Numeri 24:1-25
24 Lapho uBhalami ebona ukuthi kwakumjabulisa uJehova* ukubusisa u-Israyeli, akabange esasuka ukuze ayofuna amabika okubi, + kodwa ubuso bakhe wabubhekisa ehlane.
2 Lapho uBhalami ephakamisa amehlo futhi ebona u-Israyeli emise amatende ngokwezizwe zakhe, + umoya kaNkulunkulu waba phezu kwakhe. +
3 Wabe esesho lesi saga: +
“Amazwi kaBhalami indodana kaBheyori,Namazwi endoda emehlo ayo aye avulwa,
4 Amazwi alowo ozwa izwi likaNkulunkulu,Owabona umbono woMninimandla Onke,Oye wakhothama amehlo akhe evuliwe: +
5 Yeka ukuthi mahle kanjani amatende akho, Jakobe,Amatabernakele akho, Israyeli! +
6 Afinyelela kude njengezigodi, *+Njengamasimu angasemfuleni,Njengenhlaba etshalwe uJehova,Njengemisedari engasemanzini.
7 Kulokhu kuconsa amanzi emabhakedeni akhe esikhumba amabili,Imbewu* yakhe itshalwe ngasemanzini amaningi. +
Inkosi yakhe + nayo iyoba nkulu kuno-Agagi, +Nombuso wakhe uyophakanyiswa. +
8 UNkulunkulu umkhipha eGibhithe;Unjengezimpondo zenkunzi yasendle kubo.
Uyodla izizwe, abacindezeli bakhe, +Amathambo azo uyowaququda, aziphihlize ngemicibisholo yakhe.
9 Uqosheme, ulele phansi njengebhubesi,Njengebhubesi, ubani ongalokotha amvuse?
Labo abakubusisayo babusisiwe,Nalabo abakuqalekisayo baqalekisiwe.” +
10 UBhalaki wamthukuthelela uBhalami. Washaya izandla ngokwedelela wathi kuBhalami: “Ngikubizele ukuba uqalekise izitha zami, + kodwa okwenzile nje ukuzibusisa kathathu.
11 Ngakho buyela ekhaya* khona manje. Bengihlose ukukuphakamisa kakhulu, + kodwa uJehova akavumanga ukuba ngikuphakamise.”
12 UBhalami waphendula uBhalaki wathi: “Angishongo yini ezithunyweni owazithuma ukuthi,
13 ‘Noma kungathiwa uBhalaki unginika indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva negolide, bengingeke ngenze lutho ngokuthanda kwami* olungale komyalo kaJehova, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kuhle noma kubi. Ngizokhuluma kuphela lokho uJehova azongitshela khona’? +
14 Manje ngiyahamba ngiya kubantu bakithi. Woza ngikutshele lokho lesi sizwe esiyokwenza kubantu bakho esikhathini esizayo.”*
15 Ngakho washo lesi saga: +
“Amazwi kaBhalami indodana kaBheyori,Namazwi endoda emehlo ayo avuliwe, +
16 Amazwi alowo ozwa izwi likaNkulunkulu,Nalowo onolwazi ngoPhezukonke,Wabona umbono woMninimandla OnkeLapho ekhothama phansi amehlo akhe evuliwe:
17 Ngizombona, kodwa hhayi manje;Ngizombuka, kodwa hhayi maduze.
Kuyophuma inkanyezi + kuJakobe,Kuyovela intonga + ku-Israyeli. +
Nakanjani uyoqhekeza isiphongo sikaMowabi *+Nogebhezi lwawo wonke amadodana okuxokozela.
18 U-Edomi uyoba yifa, +Yebo, iSeyiri + libe yifa lezitha zakhe, +Ngesikhathi u-Israyeli ebonisa isibindi sakhe.
19 Kuyophuma kuJakobe othile onqobayo, +Uyobhubhisa noma ubani osindile edolobheni.”
20 Lapho ebona u-Amaleki, waqhubeka nesaga sakhe wathi:
“U-Amaleki wayengowokuqala ezizweni, +Kodwa ekugcineni uyoshabalala.” +
21 Lapho ebona amaKheni, + waqhubeka nesaga sakhe wathi:
“Ilondekile indawo yakho yokuhlala, imiswe emadwaleni indlu yakho.
22 Kodwa kukhona ozoshisa iKhayine.
Kuzoba isikhathi esingakanani ngaphambi kokuba i-Asiriya likuthumbe?”
23 Waqhubeka nesaga sakhe wathi:
“Maye! Ubani oyosinda lapho uNkulunkulu enza lokhu?
24 Kuyovela imikhumbi ogwini lwaseKitimi, +Ilihluphe i-Asiriya, +Ihluphe ne-Ebhere.
Kodwa naye uyophela nya.”
25 Ngemva kwalokho uBhalami + wasukuma wahamba wabuyela endaweni yakhe. UBhalaki naye wahamba indlela yakhe.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “kwakukuhle emehlweni kaJehova.”
^ Noma, “njengemihosha.”
^ Noma, “Inzalo.”
^ Noma, “goduka.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ngokusuka enhliziyweni yami.”
^ Noma, “ekupheleni kwezinsuku.”
^ Noma, “izinhlafuno zekhanda likaMowabi.”
