Numeri 22:1-41
22 Emka ke amaSirayeli ayokuhlala kwintlango yakwaMowabhi, phesheya kweYordan ngaseYeriko.+
2 UBhalaki+ unyana kaTsipore wayibona yonke into eyenziwa ngamaSirayeli kuma-Amori,
3 aza amaMowabhi awoyika kakhulu amaSirayeli, kuba ayemaninzi gqitha. AmaMowabhi awoyika nyhani amaSirayeli.+
4 Ngoko amaMowabhi athi kubadala bakwaMidiyan:+ “Eli bandla liza kubimbiliza yonke into esingqongileyo, njengenkunzi yenkomo ibimbiliza ingca endle.”
UBhalaki unyana kaTsipore wayengukumkani wakwaMowabhi ngelo xesha.
5 Wathumela abathunywa kuBhileham unyana kaBhehore ePetore,+ engakuMlambo* welizwe lakowabo. Wathumela ukuba abizwe, esithi: “Kukho abantu abasuka eYiputa. Bagcwele kuwo wonke lo mhlaba,+ yaye naba ngoku behleli kanye phambi kwelizwe lam.
6 Ndicela uze, undiqalekisele aba bantu,+ kuba banamandla kunam. Mhlawumbi ndingaboyisa ndize ndibagxothe kweli lizwe, kuba ndazi kakuhle ukuba umntu omsikelelayo uyasikelelwa, nomntu omqalekisayo uyaqalekiswa.”
7 Ngoko abadala bakwaMowabhi nabadala bakwaMidiyan baya kuBhileham+ bephethe imali enikwa umntu ovumisayo, baza bamxelela into ethethwa nguBhalaki.
8 UBhileham wabaphendula wathi: “Hlalani apha ngobu busuku, ndiza kubuya ndinixelele nantoni na uYehova ayithethileyo kum.” Ngoko iinkosana zakwaMowabhi zahlala.
9 UThixo wafika kuBhileham, wathi:+ “Ngoobani la madoda uhleli nawo?”
10 UBhileham wathi kuThixo wokwenene: “UBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, undithumelele umyalezo othi,
11 ‘Aba bantu basuka eYiputa bagcwele kuwo wonke lo mhlaba. Ndicela uze, undiqalekisele bona.+ Mhlawumbi ndingakwazi ukulwa nabo ndibagxothe.’”
12 Kodwa uThixo wathi kuBhileham: “Sukuhamba nabo. Uze ungabaqalekisi aba bantu kuba basikelelwe.”+
13 UBhileham wavuka ekuseni, wathi kwiinkosana zikaBhalaki: “Buyelani kwilizwe lenu kuba uYehova akavumanga ukuba ndihambe nani.”
14 Ngoko iinkosana zakwaMowabhi zahamba zabuyela kuBhalaki zaza zathi kuye: “UBhileham akavumanga ukubuya nathi.”
15 Kodwa ke uBhalaki waphinda wathumela ezinye iinkosana, ezininzi kakhulu nezihlonipheke ngaphezu kweziya zokuqala.
16 Zafika kuBhileham zathi: “UBhalaki unyana kaTsipore uthi, ‘Ndicela ungavumeli nantoni na ikunqande ungezi kum,
17 kuba ndiza kukuzukisa kakhulu ndize ndenze nantoni na ondixelela yona. Ngoko ndicela uze, undiqalekisele aba bantu.’”
18 Kodwa uBhileham waziphendula izicaka zikaBhalaki wathi: “Nokuba uBhalaki angandinika indlu yakhe igcwele yisilivere negolide, andizukukwazi ukwenza nantoni na angayiyalelanga uYehova uThixo wam, nokuba incinci okanye inkulu.+
19 Kodwa nani ndicela nihlale apha ngobu busuku ukuze ndibone ukuba ayikho na enye into uYehova aza kundixelela yona.”+
20 UThixo wafika kuBhileham ebusuku, wathi: “Ukuba la madoda afikileyo azokukubiza, hamba nawo. Kodwa uze uthethe into endiza kukuxelela yona.”+
21 Ngoko uBhileham wavuka ekuseni, wayifaka isali idonki* yakhe waza wahamba neenkosana zakwaMowabhi.+
22 Kodwa uThixo wacaphuka kakhulu kuba ehamba, yaza ingelosi kaYehova yema endleleni ukuze imnqande. UBhileham wayekhwele idonki yakhe yaye wayehamba nezicaka zakhe ezibini.
23 Idonki yayibona ingelosi kaYehova imi endleleni iphethe ikrele, yazama ukuphuma endleleni iye emasimini. Kodwa uBhileham wayibetha ukuze ibuyele endleleni.
24 Ingelosi kaYehova yema kwindlela encinci ephakathi kweentsimi ezimbini zeediliya, ezibiyelwe ngamatye.
25 Xa idonki yabona ingelosi kaYehova, yagudla udonga yaza yaminxisela unyawo lukaBhileham, waphinda wayibetha.
26 Ingelosi kaYehova yaphinda yadlula, yaya kuma kwindawo exineneyo apho kungekho sithuba sakudlula nokuba kungasekunene okanye ekhohlo.
27 Yathi idonki yakubona ingelosi kaYehova, yalala phantsi bhaxa esakhwele kuyo uBhileham, wacaphuka kakhulu waphinda wayibetha ngentonga.
28 Ekugqibeleni uYehova wenza idonki yathetha,*+ yaza yathi kuBhileham: “Ndikwenze ntoni le nto ude undibethe kathathu?”+
29 UBhileham wathi kwidonki: “Kaloku undenze isidenge. Ukuba nje bendiphethe ikrele, bendiza kukubulala!”
30 Idonki yathi kuBhileham: “Andiyodonki yakho na? Ayindim na lo ubukhwela kuye ubomi bakho bonke de kube namhlanje? Ndakha ndakuphatha ngolu hlobo ngaphambili?” Wathi: “Hayi!”
31 Emva koko uYehova wawavula amehlo kaBhileham,+ watsho wayibona ingelosi kaYehova imi endleleni iphethe ikrele. Ngoko nangoko waqubuda.
32 Ingelosi kaYehova yathi kuye: “Uyibethele ntoni idonki yakho kwade kwakathathu? Ndize kukunqanda ngokwam, kuba le nto uyenzayo ayikokuthanda kwam.+
33 Idonki indibonile yaza yazama ukundiphepha kwade kwakathathu.+ Ukuba ibingandiphephanga, ngendikubulele ndaza ndayiyeka yona yaphila.”
34 UBhileham wathi kwingelosi kaYehova: “Ndonile, kuba bendingazi ukuba nguwe omi endleleni yam. Ngoku ukuba le nto imbi emehlweni akho, ndiza kujika.”
35 Ingelosi kaYehova yathi kuBhileham: “Hamba nala madoda, kodwa uze uthethe into endiza kukuxelela yona kuphela.” Ngoko uBhileham waqhubeka ehamba neenkosana zikaBhalaki.
36 Xa uBhalaki wevayo ukuba uBhileham ufikile, ngokukhawuleza waya kumhlangabeza kwisixeko sakwaMowabhi, esingakumlambo iArnon, ekumda welo lizwe.
37 UBhalaki wathi kuBhileham: “Kunini ndikubiza? Bekutheni ukuze ungezi? Ubucinga ukuba andizukukwazi ukukuzukisa kakhulu?”+
38 UBhileham wathi kuBhalaki: “Kodwa ke ndilapha ngoku. Ngaba ndiza kuvunyelwa ukuba ndithethe nantoni na? Ndiza kukwazi kuphela ukuthetha amazwi uThixo awabeka emlonyeni wam.”+
39 Ngoko uBhileham wahamba noBhalaki baya kufika eKiriyati-hutsoti.
40 UBhalaki wabingelela ngeenkomo nangeegusha, waza wathumela enye inyama kuBhileham nakwiinkosana ezazikunye naye.
41 Ekuseni uBhalaki wasa uBhileham eBhamoti-bhahali, ukuze awabone onke amaSirayeli.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Kusenokuba kubhekiswa kumEfrate.
^ Ngokoqobo, “imazi yedonki.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “wawuvula umlomo wemazi yedonki.”
