Numeri

22 Ama-Israyeli asuka ayokukampa emmangweni othabaleleko wakwaMowabi ngepumalanga yeJordani ukusuka eJerikho.+ 2 UBhalaki+ indodana kaTsipori wabona indlela ama-Israyeli ahlula ngayo ama-Amori, 3 bakwaMowabi bathukwa khulu ngombana ama-Israyeli bewamanengi, bangenwa mamanzi emadolweni ngebanga lokusaba ama-Israyeli.+ 4 Nje-ke uMowabi wathi ebadaleni bakwaMidiyani:+ “Ihlangano le izosidla soke nje njengekunzi nayidla utjani.”

UBhalaki indodana kaTsipori bekayikosi yakwaMowabi ngesikhatheso. 5 Wathumela iinthunywa kuBhalami indodana kaBhewori obekahlala neenhlobo zakhe ePetora,+ ebeyihlanu koMlambo.* Wambiza wathi kuye: “Qala abantwaba baphuma eGibhide. Basabalele iphasi loke+ begodu bahlala eduze nami. 6 Ngibawa uze uzongiqalekisela abantwaba+ ngombana banamandla kunami. Mhlamunye ngingabahlula bengibaqothe enarheni ngombana ngazi kuhle ukuthi ombusisako uyabusiseka nomqalekisako uyaqalekiswa.”

7 Nje-ke abadala bakwaMowabi nabadala bakwaMidiyani baya kuBhalami+ baphethe imali yokuthukula bamtjela umlayezo ovela kuBhalaki. 8 Wabaphendula wathi: “Lalani lapha, ngizanitjela nanyana yini uJehova angitjela yona.” Amakhosana wakwaMowabi ahlala noBhalami.

9 UZimu weza kuBhalami wathi:+ “Bobani amadoda anawe la?” 10 UBhalami wathi kuZimu weqiniso: “UBhalaki indodana kaTsipori, ikosi yakwaMowabi ungithumele umlayezo wathi, 11 ‘Qala, kunabantu abavela eGibhide basabalele iphasi loke. Nje-ke yewize uzongiqalekisela bona.+ Mhlamunye ngingalwa nabo, ngibahlule bengibaqothe.’” 12 UZimu wathi kuBhalami: “Akukafuzi ukhambe nawo. Ungabaqalekisi nabantwabo ngombana babusisiwe.”+

13 UBhalami wavuka ekuseni wathi emakhosaneni kaBhalaki: “Buyelani enarhenenu, uJehova walile bona ngikhambe nani.” 14 Amakhosana wakwaMowabi akhamba abuyela kuBhalaki athi: “UBhalami walile ukuza nathi.”

15 UBhalaki wabuye wathumela amakhosana amanengi nahlonipheke khulu ukudlula wokuthoma. 16 Afika kuBhalami athi: “Nakhu uBhalaki indodana kaTsipori akutjhoko, ‘Ngibawa ungavumeli litho likwenze bona ungezi uzongibona, 17 ngizokuhlonipha khulu begodu ngizokwenza nanyana yini othi ngiyenze. Nje-ke ngiyakubawa, yiza uzongiqalekisela abantwaba.’” 18 UBhalami waphendula iinsebenzi zakaBhalaki wathi: “Ngitjho nanyana uBhalaki angangipha indlwakhe izele isiliva negolide, angekhe ngenze nanyana yini bona ngeqe umyalo kaJehova uZimami, kungaba yinto encani namkha ekulu.+ 19 Kodwana ngibawa nilale la godu, ngizwe ukuthi khuyini enye uJehova azongitjela yona.”+

20 UZimu weza kuBhalami ebusuku wathi: “Nangabe amadoda la azokubiza, khamba nawo. Kodwana uzokukhuluma kwaphela engizokutjela khona.”+ 21 Nje-ke uBhalami wavuka ekuseni walungisa udumbanakhe, wakhamba namakhosana wakwaMowabi.+

22 UZimu wasilingeka ngebanga lokuthi uBhalami bekakhamba, ingilozi kaJehova yajama endleleni yamkhandela. UBhalami bekakhamba ngodumbanakhe aneensebenzi zakhe ezimbili. 23 Udumbana nakabona ingilozi kaJehova ijame endleleni iphethe isabula, walinga ukuphuma endleleni aye emmangweni. Kodwana uBhalami wambetha alinga ukumbuyisela endleleni. 24 Ingilozi kaJehova yajama endleleni encani ehlangana namasimu amabili wamadiribe anemithangala eyakhiwe ngamatje emahlangothini womabili. 25 Udumbana nakabona ingilozi kaJehova, wasama emthangaleni bewaminyezela inyawo lakaBhalami emthangaleni, uBhalami wambetha godu.

26 Ingilozi kaJehova yadlula godu yajama endaweni encani lapho kungakghoneki ukujikela ngesidleni namkha ngesinceleni. 27 Udumbana nakabona ingilozi kaJehova wahlala phasi, uBhalami wasilingeka khulu wasolo ambetha ngentongakhe. 28 Ekugcineni uJehova wenza udumbana bona akhulume,+ wathi kuBhalami: “Ngikwenzeni kangaka bona ungabe ungibethe kathathu?”+ 29 UBhalami waphendula udumbana wathi: “Kungombana ungenze isidlhadlha. Ngathana bengiphethe isabula, ngabe ngiyakubulala!” 30 Udumbana wathi kuBhalami: “Kghani angisingudumbanakho ebewusolo umkhwela ukuphila kwakho koke? Ngakhe ngakuphatha ngendlela le na?” Wathi: “Awa!” 31 Nje-ke uJehova wavula amehlo kaBhalami,+ wabona ingilozi kaJehova ijame endleleni iphethe isabula. Khonokho wakhothama.

32 Ingilozi kaJehova yathi kuye: “Kubayini ubethe udumbanakho kathathu? Ngizele ukukukhandela ngombana ikhambo lakho alikhambisani nentandwami.+ 33 Udumbana ungibonile walinga ukuphambuka kathathu phambi kwami.+ Ngathana akhenge aphambuke, ngabe ngikubulele ngalisa udumbana waphila.” 34 UBhalami wathi engilozini kaJehova: “Ngonile, ngombana bengingazi ukuthi nguwe ojame endleleni uzongihlangabeza. Nangabe ikhambweli limbi kuwe, ngizokubuyela emuva.” 35 Ingilozi kaJehova yathi kuBhalami: “Khamba nawo amadoda la kodwana uzokukhuluma kwaphela lokho engizokutjela khona.” UBhalami waraga wakhamba namakhosana kaBhalaki.

36 UBhalaki nakezwa ukuthi uBhalami ufikile, msinyana waphuma wayomhlangabeza edorobheni lakwaMowabi, elimagega ne-Arinoni emkhawulweni wesifunda. 37 UBhalaki wathi kuBhalami: “Kanti khenge ngikubize na? Manje kubayini ungakhenge uze kimi? Kghani bewungacabangi bona ngingakuhlonipha khulu?”+ 38 UBhalami waphendula uBhalaki wathi: “Sengifikile. Ngivumelekile ukukhuluma? Ngizokukhuluma kwaphela lokho uZimu athe ngikukhulume.”+

39 UBhalami wakhamba noBhalaki bayokufika eKhiriyathi-Rhutsothi. 40 UBhalaki wenza umhlatjelo ngeenkomo nangezimvu, wathumela ezinye kuBhalami nemakhosaneni ebewanaye. 41 Ekuseni uBhalaki wathatha uBhalami wamusa eBhamothi-Bhali; nakalapho bekakghona ukubona boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli.+