Numbers - Chapter 22

Verse 1: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba, bamisa emathafeni akwaMowabi ngaphesheya kweJordani ngaseJeriko.

Verse 2: UBalaki indodana kaSipori wabona konke akwenzile u-Israyeli kuwo ama-Amori.

Verse 3: UMowabi wayesesaba kakhulu abantu, ngokuba babebaningi; uMowabi waba nosizi ngenxa yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

Verse 4: UMowabi wathi kumalunga akwaMidiyani: “Manje leli bandla liyakukhotha konke okungakithi nxazonke, njengalokhu inkabi ikhotha utshani bedlelo.” UBalaki indodana kaSipori wayeyinkosi yakwaMowabi ngaleso sikhathi.

Verse 5: Wathuma izithunywa kuBileyamu indodana kaBeyori ePethori elingasemfuleni ezweni labantwana babantu bakhe ukumbiza ngokuthi: “Bheka, nampa abantu abaphumile eGibithe; bheka, basibekela ubuso bomhlaba; sebehlala malungana nami;

Verse 6: ngalokho ake uze manje, ungiqalekisele laba bantu, ngokuba bayangahlula; mhlawumbe ngingaze ngibe namandla ukuba sibanqobe, ngibaxoshe ezweni, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi ombusisayo ubusisiwe, nomqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”

Verse 7: Amalunga akwaMowabi namalunga akwaMidiyani asuka enenkokhelo yokubhula esandleni sawo; ayesefika kuBileyamu, akhuluma kuye amazwi kaBalaki.

Verse 8: Wathi-ke kuwo: “Hlalani lapha lobu busuku, nginibuyisele izwi, njengalokhu uJehova eyakukhuluma kimi.” Izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahlala-ke kuBileyamu.

Verse 9: UNkulunkulu wafika kuBileyamu, wathi: “Ngobani lawa madoda akuwe na?”

Verse 10: UBileyamu wathi kuNkulunkulu: “UBalaki indodana kaSipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, uthumile kimi wathi:

Verse 11: ‘Bheka, abantu abaphumile eGibithe basibekela ubuso bomhlaba; woza kalokhu, ungiqalekisele bona; mhlawumbe ngingaze ngibe namandla ukulwa nabo, ngibaxoshe.’ ”

Verse 12: UNkulunkulu wathi kuBileyamu: “Awuyikuhamba nawo; awuyikuqalekisa abantu, ngokuba babusisiwe.”

Verse 13: UBileyamu wavuka ekuseni, wathi kuzo izikhulu zikaBalaki: “Buyelani ezweni lakini, ngokuba uJehova uyangalela ukuba ngihambe nani.”

Verse 14: Izikhulu zakwaMowabi zasuka, zaya kuBalaki, zathi: “UBileyamu uyala ukufika nathi.”

Verse 15: UBalaki wabuye wathuma izikhulu, ziningi, zidumile kunezokuqala.

Verse 16: Zafika kuBileyamu, zathi kuye: “Usho kanje uBalaki indodana kaSipori, uthi: ‘Ake ungavinjwa lutho ukuza kimi,

Verse 17: ngokuba ngiyakukunika udumo olukhulu, nakho konke ongitshela khona ngiyakukwenza; ake uze ngalokho manje, ungiqalekisele laba bantu.’ ”

Verse 18: UBileyamu waphendula wathi kuzo izinceku zikaBalaki: “Noma uBalaki ebeyakunginika indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva negolide, anginakulidlula izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu wami ukwenza okuncane nokukhulu.

Verse 19: Ngalokho ake nihlale nani lapha lobu busuku, ukuze ngazi ukuthi uJehova useyakukhulumani kimi futhi.”

Verse 20: UNkulunkulu weza kuBileyamu ebusuku, wathi kuye: “Uma amadoda efika ukukubiza, vuka uhambe nawo; kepha lelo zwi kuphela engilikhuluma kuwe uyakulenza.”

Verse 21: UBileyamu wavuka ekuseni, wabophela imbongolo yakhe, wahamba nezikhulu zakwaMowabi.

Verse 22: Intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu yavutha ngokuba wahamba; ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yema endleleni ukuba imelane naye. Wayekhwele imbongolo yakhe, izinceku zakhe ezimbili zinaye.

Verse 23: Imbongolo yabona ingelosi kaJehova imi endleleni, inenkemba yayo ehoshiweyo esandleni sayo; imbongolo yachezuka endleleni, yaya ensimini, kepha uBileyamu wayishaya imbongolo ukuyibuyisela endleleni.

Verse 24: Ingelosi kaJehova yayisima endleleni engumngcingo phakathi kwezivini, kwaba ludonga ngalapha nodonga ngalapha.

Verse 25: Imbongolo yayibona ingelosi kaJehova, yazigqula odongeni, yalimaza unyawo lukaBileyamu ngasodongeni; wabuye wayishaya.

Verse 26: Ingelosi kaJehova yaqhubeka yema endaweni eminyeneyo, lapho kwakungekho khona indlela yokujika ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo.

Verse 27: Imbongolo yayibona ingelosi kaJehova, yalala phansi kukaBileyamu; intukuthelo kaBileyamu yavutha, wayishaya imbongolo ngenduku yakhe.

Verse 28: UJehova wavula umlomo wembongolo, yathi kuBileyamu: “Ngenzeni kuwe ukuba ungishaye kathathu na?”

Verse 29: UBileyamu wathi embongolweni: “Ngokuba ungiswabulele; sengathi ngabe kukhona inkemba esandleni sami, ngokuba ngabe sengikubulele.”

Verse 30: Kepha imbongolo yathi kuBileyamu: “Angisiyo imbongolo yakho oyikhwele konke ukuhamba kwakho kuze kube manje na? Ngangivama ukwenza kanjalo kuwe na?” Wathi: “Qha.”

Verse 31: UJehova wayesevula-ke amehlo kaBileyamu, wayibona ingelosi kaJehova imi endleleni, inenkemba yayo ehoshiweyo esandleni sayo; wagoba ikhanda, wawa ngobuso bakhe.

Verse 32: Ingelosi kaJehova yathi kuye: “Uyishayeleni imbongolo yakho kathathu na? Bheka, ngiphumele ukumelana nawe, ngokuba indlela yakho iyingozi phambi kwami;

Verse 33: imbongolo yangibona, yachezuka phambi kwami kathathu; uma ibingachezukanga kimi, ngabe sengikubulele, ngayisindisa yona.”

Verse 34: Wathi uBileyamu kuyo ingelosi kaJehova: “Ngonile; ngokuba bengingazi ukuthi umi endleleni umelene nami; ngalokho uma kukubi emehlweni akho, ngiyakubuyela emuva.”

Verse 35: Yayisithi ingelosi kaJehova kuBileyamu: “Hamba nalawa madoda, kepha lelo zwi kuphela engiyakulikhuluma kuwe uyakulikhuluma.” UBileyamu wayesehamba nezikhulu zikaBalaki.

Verse 36: UBalaki esezwa ukuthi uBileyamu uyeza, waphuma ukumhlangabeza e-Iri Mowabi elisemkhawulweni wase-Arinoni, liseceleni komkhawulo.

Verse 37: UBalaki wathi kuBileyamu: “Angithumanga nokuthuma kuwe ukukubiza na? Awufikanga ngani kimi? Anginamandla yini okukunika udumo na?”

Verse 38: UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Bheka, sengifikile kuwe, anginamandla nokho manje okukhuluma utho. Izwi uNkulunkulu alifaka emlonyeni wami, ngiyakukhuluma lona.”

Verse 39: UBileyamu wahamba noBalaki, bafika eKiriyati Husoti.

Verse 40: UBalaki wanikela ngezinkabi nangezimvu, wazithuma kuBileyamu nakuzo izikhulu ezinaye.

Verse 41: Kwathi ekuseni uBalaki wamthatha uBileyamu, wamyisa ezindaweni eziphakemeyo zikaBali, wabona elapho inxenye yabantu.