Numeri 22:1-41
22 Khona-ke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basuka bakanisa emathafeni awugwadule akwaMowabi+ ngaphesheya kweJordani ukusuka eJeriko.
2 UBhalaki+ indodana kaZipori wakubona konke lokho u-Israyeli ayekwenzile kuma-Amori.
3 UMowabi wethuka kakhulu ngalaba bantu, ngoba babebaningi; uMowabi waqala ukuzwa ingebhe ecanuzelisayo ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.+
4 UMowabi wathi emadodeni amadala akwaMidiyani:+ “Manje leli bandla lizozikhotha zonke izindawo ezisizungezile njengenkunzi ikhotha uhlaza edlelweni.”
UBhalaki+ indodana kaZipori wayeyinkosi yakwaMowabi ngaleso sikhathi.
5 Manje wathumela izithunywa kuBhalami+ indodana kaBheyori ePethori,+ elingaseMfuleni+ wezwe labantwana babantu bakhe, ukuba zimbize, wathi: “Bheka! Kuphumé isizwe eGibhithe. Bheka! Simbozé umhlaba kuze kube yilapho amehlo ephelela khona,+ futhi sihlezi khona kanye phambi kwami.
6 Manje, ngicela uze; ngiqalekisele+ lesi sizwe, ngoba sinamandla kunami. Mhlawumbe ngingase ngikwazi ukusishaya futhi ngisixoshe ezweni; ngoba ngazi kahle ukuthi lowo ombusisayo ungobusisiweyo nalowo omqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”+
7 Ngakho amadoda amadala akwaMowabi namadoda amadala akwaMidiyani ahamba ephethe inkokhelo yokubhula+ ezandleni zawo aya kuBhalami+ akhuluma kuye amazwi kaBhalaki.
8 Kulokho wathi kuwo: “Ngenisani lapha namuhla ebusuku, futhi ngokuqinisekile ngizobuyisela izwi kini ngokwalokho nje uJehova angase akukhulume kimi.”+ Ngokuvumelana nalokho izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahlala kanye noBhalami.
9 Khona-ke uNkulunkulu wafika kuBhalami wathi:+ “Angobani la madoda akanye nawe?”
10 Ngakho uBhalami wathi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “UBhalaki+ indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, uthumele kimi, ethi,
11 ‘Bheka! Isizwe esiphuma eGibhithe, simbozé umhlaba kuze kube yilapho amehlo omuntu ephelela khona.+ Manje woza, ngiqalekisele sona.+ Mhlawumbe ngingase ngikwazi ukulwa naso futhi empeleni ngisixoshe.’”
12 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi kuBhalami: “Akumelwe uhambe nawo. Akumelwe usiqalekise lesi sizwe,+ ngoba sibusisiwe.”+
13 Ngemva kwalokho uBhalami wavuka ekuseni wathi ezikhulwini zikaBhalaki: “Hambani niye ezweni lakini, ngoba uJehova wenqabile ukungidedela ukuba ngihambe nani.”
14 Ngakho izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahamba futhi zafika kuBhalaki zathi: “UBhalami wenqabile ukuza nathi.”+
15 Nokho, uBhalaki waphinde wathumela ezinye izikhulu eziningi nezinodumo kakhulu kunezokuqala.
16 Nazo zafika kuBhalami zathi kuye: “Yilokhu uBhalaki indodana kaZipori akushilo, ‘Siza, ungabanjwa yilutho ukuba uze kimi.
17 Ngoba nakanjani ngizokudumisa kakhulu,+ futhi konke ongase ukusho kimi, ngizokwenza.+ Ngakho ngicela uze. Ngiqalekisele lesi sizwe.’”
18 Kodwa uBhalami waphendula izinceku zikaBhalaki wathi: “Noma uBhalaki ebenganginika indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva negolide, bengingeke ngikwazi ukweqa umyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wami, ukuba ngenze into encane noma enkulu.+
19 Ngakho nani ngiyanicela, ukuba nihlale lapha namuhla ebusuku, ukuze ngazi ukuthi yikuphi okungaphezu kwalokhu uJehova azokukhuluma nami.”+
20 Khona-ke uNkulunkulu wafika kuBhalami ebusuku wathi kuye: “Uma kuwukuthi la madoda azele ukuzokubiza, vuka, uhambe nawo. Kodwa yizwi engiyolikhuluma kuwe kuphela ongalikhuluma.”+
21 Ngemva kwalokho uBhalami wavuka ekuseni wabophela imbongolokazi yakhe wahamba nezikhulu zakwaMowabi.+
22 Intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu yaqala ukuvutha ngoba wayehamba; futhi ingelosi kaJehova yama endleleni ukuze imelane naye.+ Wayegibele imbongolokazi yakhe, kukhona kanye naye izikhonzi zakhe ezimbili.
23 Imbongolo yabona ingelosi kaJehova imi endleleni iphethe inkemba yayo esandleni iyihoshile;+ imbongolo yazama ukuphambuka endleleni ukuze shone esigangeni, kodwa uBhalami waqala ukuyishaya imbongolo ukuze ayiphindisele endleleni.
24 Ingelosi kaJehova yaqhubeka imi endleleni ewumngcingo phakathi kwezivini, kukhona udonga lwamatshe ngapha nodonga lwamatshe ngapha.
25 Imbongolokazi yaqhubeka ibona ingelosi kaJehova futhi yaqala ukuzimpintsha odongeni kanjalo yampintsha nonyawo lukaBhalami odongeni; wayishaya ngokwengeziwe.
26 Manje ingelosi kaJehova yaphinde yadlula ngakubo futhi yama endaweni ewumngcingo, lapho kwakungekho ndlela yokuphambukela ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesobunxele.
27 Lapho le mbongolo ibona ingelosi kaJehova yalala phansi uBhalami egibele; kangangokuba intukuthelo kaBhalami yavutha,+ waqhubeka eyishaya imbongolo ngodondolo lwakhe.
28 Ekugcineni uJehova wavula umlomo wembongolo+ yathi kuBhalami: “Ngenzeni kuwe ukuba ungishaye lezi zikhathi ezintathu?”+
29 UBhalami wathi embongolweni: “Kungenxa yokuthi ungiphathe ngonya. Ukube nje bekunenkemba esandleni sami, phela ngabe manje sengikubulele!”+
30 Khona-ke imbongolokazi yathi kuBhalami: “Angiyona yini imbongolokazi yakho obulokhu uyigibela kukho konke ukuphila kwakho kuze kube yilolu suku? Ngivamile yini ukwenza kuwe ngale ndlela?”+ Wathi: “Cha!”
31 UJehova wawavula amehlo kaBhalami,+ wayibona ingelosi kaJehova imi endleleni iphethe inkemba yayo esandleni iyihoshile. Khona manjalo wakhothama wawa ngobuso.
32 Khona-ke ingelosi kaJehova yathi kuye: “Uyishayeleni imbongolokazi yakho lezi zikhathi ezintathu? Bheka! Mina—Mina ngiphumele ukumelana nawe, ngoba indlela yakho ibe eyokuphulukundlela entandweni yami.+
33 Imbongolokazi ingibonile yazama ukuphambuka phambi kwami lezi zikhathi ezintathu.+ Make sithi ayiphambukanga phambi kwami! Phela ngabe manje wena impela sengikubulele,+ kodwa yona ngayilonda.”
34 UBhalami wathi engelosini kaJehova: “Ngonile,+ ngoba bengingazi ukuthi nguwe omi endleleni ukuba ungihlangabeze. Manje uma kukubi emehlweni akho, ngivumele ngiphindele emuva.”
35 Kodwa ingelosi kaJehova yathi kuBhalami: “Hamba nawo la madoda;+ ungakhulumi lutho ngaphandle kwezwi engizolikhuluma kuwe.”+ UBhalami waqhubeka ehamba nezikhulu zikaBhalaki.
36 Lapho uBhalaki ezwa ukuthi uBhalami usefikile, waphuma khona manjalo wayomhlangabeza emzini wakwaMowabi, ongasosebeni lwe-Arinoni, elingasemkhawulweni wendawo.+
37 Khona-ke uBhalaki wathi kuBhalami: “Angi-zange yini impela ngithumele ukuba ubizwe? Kungani ungezanga kimi? Ingabe yingoba ngempela ngempela ngingakwazi ukukudumisa?”+
38 UBhalami wathi kuBhalaki: “Nakhu ngizile kuwe manje. Ingabe kukhona engizokwazi ukukukhuluma?+ Izwi uNkulunkulu azolibeka emlonyeni wami yilo engizolikhuluma.”+
39 Ngakho uBhalami wahamba noBhalaki bafika eKiriyati-huzoti.
40 UBhalaki wenza umhlatshelo ngezinkomo nezimvu+ futhi wathumela okunye kuBhalami nasezikhulwini ezazikanye naye.
41 Kwathi ekuseni uBhalaki wathatha uBhalami wamletha eBhamoti-bhali,+ ukuze asibone elapho sonke isizwe.+
