1Kwathi uDavida esemdala eseluphele, wabeka uSolomoni indodana yakhe ukuba abe yinkosi ko-Israyeli.
2Wasehlanganisa bonke abakhokheli bako-Israyeli, labaphristi kanye labaLevi.
3AbaLevi abaleminyaka esukela kwengamatshumi amathathu kusiya phezulu babalwa, inani lamadoda laba zinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu lasificaminwembili.
4UDavida wasesithi: “Phakathi kwalaba, abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lane bazakhangela ukuqhutshwa komsebenzi wethempeli likaThixo kuthi abazinkulungwane eziyisithupha bazakuba yizikhulu labahluleli.
5Abazinkulungwane ezine bazakuba ngabalindi bamasango kuthi abazinkulungwane ezine badumise uThixo ngamachacho lezigubhu engizigcinele lowomsebenzi.”
6UDavida wehlukanisa abaLevi ngamaxuku kusiya ngamadodana kaLevi: uGeshoni, loKhohathi kanye loMerari.
7Exukwini labakaGeshoni yilaba:
8Amadodana kaLadani yila:
9Amadodana kaShimeyi yila:
10Lamadodana kaShimeyi yila:
11UJahathi engowakuqala loZiza engowesibili, kodwa uJewushi loBheriya abazange babelamadodana amanengi, ngakho babalwa njengemuli yinye bahle baphiwa umsebenzi bendawonye.
12Amadodana kaKhohathi yila:
13Amadodana ka-Amramu yila:
14Amadodana kaMosi inceku kaNkulunkulu abalwa ndawonye labesizwana sikaLevi.
15Amadodana kaMosi yila:
16Abosendo lukaGeshomu:
17Abosendo luka-Eliyezari:
18Amadodana ka-Izihari yila:
19Amadodana kaHebhroni yila:
20Amadodana ka-Uziyeli yila:
21Amadodana kaMerari yila:
22U-Eliyezari wafa engelamadodana: wayelamadodakazi wodwa. Amadodakazi endela kubafowabo, amadodana kaKhishi.
23Amadodana kaMushi yila:
24Laba kwakungabosendo lukaLevi ngezindlu zabo, abazinhloko zezindlu njengokulotshwa kwamabizo lokubalwa kwabo ngamunye, okutsho ukuthi, abasebenzayo abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu ababesebenza ethempelini likaThixo.
25Ngoba uDavida wathi: “Njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, enike abantu bakhe ukuthula lokuthi bazahlala eJerusalema kuze kube nininini,
26abaLevi akusafanele bathwale ithabanikeli loba kuyini okusetshenziswa ezinkonzweni zalo.”
27Njengeziyalezelo zikaDavida zokucina, abaLevi babalwa kusukela kwabaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu.
28Umsebenzi wabaLevi wawungowokuncedisa inzalo ka-Aroni emsebenzini wethempeli likaThixo: ukugcina amaguma akhona; izindlu ezisemaceleni, ukuhlambulula zonke izinto ezingcwele lokwenza yonke imisebenzi endlini kaNkulunkulu.
29Babephethe umsebenzi wesinkwa sokwahlukanisela ethaleni, ifulawa yomnikelo wamabele, lesinkwa esingelamvubelo, ukuxuba lokupheka isinkwa, lezilinganiso zonke zezisindo lobukhulu bakhona.
30Njalo babemele beme ngezinyawo ekuseni nsuku zonke ukubonga lokudumisa uThixo. Kwakufanele benzenjalo lantambama,
31lalapho kunikelwa iminikelo yokutshiswa kuThixo ngamaSabatha, emadilini okuThwasa kweNyanga, lakuyo yonke imikhosi emisiweyo. Babefanele bamsebenzele uThixo ngazozonke izikhathi ngenani elilingeneyo langendlela ababeyimiselwe.
32Ngakho abaLevi bawenza umsebenzi wabo weThenteni lokuHlanganela, laseNdaweni eNgcwele, ngaphansi kwabafowabo abayisizukulwana sika-Aroni, emsebenzini wethempeli likaThixo.