Numeri 22:1-41
22 Banduluka oonyana bakaSirayeli bamisa iinkampu ezinkqantosini zamathafa akwaMowabhi+ phesheya kweYordan malunga neYeriko.
2 Wakubona uBhalaki+ unyana kaTsipore konke awakwenzayo uSirayeli kuma-Amori.
3 Waza wothuka kakhulu uMowabhi ngaba bantu, ngokuba babebaninzi; yaye wagubha lunkwantyo uMowabhi ngenxa yoonyana bakaSirayeli.+
4 Wathi uMowabhi kumadoda amakhulu akwaMidiyan:+ “Ngoku eli bandla liya kusuka likhothe konke nje okusijikelezileyo njengenkomo ikhotha uhlaza lwasendle.”
Ke uBhalaki+ unyana kaTsipore wayengukumkani wakwaMowabhi ngelo xesha.
5 Ngoko ke wathumela abathunywa kuBhileham+ unyana kaBhehore ePetore,+ engakuMlambo+ welizwe loonyana babantu bakowabo, ukuba bambize, bathi: “Khangela! Kuphume isizwana eYiputa. Khangela! Siwugubungele umhlaba ukuya kufikelela ekupheleni kokubona kwamehlo,+ yaye sihleli kanye phambi kwam.
6 Ngoko ke, nceda uze; ndiqalekisele+ esi sizwana, kuba sinamandla kunam. Mhlawumbi ndingakwazi ukusixabela ndize ndisigxothe kweli lizwe; ngokuba ndazi kakuhle ukuba omsikelelayo usikelelwe nomqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”+
7 Ahamba ke amadoda amakhulu akwaMowabhi namadoda amakhulu akwaMidiyan ephethe intlawulo yokuvumisa+ ezandleni zawo, aya kuBhileham+ aza athetha kuye amazwi kaBhalaki.
8 Wathi kuwo: “Hlalani apha ngobu busuku, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo ndonibuyisela ilizwi kanye njengoko uYehova aya kuthetha kum.”+ Zahlala ke iinkosana ezo zakwaMowabhi noBhileham.
9 Wafika uThixo kuBhileham wathi:+ “Ngoobani na la madoda akunye nawe?”
10 Wathi uBhileham kuTHIXO oyinyaniso: “UBhalaki+ unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, uthumele kum, esithi,
11 ‘Khangela! Kuphume abantu eYiputa, bawugubungela umhlaba ukufikelela ekupheleni kokubona kwamehlo.+ Ngoko ke yiza, undishwabulelele bona.+ Mhlawumbi ndingakwazi ukulwa nabo, ndibagxothe.’”
12 Kodwa wathi uThixo kuBhileham: “Uze ungahambi nabo. Uze ungabaqalekisi abo bantu,+ kuba basikelelwe.”+
13 Emva koko wavuka uBhileham kusasa waza wathi kwiinkosana zikaBhalaki: “Yiyani ezweni lenu, ngokuba uYehova walile ukundivumela ndihambe nani.”
14 Zasuka ke iinkosana zakwaMowabhi zaya kuBhalaki zathi: “Walile uBhileham ukuza nathi.”+
15 Noko ke, uBhalaki wathumela kwakhona ezinye iinkosana ezininzi ngakumbi nezazibekekile kunezangaphambili.
16 Zafika kuBhileham zathi kuye: “Utsho uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore ukuthi, ‘Nceda ungabanjezelwa nayintoni na ukuba ungezi kum.
17 Kuba ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kukuzukisa kakhulu,+ ndikwenze konke ondixelela kona.+ Ngoko ke, nceda uze. Ndishwabulelele esi sizwana.’”
18 Kodwa uBhileham waphendula wathi kubakhonzi bakaBhalaki: “Nokuba uBhalaki angandinika indlu yakhe izele yisilivere negolide, andinako ukuwugqitha umyalelo kaYehova uThixo wam, ndenze okuncinane nokuba kokukhulu.+
19 Ncedani ke nani nihlale apha ngobu busuku, ndide ndikwazi oko uYehova aya kukuthetha kum ngokubhekele phaya.”+
20 Ngoko ke wafika uThixo kuBhileham ebusuku wathi kuye: “Ukuba la madoda afikileyo kuwe eze kukubiza, sukuma, uhambe nawo. Kodwa ilizwi endolithetha kuwe lilo kuphela ofanele ulithethe.”+
21 Emva koko wavuka uBhileham kusasa, wayifaka isali imazi yakhe ye-esile waza wahamba neenkosana ezo zakwaMowabhi.+
22 Wavutha umsindo kaThixo ngenxa yokuba wahambayo; yaza yema ingelosi kaYehova endleleni ukuze imthintele.+ Wayekhwele imazi yakhe ye-esile, enabalindi bakhe ababini.
23 Iesile layibona ingelosi kaYehova imi endleleni irhole ikrele layo ngesandla sayo;+ lazama ukuthi gu bucala iesile endleleni liye emasimini, kodwa uBhileham walibetha iesile ukuze alibuyisele endleleni.
24 Yema ingelosi kaYehova endleleni emxinwa phakathi kwezidiliya, iludonga lwamatye kweli cala yaye iludonga lwamatye nakweliya icala.
25 Imazi ye-esile yaqhubeka iyibona ingelosi kaYehova yaza yagudla udonga, yalugudla unyawo lukaBhileham ngodonga; waza wayibetha ngakumbi.
26 Yadlula kwakhona ingelosi kaYehova yema endaweni emxinwa, apho kwakungekho ndlela yakuthi gu bucala ekunene okanye ekhohlo.
27 Lithe iesile lakuyibona ingelosi kaYehova lasadalala ngaphantsi kukaBhileham; ngoko wavutha umsindo kaBhileham,+ waza waqhubeka elibetha iesile ngomsimelelo wakhe.
28 Ekugqibeleni uYehova wawuvula umlomo we-esile+ laza lathi kuBhileham: “Ndikwenze ntoni na le nto uye wandibetha ezi zihlandlo zithathu?”+
29 Wathi uBhileham kwiesile: “Kungenxa yokuba ufekethe ngam. Akwaba bendiphethe ikrele ngesandla sam, inene ngendikubulele ngoku!”+
30 Yathi imazi ye-esile kuBhileham: “Andiyiyo na imazi yakho ye-esile obusoloko ukhwela kuyo ubomi bakho bonke de kube ngulo mhla? Ndiqhelile na ukwenjenje kuwe?”+ Wathi: “Hayi!”
31 Waza wawavula uYehova amehlo kaBhileham,+ wayibona ingelosi kaYehova imi endleleni irhole ikrele layo ngesandla sayo. Ngoko nangoko wathoba waqubuda ngobuso.
32 Yandula ke yathi ingelosi kaYehova kuye: “Uyibethele ntoni na imazi yakho ye-esile ezi zihlandlo zithathu? Khangela! Ndiphumele ukuza kukuchasa, ngokuba le ndlela yakho inxamnye kwaphela nentando yam.+
33 Indibonile imazi ye-esile yazama ukuthi gu bucala phambi kwam ezi zihlandlo zozithathu.+ Ukuba nje ibingathanga gu bucala phambi kwam! Ngendikubulele ngoku wena,+ ndayisindisa yona.”
34 Ngoko wathi uBhileham kwingelosi kaYehova: “Ndonile,+ ngokuba bendingazi ukuba nguwe omi endleleni ukuze undihlangabeze. Ngoku, ukuba oku kubi emehlweni akho, ndivumele ndibuyele emva.”
35 Kodwa yathi ingelosi kaYehova kuBhileham: “Hamba namadoda lawo;+ ke ilizwi endiya kulithetha kuwe uze uthethe lona lodwa.”+ Waqhubeka ke uBhileham ehamba neenkosana zikaBhalaki.
36 Akuva uBhalaki ukuba uBhileham ufikile, waphuma ngoko nangoko waya kumhlangabeza kwisixeko sakwaMowabhi, esiselunxwemeni lwaseArnon, esisekupheleni kwaloo mmandla.+
37 Wathi ke uBhalaki kuBhileham: “Andithumelanga na eneneni ukuba ubizwe? Kwakutheni ukuze ungezi kum? Andinakukwazi na ngenene nangenyaniso ukukuzukisa?”+
38 Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki: “Naku ke ndifikile kuwe. Ndinganako na ukuthetha okuthile?+ Ilizwi alibekayo uThixo emlonyeni wam ndiya kuthetha lona.”+
39 Wahamba ke uBhileham noBhalaki, bafika eKiriyati-hutsoti.
40 Wabingelela uBhalaki iinkomo nezimvu+ waza wathumela okunye kuBhileham nakwiinkosana ezazinaye.
41 Kwathi kusasa uBhalaki wamthabatha uBhileham wamnyusa wamsa eBhamoti-bhahali+, ukuze abe nokubabona bonke abantu.+
