Eyokuqala YeziKronike
23 Xa uDavide wayesele aluphele yaye esondele esiphelweni sobomi bakhe,* wenza uSolomon unyana wakhe ukumkani phezu kukaSirayeli.+ 2 Wahlanganisa zonke iinkosana zakwaSirayeli, ababingeleli+ nabaLevi.+ 3 AbaLevi ababeneminyaka eyi-30 ukonyuka babalwa.+ Inani labo xa kwakubalwa intloko yendoda nganye, laba yi-38 000. 4 Abayi-24 000 kwaba, babesongamela umsebenzi wendlu kaYehova, yaye kwakukho amagosa nabagwebi abayi-6 000,+ 5 kukwakho noonogada basegeyithini abayi-4 000,+ ibe abanye abayi-4 000 babedumisa+ uYehova ngezixhobo uDavide awathi ngazo, “Ndizenzele ukudumisa.”
6 Emva koko uDavide wababeka* ngokwamaqela+ oonyana bakaLevi: uGershon, uKohati noMerari.+ 7 KumaGershon, yayinguLadan noShimeyi. 8 Oonyana bakaLadan yayinguYehiyele indoda eyintloko, uZetam noYoweli,+ bebathathu. 9 Oonyana bakaShimeyi yayinguShelomoti, uHaziyeli noHaran, bebathathu. Aba babeziintloko zezindlu zikaLadan. 10 Bona oonyana bakaShimeyi yayinguYahati, uZina, uYewushe noBheriya. Aba bobane yayingoonyana bakaShimeyi. 11 UYahati wayeyintloko, uZiza engowesibini. Kodwa ekubeni uYewushe noBheriya babengenabo oonyana abaninzi, babalwa njengendlu enye katata wabo, yaye banikwa umsebenzi omnye.
12 Oonyana bakaKohati yayinguAmram, uItsare,+ uHebron noUziyeli,+ bebane. 13 Oonyana baka-Amram yayinguAron+ noMoses.+ Kodwa uAron wakhethelwa+ ukuba yena noonyana bakhe bahlale bengcwalisa eYona Ngcwele, babingelele phambi koYehova, bamsebenzele baze bahlale bevakalisa iintsikelelo egameni lakhe.+ 14 Yena uMoses umntu kaThixo wokwenene, oonyana bakhe babalwa njengabesizwe sabaLevi. 15 Oonyana bakaMoses yayinguGershom+ noEliyezere.+ 16 Koonyana bakaGershom yayinguShebhuweli+ intloko. 17 Kwinzala kaEliyezere* yayinguRehabhiya+ intloko. UEliyezere wayengenabo abanye oonyana, kodwa oonyana bakaRehabhiya babebaninzi kakhulu. 18 Koonyana bakaItsare+ yayinguShelomiti+ indoda eyintloko. 19 Oonyana bakaHebron yayinguYeriya intloko, uAmariya wayengowesibini, uYahaziyeli engowesithathu, uYekamam+ engowesine. 20 Koonyana bakaUziyeli+ yayinguMika intloko, uIshiya engowesibini.
21 Oonyana bakaMerari yayinguMahali noMushi.+ Oonyana bakaMahali yayinguEleyazare noKishe. 22 UEleyazare wafa, kodwa wayengenabo oonyana, eneentombi kuphela. Ngoko oonyana bakaKishe izizalwana zabo,* babathatha bangabafazi babo. 23 Oonyana bakaMushi yayinguMahali, uEdere noYeremoti, bebathathu.
24 Abo yayingoonyana bakaLevi ngokwezindlu zootata babo, iintloko zezindlu, ngokwabo babhalisiweyo ababebaliwe baza babhalwa ngamagama, besenza umsebenzi wendlu kaYehova, ukususela kwabaneminyaka eyi-20 ukonyuka. 25 Kuba uDavide wayethe: “UYehova uThixo kaSirayeli ubaphumzile abantu bakhe,+ yaye uza kuhlala eYerusalem ngonaphakade.+ 26 NabaLevi akuzukufuneka bathwale intente engcwele okanye nantoni na esetyenziswayo kuyo.”+ 27 Kuba abaLevi abaneminyaka eyi-20 ukonyuka babebaliwe, ngokwemiyalelo yokugqibela kaDavide. 28 Umsebenzi wabo yayikukuncedisa oonyana baka-Aron+ kumsebenzi wendlu kaYehova, bongamele kwiiyadi+ nakumagumbi okutyela, bongamele ukucocwa kwayo yonke into engcwele nomsebenzi, bongamele nawuphi na umsebenzi wendlu kaThixo wokwenene. 29 Babencedisa ezonkeni ezibekwa etafileni,*+ kumgubo ocolekileyo womnikelo wokutya okuziinkozo, ezonkeni ezisicaba ezingenagwele,+ kumaqebengwane enziwe epanini, entlameni exutywe neoli,+ nakuyo yonke imilinganiselo yobuninzi nobukhulu. 30 Babemele beme ntsasa nganye+ ukuze babulele baze badumise uYehova, baphinde benze loo nto nangokuhlwa.+ 31 Babencedisa nanini na kusenzelwa uYehova imibingelelo etshiswayo ngeeSabatha,+ xa kuthwasa iinyanga+ nangamaxesha amatheko,+ ngokwenani labo ababelimiselwe, yaye bekwenza oku qho phambi koYehova. 32 Babesenza nemisebenzi yabo kwintente yokuhlangana nakwindawo engcwele. Babencedisa nabantakwabo, oonyana baka-Aron endlini kaYehova.