Numeri

22 Ngemva kwalokho ama-Israyeli asuka amisa amatende emathafeni awugwadule akwaMowabi ngaphesheya kweJordani uma usuka eJeriko. + 2 UBhalaki + indodana kaZipori wakubona konke lokho u-Israyeli ayekwenzile kuma-Amori, 3 laba bantu bamethusa kakhulu uMowabi ngoba babebaningi kakhulu; ngempela uMowabi wesaba kakhulu ngenxa yama-Israyeli. + 4 Ngakho uMowabi wathi emadodeni amadala akwaMidiyani: + “Manje leli bandla lizozishwabadela zonke izindawo ezisizungezile njengoba nje inkunzi ishwabadela utshani edlelweni.”

UBhalaki indodana kaZipori wayeyinkosi yakwaMowabi ngaleso sikhathi. 5 Wathumela izithunywa kuBhalami indodana kaBheyori ePethori, + elingaseMfuleni* osezweni lakubo. Wamyala ukuba eze kuye wathi: “Bheka! Kuphume isizwe eGibhithe. Simboze umhlaba *+ futhi sihlala khona la phambi kwami. 6 Manje ngicela uze uzongiqalekisela lesi sizwe + ngoba sinamandla kunami. Mhlawumbe ngingasinqoba ngisixoshe ezweni ngoba ngazi kahle ukuthi lowo ombusisayo ubusisiwe, nalowo omqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”

7 Ngakho amadoda amadala akwaMowabi namadoda amadala akwaMidiyani ahamba ephethe inkokhelo yokubhula ezandleni zawo aya kuBhalami + adlulisa umyalezo kaBhalaki. 8 Yena wathi kuwo: “Lalani lapha namuhla, ngizobuya ngizonazisa noma yini eshiwo uJehova kimi.” Ngakho izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahlala noBhalami.

9 UNkulunkulu wafika kuBhalami wathi: + “Angobani la madoda akanye nawe?” 10 UBhalami wathi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “UBhalaki indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, ungithumelele umyalezo wathi, 11 ‘Bheka! Isizwe esiphuma eGibhithe simboza umhlaba.* Manje woza ungiqalekisele sona. + Mhlawumbe ngingase ngikwazi ukulwa naso ngisixoshe.’” 12 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi kuBhalami: “Akumele uhambe nawo. Akumele usiqalekise lesi sizwe ngoba sibusisiwe.” +

13 UBhalami wavuka ekuseni wathi ezikhulwini zikaBhalaki: “Hambani niye ezweni lakini ngoba uJehova wenqabile ukungidedela ukuba ngihambe nani.” 14 Ngakho izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahamba zabuyela kuBhalaki zathi: “UBhalami wenqabile ukuza nathi.”

15 Nokho, uBhalaki waphinde wathumela izikhulu eziningi kakhulu nezihlonishwa kakhulu kunezokuqala. 16 Zafika kuBhalami zathi kuye: “Yilokhu uBhalaki indodana kaZipori akushilo, ‘Ngicela ungavumeli lutho lukuvimbe ukuba uze kimi, 17 ngoba ngizokuphakamisa kakhulu futhi ngizokwenza noma yini ongitshela ukuba ngiyenze. Ngakho ngicela uze ungiqalekisele lesi sizwe.’” 18 Kodwa uBhalami waphendula izinceku zikaBhalaki wathi: “Noma kungathiwa uBhalaki unginika indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva negolide, bengingeke ngenze lutho olungale komyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wami, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kuncane noma kukhulu. + 19 Kodwa nani ngicela nihlale lapha namuhla ebusuku ukuze ngazi ukuthi yikuphi okunye uJehova azongitshela khona.” +

20 UNkulunkulu wafika kuBhalami ebusuku wathi kuye: “Uma la madoda ezele ukuzokubiza, hamba nawo. Kodwa uzokhuluma kuphela amazwi engikutshela wona.” + 21 Ngakho uBhalami wavuka ekuseni wabophela imbongolo* yakhe wahamba nezikhulu zakwaMowabi. +

22 Kodwa intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu yavutha ngenxa yokuthi wayehamba, ingelosi kaJehova yama endleleni ukuze imelane naye. UBhalami wayegibele imbongolo yakhe, ekanye nezikhonzi zakhe ezimbili. 23 Lapho imbongolo ibona ingelosi kaJehova imi endleleni iphethe inkemba esandleni sayo iyihoshile, yazama ukuphambuka endleleni ukuze ishone esigangeni. Kodwa uBhalami waqala ukuyishaya imbongolo ukuze ayiphindisele endleleni. 24 Ingelosi kaJehova yabe isima endleleni ewumngcingo phakathi kwamasimu amagilebhisi amabili, kukhona izindonga zamatshe ngapha nangapha. 25 Lapho imbongolo ibona ingelosi kaJehova, yaqala ukuzimpintsha odongeni yacindezela nonyawo lukaBhalami odongeni, uBhalami waqala ukuyishaya futhi.

26 Manje ingelosi kaJehova yaphinde yadlula ngakubo yama endaweni ewumngcingo, lapho kwakungekho ndlela yokuphambukela kwesokudla noma kwesobunxele. 27 Lapho le mbongolo ibona ingelosi kaJehova, yalala phansi uBhalami eyigibele, ngakho uBhalami wathukuthela waqhubeka eshaya imbongolo ngenduku yakhe. 28 Ekugcineni uJehova wenza ukuba imbongolo ikhulume, + yathi kuBhalami: “Ngenzeni kuwe uze ungishaye kathathu?” + 29 UBhalami wathi embongolweni: “Kungenxa yokuthi ungenze isilima. Ukube nje bengiphethe inkemba, bengizokubulala!” 30 Imbongolo yathi kuBhalami: “Angiyona yini imbongolo yakho obulokhu uyigibela konke ukuphila kwakho kuze kube namhlanje? Ngake ngakuphatha yini ngale ndlela?” Wathi: “Cha!” 31 Ngemva kwalokho uJehova wavula amehlo kaBhalami, + wabona ingelosi kaJehova imi endleleni iphethe inkemba esandleni sayo iyihoshile. Ngaso leso sikhathi waguqa wayesekhothama.

32 Ingelosi kaJehova yabe isithi kuye: “Uyishayeleni imbongolo yakho kathathu? Bheka! Mina ngiphumele ukumelana nawe ngoba indlela yakho imelene nentando yami. + 33 Imbongolo ingibonile yazama ukuphambuka kimi kathathu. + Ake sithi ayiphambukanga kimi! Ngabe manje sengikubulele, ngayilonda imbongolo.” 34 UBhalami wathi engelosini kaJehova: “Ngonile ngoba bengingazi ukuthi nguwe omi endleleni ukuba ungihlangabeze. Manje uma kukubi emehlweni akho, ngizophindela emuva.” 35 Kodwa ingelosi kaJehova yathi kuBhalami: “Hamba nawo la madoda, kodwa ungakhuluma kuphela amazwi engikutshela wona.” Ngakho uBhalami waqhubeka ehamba nezikhulu zikaBhalaki.

36 Lapho uBhalaki ezwa ukuthi uBhalami usefikile, ngokushesha waphuma wayomhlangabeza edolobheni lakwaMowabi, elingasosebeni lwe-Arinoni, emngceleni wendawo. 37 UBhalaki wathi kuBhalami: “Angizange yini ngithumele ukuba ubizwe? Kungani ungezanga kimi? Ubucabanga ukuthi ngeke ngikwazi ukukuphakamisa kakhulu?” + 38 UBhalami waphendula uBhalaki wathi: “Nakhu ngizile kuwe manje. Kodwa ngizovunyelwa yini ukusho noma yini? Ngingakhuluma amazwi uNkulunkulu angitshela wona kuphela.” +

39 Ngakho uBhalami wahamba noBhalaki bafika eKiriyati-huzoti. 40 UBhalaki wenza umhlatshelo ngezinkomo nezimvu, wathumela okunye kuBhalami nasezikhulwini ezazikanye naye. 41 Ekuseni uBhalaki wathatha uBhalami wamletha eBhamoti-bhali; elapho wayekwazi ukubona sonke isizwe sakwa-Israyeli. +