Numeri
22 Ema-Israyeli esuka, afike amisa emathende awo ehlane lakaMowabi ngesheya kweJordane, macondzana neJerikho.+ 2 Bhalaki+ indvodzana yaSiphori wakubona konkhe loko ema-Israyeli labekwente kuma-Amori, 3 futsi emaMowabi awesaba kakhulu ema-Israyeli, ngobe abemanyenti kakhulu. Ngako atfutfumela ngenca yema-Israyeli.+ 4 EmaMowabi atjela emadvodza lamadzala akaMidiyani,+ atsi: “Labantfu batayicedza yonkhe indzawo yetfu, njengenkunzi leshwabadzela tjani emadlelweni.”
Bhalaki indvodzana yaSiphori abeyinkhosi yakaMowabi ngaleso sikhatsi. 5 Watfumela titfunywa kuBhalamu indvodzana yaBheyori lobekasePhethori,+ leseceleni kwemfula iYufrathe,* endzaweni yakubo. Wambita, watsi: “Kunebantfu labaphume eveni laseGibhithe. Sebagcwele kuwo wonkhe umhlaba*+ futsi bahlala lapha endzaweni yetfu. 6 Ngako ngicela ute utongicalekisela bona+ ngobe banemandla kunami. Mhlawumbe nje ngingabancoba ngiphindze ngibacoshe kulelive, ngobe ngati kahle kutsi ubusisiwe umuntfu wena lombusisako nekutsi ucalekisiwe loyo wena lomcalekisako.”
7 Lamadvodza lamadzala akaMowabi kanye newakaMidiyani ahamba aphetse imali yekuphengula aya kuBhalamu,+ afike amtjela loko Bhalaki lakushoko. 8 Nakeva loko, Bhalamu watsi: “Citsani busuku lapha, futsi mine ngitanitjela nobe yini Jehova layishoko kimi.” Ngako letindvuna takaMowabi tahlala naBhalamu.
9 Nkulunkulu wefika kuBhalamu, watsi:+ “Abobani lamadvodza lokanye nawo?” 10 Bhalamu watsi kuNkulunkulu weliciniso: “Bhalaki indvodzana yaSiphori, inkhosi yakaMowabi utfumele umlayeto kimi watsi: 11 ‘Labantfu labaphume eGibhithe sebagcwele wonkhe umhlaba.* Ngicela ute utongicalekisela bona,+ mhlawumbe nje ngingalwa nabo ngiphindze ngibacoshe.’” 12 Kodvwa Nkulunkulu watsi kuBhalamu: “Ungahambi nalamadvodza, nalabantfu ungabacalekisi ngobe babusisiwe.”+
13 Bhalamu wavuka ekuseni, watsi kuletindvuna taBhalaki: “Hambani niye eveni lenu, ngobe Jehova ungalele kutsi ngihambe nani.” 14 Ngako letindvuna takaMowabi tahamba tabuyela kuBhalaki, tafike tatsi: “Bhalamu walile kuta natsi.”
15 Kodvwa-ke Bhalaki waphindze watfumela letinye tindvuna, futsi tona betitinyenti, tihlonipheke kakhulu kunaleti tekucala. 16 Letindvuna tefika kuBhalamu, tatsi: “Naku Bhalaki indvodzana yaSiphori lakushito: ‘Ngicela ungavumeli lutfo lukuvimbe kutsi ute kimi, 17 ngobe ngitakuniketa umvuzo lomkhulu, futsi ngitakwenta nobe yini longitjela yona. Ngako ngicela ute utengicalekisela labantfu.’” 18 Bhalamu watiphendvula letinceku taBhalaki, watsi: “Ngisho nobe Bhalaki anganginika yonkhe indlu yakhe legcwele lisiliva neligolide, ngeke ngente nobe yini lephambene naloko Jehova Nkulunkulu wami langitjele kona, ngisho nobe kuyintfo lencane nobe lenkhulu.+ 19 Kodvwa ngicela nani nicitse busuku lapha, kuze ngitewukuva kutsi yini lenye Jehova latangitjela yona.”+
20 Nkulunkulu wefika kuBhalamu ebusuku, watsi: “Nangabe lamadvodza ete kutekubita, hamba nawo. Kodvwa utawukhuluma kuphela loko lengitakutjela kona.”+ 21 Ngako Bhalamu wavuka ekuseni wagibela imbongolo yakhe,* wahamba naletindvuna takaMowabi.+
22 Kodvwa Nkulunkulu watfukutsela kakhulu ngobe Bhalamu abehamba, futsi ingilosi yaJehova yema ekhatsi emgwacweni kuze imvimbe. Bhalamu abegibele imbongolo yakhe, netinceku takhe letimbili tikanye naye. 23 Lembongolo yatsi nayibona ingilosi yaJehova ime ekhatsi emgwacweni iphetse inkemba esandleni sayo, yetama kuphambuka ingene esigangeni. Bhalamu wayishaya lembongolo kuze ibuyele emgwacweni. 24 Lengilosi yaJehova yabese ima endleleni lencane lebeyisemkhatsini wemasimu lamabili emagilebisi, futsi bekunelubondza ngala nangala. 25 Ngesikhatsi lembongolo ibona lengilosi yaJehova, yagudla lolubondza, yampintjetela lunyawo lwaBhalamu kulo. Bhalamu waphindze wayishaya.
26 Lengilosi yaJehova yaphindze yendlula, yema endzaweni lencane, lapho kwakute khona ngisho nendzawana nje yekujikela ngesekudla nome ngesancele. 27 Lembongolo nayibona lengilosi yaJehova, yalala phansi Bhalamu asesetulu. Ngako Bhalamu watfukutsela kakhulu futsi wachubeka ayishaya ngendvuku yakhe. 28 Ekugcineni Jehova wenta lembongolo kutsi ikhulume,*+ futsi yatsi kuBhalamu: “Ngikwenteni kutsi ungaze ungishaye letikhatsi letintsatfu?”+ 29 Bhalamu wayiphendvula watsi: “Kungobe ungente silima. Kube nje bengiphetse inkemba, bengitakubulala!” 30 Lembongolo yabese itsi kuye: “Mine angisiyo yini imbongolo yakho lebewusolo uyigibela kuko konkhe kuphila kwakho kuze kube ngulamuhla? Ngike ngakuphatsa yini ngalendlela ngaphambili?” Yena waphendvula watsi: “Cha!” 31 Jehova wabese uvula emehlo aBhalamu+ futsi wayibona ingilosi yaJehova ime ekhatsi emgwacweni iphetse inkemba esandleni sayo. Watsi nakayibona wavele waguca futsi wakhotsama, wabheka phansi.
32 Lengilosi yaJehova yatsi kuye: “Kungani uze wayishaya katsatfu lembongolo yakho? Mine ngitele kutokuvimba, ngobe loluhambo lwakho luphambene nentsandvo yami.+ 33 Lembongolo ingibonile futsi kuto tonkhe letikhatsi letintsatfu beyetama kungibalekela.+ Kube ayikangibalekeli, wena ngabe nyalo sengikubulele kodvwa yona ngayiyekela.” 34 Bhalamu watsi kulengilosi yaJehova: “Ngonile, ngobe angikaboni kutsi nguwe lona bewume ekhatsi emgwacweni ute kimi. Nangabe-ke loluhambo lwami lungasiluhle kuwe, ngitawubuyela emuva.” 35 Lengilosi yaJehova yatsi kuye: “Hamba nalamadvodza, kodvwa utawukhuluma kuphela loko lengitakutjela kona.” Ngako Bhalamu wachubeka wahamba naletindvuna taBhalaki.
36 Ngesikhatsi Bhalaki eva kutsi Bhalamu sewufikile, waphuma ngekushesha wayomhlangabeta edolobheni lakaMowabi, leliseceleni kwesigodzi sase-Anoni, emnceleni waleyo ndzawo. 37 Bhalaki watsi kuBhalamu: “Bengingakakubiti yini? Kungani ungetanga kimi? Bewucabanga kutsi angeke yini ngikunikete umvuzo lomkhulu?”+ 38 Bhalamu wamphendvula watsi: “Sengitile. Kodvwa-ke kukhona yini lengivunyelwe kutsi ngikusho? Ngitawukhuluma kuphela loko Nkulunkulu langitjela kona.”+
39 Ngako Bhalamu wahamba naBhalaki futsi befika eKhiriyathi-husothi. 40 Bhalaki wenta imihlatjelo yetinkhomo kanye netimvu, waphindze watfumela letinye taletintfo kuBhalamu nakuletindvuna lebetikanye naye. 41 Ekuseni Bhalaki watsatsa Bhalamu wakhuphukela naye eBhamothi-bhali, futsi kuleyo ndzawo abekhona kuwabona onkhe ema-Israyeli.+