Numeri Chapter 23

1. UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele lapha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa.”

2. UBalaki wenza-ke njengalokho uBileyamu ekhulumile; oBalaki noBileyamu banikela kulelo nalelo altare inkunzi nenqama.

3. UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Yima ngasemnikelweni wakho wokushiswa, mina ngihambe; mhlawumbe uJehova angafika ukungihlangabeza; konke angitshengisa khona ngiyakukutshela.” Waya edulini elingenalutho.

4. UNkulunkulu wahlangana noBileyamu; yena wathi kuye: “Sengilungisile ama-altare ayisikhombisa, nganikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.”

5. UJehova wafaka izwi emlonyeni kaBileyamu, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.”

6. Wayesebuyela kuye; bheka, wayemi ngasemnikelweni wokushiswa, yena nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaMowabi.

7. Wayesethatha isisho sakhe, wathi: “E-Aramu uBalaki ungilandile, inkosi yakwaMowabi ezintabeni zasempumalanga: woza ungiqalekisele uJakobe; woza umdlelesele u-Israyeli.

8. Ngingamqalekisa kanjani ongaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu na? Ngingamdlelesela ongadleleselwanga nguNkulunkulu na?

9. Ngokuba ngisesiqongweni samadwala ngiyambona, ngisemadulini ngiyambuka; bheka, kungabantu abahlala bodwa, abangayikubalwa phakathi kwezizwe.

10. Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, abale okwesine kuka-Israyeli, na? Mangife ukufa kolungileyo, nokuphela kwami makube njengokwakhe.”

11. UBalaki wathumela kuBileyamu, wathi: “Wenzeni kimi na? Ngakuthatha ukuba uqalekise izitha zami; bheka, uzibusisile nokuzibusisa.”

12. Waphendula wathi: “Angiyikuqaphela ukukhuluma lokhu uNkulunkulu akufakile emlonyeni wami na?”

13. UBalaki wayesethi kuye: “Ake uze nami, siye kwenye indawo, lapho ungababona khona; uyakubona inxenye yabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; ungiqalekisele bona uselapho.”

14. Wamyisa ensimini yaseSofimu esiqongweni sasePisiga, wakha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.

15. Wathi kuBalaki: “Yima lapha ngasemnikelweni wakho wokushiswa, mina ngilinde laphaya.”

16. UJehova wayesehlangana noBileyamu, wafaka izwi emlonyeni wakhe, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.”

17. Wayesefika kuye; bheka, wayemi ngasemnikelweni wakhe wokushiswa, izikhulu zakwaMowabi zinaye. UBalaki wathi kuye: “UJehova ukhulume ngokuthini na?”

18. Wayesethatha isisho sakhe, wathi: “Vuka, Balaki, uzwe; ngilalele, wena ndodana kaSipori:

19. uNkulunkulu akasiye umuntu ukuba aqambe amanga, nandodana yomuntu ukuba azisole; ushilo, angayikukwenza, na? Ukhulumile, angayikukuphelelisa, na?

20. Bheka, ngiyaliwe ukubusisa; yena ubusisile, anginakukubuyisa.

21. Akabonanga ingozi kuJakobe, akabukanga nankathazo kwa-Israyeli. UJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe unaye, nesenanelo senkosi siphakathi kwabo.

22. UNkulunkulu wabakhipha eGibithe; unjengezimpondo zenyathi kubo.

23. Ayikho imilingo engamelana noJakobe; akukho ukubhula okungamelana no-Israyeli; manje sekuyashiwo ngoJakobe nango-Israyeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenzeni.

24. Bheka, abantu bavuka njengengonyamakazi, nanjengengonyama bayaziphakamisa; abayikulala phansi, bengakayidli impango, baphuze igazi lababuleweyo.”

25. UBalaki wayesethi kuBileyamu: “Ungabaqalekisi nokubaqalekisa, futhi ungababusisi nokubabusisa.”

26. Kepha uBileyamu waphendula, wathi kuBalaki: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi konke uNkulunkulu akukhulumayo ngiyakukwenza na?”

27. Wathi uBalaki kuBileyamu: “Ake uze, ngikuyise kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaba kuhle emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuba ungiqalekisele bona uselapho.”

28. UBalaki wamyisa uBileyamu esiqongweni sasePeyori elibheke ngenzansi ngasehlane.

29. UBileyamu wayesethi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele lapha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa.”

30. UBalaki wenza-ke njengalokho eshilo uBileyamu; wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.