaweni yabafileyo, niyakuqonda ukuthi laba bantu bamdelele uJehova.”
31 Kwathi eseqedile onke lawo mazwi, umhlaba ophansi kwabo waqhekezeka;
32 umhlaba wavula umlomo wawo, wabagwinya nezindlu zabo, nabantu bonke bakaKora, nempahla yabo yonke.
33 Bona bashona besezwa nakho konke okwabo endaweni yabafileyo; umhlaba wabagqiba, baqothulwa ebandleni.
34 Bonke abakwa-Israyeli ababebazungeza babaleka ngokukhala kwabo, ngokuba bathi: “Funa umhlaba usigwinye nathi.”
35 Umlilo waphuma kuJehova, waqeda abantu abangamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisihlanu, ababenikele ngempepho.
36 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:
37 “Yisho ku-Eleyazare indodana ka-Aroni umpristi ukuba akhiphe imicengezi yomlilo ekusheni, wena uwuhlakaze umlilo laphaya, ngokuba ingcwele,
38 imicengezi yalaba boni abone imiphefumulo yabo ibe ngongcwecwe abakhandiweyo abayakulimboza i-altare, ngokuba banikela ngayo phambi kukaJehova; ngalokho ingcwele; iyakuba luphawu kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”
39 U-Eleyazare umpristi wayithatha imicengezi yethusi abanikele ngayo abashileyo; babakhanda baba yisimbozo se-altare,
40 ibe yisikhumbuzo kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ukuze umfokazi ongesiye owenzalo ka-Aroni angasondeli ukushisa impepho phambi kukaJehova, angabi njengoKora neviyo lakhe, njengalokho uJehova wakhuluma kuye ngesandla sikaMose.
41 Kepha ngolwangakusasa yonke inhlangano yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli yakhonona ngoMose nango-Aroni, yathi: “Nibabulele abantu bakaJehova.”
42 Kwathi inhlangano isibahlanganyele oMose no-Aroni, babheka ngasetendeni lokuhlangana; bheka, ifu lalisibekela, inkazimulo kaJehova yabonakala.
43 OMose no-Aroni bafika ngaphambi kwetende lokuhlangana.
44 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:
45 “Khuphuka kule nhlangano ukuba ngibaqede ngokuphazima kweso.” Bawa ngobuso babo.
46 UMose wathi ku-Aroni: “Thatha umcengezi wakho womlilo, ubeke kuwo umlilo wase-altare, ufake impepho ngaphezulu, ukuyise masinyane kuyo inhlangano, uyenzele ukubuyisana, ngokuba kuphume intukuthelo kuJehova; isifo sesiqalile.”
47 U-Aroni wayesekuthatha njengalokho ekhulumile uMose, wagijima phakathi kwebandla; bheka, isifo sase siqalile phakathi kwabantu; wabeka impepho, wabenzela abantu ukubuyisana.
48 Wema phakathi kwabafileyo nabaphilayo; isifo sanqamuka.
49 Abafile ngesifo babe yizinkulungwane eziyishumi nane namakhulu ayisikhombisa ngaphandle kwalabo abafa ngendaba kaKora.
50 U-Aroni wabuyela kuMose ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana; isifo sanqamuka.