Numbers 4 – NIV & CCL

New International Version

Numbers 4:1-49

The Kohathites

1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2“Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. 3Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

4“This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things. 5When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law. 6Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather,4:6 Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals; also in verses 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 25 spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.

7“Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it. 8They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.

9“They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the olive oil used to supply it. 10Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of the durable leather and put it on a carrying frame.

11“Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.

12“They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with the durable leather and put them on a carrying frame.

13“They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of the durable leather and put the poles in place.

15“After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

16“Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles.”

17The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18“See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites. 19So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. 20But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

The Gershonites

21The Lord said to Moses, 22“Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. 23Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.

24“This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work: 25They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, that is, the tent of meeting, its covering and its outer covering of durable leather, the curtains for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes and all the equipment used in the service of the tent. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things. 27All their service, whether carrying or doing other work, is to be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You shall assign to them as their responsibility all they are to carry. 28This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the tent of meeting. Their duties are to be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

The Merarites

29“Count the Merarites by their clans and families. 30Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting. 31As part of all their service at the tent, they are to carry the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases, 32as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, ropes, all their equipment and everything related to their use. Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry. 33This is the service of the Merarite clans as they work at the tent of meeting under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.”

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

34Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites by their clans and families. 35All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 36counted by clans, were 2,750. 37This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

38The Gershonites were counted by their clans and families. 39All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 40counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. 41This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.

42The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. 43All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, 44counted by their clans, were 3,200. 45This was the total of those in the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

46So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. 47All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting 48numbered 8,580. 49At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

Thus they were counted, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Word of God in Contemporary Chichewa

Numeri 4:1-49

Akohati

1Yehova anati kwa Mose ndi Aaroni: 2“Werengani Akohati omwe ndi gawo limodzi la Alevi monga mwa mafuko awo ndi mabanja awo. 3Werengani amuna onse amene ali ndi zaka makumi atatu mpaka zaka makumi asanu amene amabwera kudzagwira ntchito mu tenti ya msonkhano.

4“Ntchito ya Akohati mu tenti ya msonkhano ndi iyi: kusamalira zinthu zopatulika kwambiri. 5Pamene anthu akusamuka pa msasa, Aaroni ndi ana ake aamuna azilowa mu tenti ndi kuchotsa chinsalu chotchingira ndi kuphimba nacho bokosi la umboni. 6Ndipo azikuta bokosilo ndi zikopa za akatumbu ndi kuyala pamwamba pake nsalu ya mtundu wa thambo ndi kuyika mitengo yonyamulira mʼmalo mwake.

7“Pa tebulo pamene pamakhala buledi wa ansembe aziyalapo nsalu ya mtundu wa thambo, ndipo aziyikapo mbale, mabeseni, zipande ndi mitsuko yoperekera nsembe yachakumwa. Aziyikaponso buledi wokhala pamenepo nthawi zonse. 8Tsono pamwamba pa izi aziyalapo nsalu yofiira, ndi kuzikuta mʼzikopa za akatumbu ndi kuyika mitengo yonyamulira mʼmalo mwake.

9“Azitenga nsalu ya mtundu wa thambo ndi kukutira choyikapo nyale, pamodzi ndi nyale zake, zopanira zake, zotengera zake ndi mitsuko yonse yosungiramo mafuta. 10Kenaka achikulunge pamodzi ndi zipangizo zake zonse mʼzikopa za akatumbu ndi kuchiyika pa chonyamulira chake.

11“Pamwamba pa guwa la golide aziyalapo nsalu ya mtundu wa thambo ndi kukutira ndi zikopa za akatumbu ndi kuyika mʼmalo mwake mitengo yonyamulira.

12“Azitenga zipangizo zonse zogwiritsira ntchito ku malo wopatulika, azizikulunga mʼnsalu ya mtundu wa thambo, azizikuta ndi zikopa za akatumbu ndi kuziyika pa zonyamulira zake.

13“Azichotsa phulusa la pa guwa lansembe lamkuwa ndi kuyalapo nsalu yapepo pamwamba pake. 14Kenaka aziyikapo zipangizo zonse zogwiritsira ntchito potumikira pa guwa, kuphatikizapo miphika yowotchera nyama, mafoloko otengera nyama, zowolera phulusa ndi mbale zowazira magazi pa guwa lansembe ndipo pamwamba pake aziyalapo zikopa za akatumbu ndi kuziyika mʼzonyamulira zake.

15“Aaroni ndi ana ake aamuna akamaliza kukutira ziwiya za ku malo wopatulika ndi zipangizo zopatulika zonse, ndipo akakonzeka kusamuka pamalopo, Akohati abwere kudzazinyamula koma asagwire zinthu zopatulikazo. Akatero adzafa. Izi ndizo zinthu zimene Akohati ayenera kunyamula mu tenti ya msonkhano.

16“Eliezara mwana wa Aaroni, wansembe, aziyangʼanira mafuta a nyale, ndi lubani wa nsembe zofukiza, nsembe yaufa yoperekedwa nthawi zonse ndi mafuta odzozera. Aziyangʼaniranso chihema ndi zonse zili mʼmenemo, kuphatikizapo zida ndi ziwiya zonse zopatulika.”

17Yehova anawuzanso Mose ndi Aaroni kuti, 18“Onetsetsani kuti mabanja a fuko la Kohati asachotsedwe kwa Alevi. 19Koma muziwachitira izi kuti asafe, akhalebe ndi moyo pamene ayandikira zinthu za ku malo wopatulika kwambiri: Aaroni ndi ana ake aamuna azipita ku malo wopatulika ndi kumamupatsa munthu aliyense ntchito yake ndi zimene ayenera kunyamula. 20Koma Akohati asalowe kukaona zinthu zopatulika, ngakhale kanthawi pangʼono, chifukwa akatero adzafa.”

Ageresoni

21Yehova anawuza Mose kuti, 22“Werenganso Ageresoni monga mwa mabanja ndi mafuko awo. 23Uwerenge amuna onse a zaka makumi atatu mpaka a zaka makumi asanu zakubadwa amene amabwera kudzatumikira ku tenti ya msonkhano.

24“Ntchito ya mafuko a Ageresoni pamene akugwira ntchito ndi kunyamula katundu ndi iyi: 25Azinyamula makatani a ku chihema, tenti ya msonkhano, zokutira zake ndi zokutira kunja za zikopa za akatumbu, makatani a pa khomo la ku tenti ya msonkhano, 26makatani wotchingira bwalo lozungulira chihema ndi guwa, katani ya pa khomo, zingwe ndi zida zonse zimene zimagwiritsidwa ntchito mʼchihema. Ageresoni azichita zonse zofunika kuchitika ndi zinthu zimenezi. 27Ntchito yawo yonse, kaya kunyamula kapena kugwira ntchito zina, achite Ageresoni motsogozedwa ndi Aaroni ndi ana ake aamuna. Uwagawire ntchito zonse zimene akuyenera kugwira. 28Iyi ndiye ntchito ya fuko la Ageresoni ku tenti ya msonkhano. Ntchito zawo zichitike motsogozedwa ndi Itamara mwana wa wansembe Aaroni.

Amerari

29“Werenga Amerari monga mwa mafuko awo ndi mabanja awo. 30Werenga amuna onse a zaka makumi atatu mpaka zaka makumi asanu zakubadwa amene akatumikire mu tenti ya msonkhano. 31Ntchito yawo pamene azikatumikira mu tenti ya msonkhano ndi iyi: kunyamula matabwa a chihema, mitanda, mizati ndi matsinde, 32ndiponso mizati yozungulira bwalo ndi matsinde ake, zikhomo za chihema, zingwe ndi zipangizo zake zonse ndiponso zonse zokhudzana ndi ntchito yake. Uwuze munthu aliyense chomwe ayenera kuchita. 33Iyi ndiyo ntchito ya mafuko a Amerari pamene akugwira ntchito ku tenti ya msonkhano motsogozedwa ndi Itamara mwana wa wansembe Aaroni.”

Chiwerengero cha Fuko la Levi

34Mose, Aaroni ndi atsogoleri a magulu a anthu anawerenga Akohati monga mwa mafuko ndi mabanja awo. 35Aamuna onse a zaka makumi atatu mpaka makumi asanu amene anabwera kudzagwira ntchito ku tenti ya msonkhano, 36atawawerenga mwa mafuko awo, anali 2,750. 37Ichi chinali chiwerengero cha mafuko a Akohati onse omwe ankatumikira mu tenti ya msonkhano. Mose ndi Aaroni anawawerenga monga mwa lamulo la Yehova.

38Ageresoni anawerengedwanso monga mwa mafuko ndi mabanja awo. 39Amuna onse a zaka makumi atatu mpaka makumi asanu amene anabwera kudzagwira ntchito ku tenti ya msonkhano, 40atawawerenga mwa mafuko ndi mabanja awo, anali 2,630. 41Ichi chinali chiwerengero cha Ageresoni mwa mabanja awo amene ankatumikira ku tenti ya msonkhano. Mose ndi Aaroni anawawerenga monga mwa lamulo la Yehova.

42Amerari anawawerenga monga mwa mafuko ndi mabanja awo. 43Amuna onse kuyambira zaka makumi atatu mpaka makumi asanu amene anabwera kudzatumikira ntchito mu tenti ya msonkhano, 44atawawerenga mwa mafuko ndi mabanja awo, anali 3,200. 45Ichi ndicho chinali chiwerengero cha mabanja a Amerari. Mose ndi Aaroni anawawerenga monga momwe Yehova anawalamulira kudzera mwa Mose.

46Kotero Mose, Aaroni ndi atsogoleri a Israeli anawerenga Alevi onse monga mwa mafuko ndi mabanja awo. 47Aamuna onse a zaka makumi atatu mpaka zaka makumi asanu omwe anabwera kudzagwira ntchito yonyamula zinthu ku tenti ya msonkhano 48analipo 8,580. 49Aliyense anamupatsa ntchito ndi kumuwuza choti anyamule monga mwa lamulo la Yehova kudzera mwa Mose.

Anawawerenga chomwechi potsata zimene Yehova analamula Mose.