Ukumkani Woyika, Kubizwa Umprofeti
Esoyika oko amaSirayeli akwenzayo kuma-Amori, uMowabhi uqesha uBhileham ukuba abaqalekise. Angaphinda kuphela oko uBawo wethu amxelela kona, yaye ingongoma ichazwa yimbongolo, ebona ikrele elirholiweyo limi endleleni xa esi sanuse sidumileyo singaboni.
22 1Banduluka ke oonyana bakaSirayeli, bamisa ezinkqantosini zakwaMowabhi ngaphaya kweYordan, malunga neYeriko. 2Wabona ke uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore konke awakwenzayo amaSirayeli kuma-Amori. 3UMowabhi woyika kakhulu abantu abo, ngokuba babebaninzi; uMowabhi wakruquka ngoonyana bakaSirayeli. 4Wathi uMowabhi kumadoda amakhulu akwaMidiyan: “Le ngxokolo iza kuxhaphela yonke into esingqongileyo, njengoko inkomo ixhaphela utyani basendle.” UBhalaki unyana kaTsipore wayengukumkani wakwaMowabhi ngelo xesha.
5Wathuma abathunywa kuBhileham unyana kaBhehore ePetore, ngasemEfrati ezweni labantu bakowabo, ukuba ambize. Wathi: “Khangela, kukho abantu abaphume eYiputa. Khangela, babugubungela ubuso belizwe, bahlala malunga nam. 6Yiza ke, undiqalekisele aba bantu—ngokuba bomelele kunam. Mhlawumbi ndingaba nako ukubaxabela, ndibagxothe ezweni, ngokuba ndiyazi: osukuba umsikelele usikelelekile, osukuba umqalekise uqalekisiwe.”
7Aya ke amadoda amakhulu akwaMowabhi namadoda amakhulu akwaMidiyan, ephethe imirhumo yokuvumisa ezandleni zawo, afika kuBhileham, amxelela amazwi kaBhalaki.
8Wathi kuwo: “Lalani apha ngobu busuku, ndonibuyisela ilizwi njengoko uThixo athetha kum.” Ahlala ke ababusi bakwaMowabhi noBhileham.
9Weza ke uBawo wethu kuBhileham, wathi: “Ngoobani na la madoda anawe?”
10Wathi uBhileham kuBawo wethu: “UBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi, uthumele ilizwi kum, esithi: 11Khangela, abantu abaphume eYiputa babugubungela ubuso belizwe. Yiza ke ngoku, bona undiqalekisele—mhlawumbi ndinokulwa nabo, ndaze ndibagxothe.”
12Wathi uBawo wethu kuBhileham: “Uze ungahambi nabo. Uze ungabaqalekisi abantu, ngokuba basikelelekile.”
13Wavuka uBhileham kusasa, wathi kubabusi bakaBhalaki: “Buyelani ezweni lakowenu—uThixo akavuma ukuba ndihambe nani.”
14Besuka ababusi bakwaMowabhi, baya kuBhalaki, bathi: “UBhileham wala ukuza nathi.”
15Waphinda ke uBhalaki wathuma ababusi—abaninzi nabazukileyo ngaphezu kwabangaphambili. 16Bafika kuBhileham, bathi: “Utsho uBhalaki unyana kaTsipore ukuthi: Makungabikho nto ikuthintelayo ukuza kum, 17ngokuba ndiya kukuzukisa kakhulu, ndenze konke othi kum. Yiza ke, undiqalekisele aba bantu.”
18Waphendula uBhileham kubakhonzi bakaBhalaki, wathi: “Nokuba uBhalaki ebengandinika indlu yakhe ezaliswe yisilivere negolide, andinakuwudlula umlomo kaThixo, ndenze okuncinane nokukhulu. 19Kaloku ke, hlalani apha ngobu busuku, nani, ukuze ndive into eyongezelelekileyo uBawo wethu aya kuyithetha kum.”
20Weza uBawo wethu kuBhileham ebusuku, wathi kuye: “Njengokuba la madoda eze kukubiza, vuka uhambe nawo; kodwa wenze kuphela oko ndikuxelele kona.”
21Wavuka ke uBhileham kusasa, walibopha iesile lakhe, wahamba nababusi bakwaMowabhi.
UBawo Wethu Uthetha Ngeesile
22Kodwa wavutha umsindo kaBawo wethu ngokuba ehamba, saza isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sema endleleni singutshaba lukaBhileham. UBhileham wayekhwele iesile lakhe, enabakhonzi bakhe ababini. 23Lasibona iesile isithunywa sikaBawo wethu simi endleleni, ikrele laso lithe rhuthu esandleni saso, laza iesile laphambuka endleleni, laya emasimini. UBhileham walibetha iesile ukuze alibuyisele endleleni. 24Saza isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sema endleleni emxinwa phakathi kweediliya, kukho udonga ngapha nangapha. 25Lasibona iesile isithunywa sikaBawo wethu, lazicinezela odongeni, lacinezela unyawo lukaBhileham odongeni, waza waphinda walibetha.
26Saya phambili isithunywa sikaBawo wethu, sema endaweni emxinwa apho kungekho ndawo yokucezela uye ekunene nasekhohlo. 27Lithe iesile lasibona isithunywa sikaBawo wethu, lalala phantsi kukaBhileham; wavutha umsindo wakhe, waza walibetha ngentonga yakhe.
28Waza uBawo wethu wawuvula umlomo weesile, laza lathi kuBhileham: “Ndikwenze ntoni na, le nto undibethe ngazezi zihlandlo zontathu?”
29Wathi uBhileham kwiesile: “Udlale ngam! Ukuba bendinekrele esandleni sam, ngendikubulele ngoku.”
30Lathi iesile kuBhileham: “Andililo na iesile lakho, endikhwela lona ubomi bakho bonke kude kube namhlanje? Ndakha ndakwenzela nje ngaphambili na?” Wathi: “Hayi.”
31Waza uBawo wethu wawavula amehlo kaBhileham, wasibona isithunywa sikaBawo wethu simi endleleni, ikrele laso lithe rhuthu esandleni, waza wathoba, wawa ngobuso.
32Sathi isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuye: “Yini na ukuba ulibethe iesile lakho izihlandlo zontathu? Ndiphume ndilutshaba, ngokuba indlela yakho igwenxa phambi kwam. 33Iesile landibona, laphambuka kum ngazezi zihlandlo zontathu. Ukuba belingaphambukanga, ngendikubulele ngoku, ndalisindisa lona iesile.”
34Wathi uBhileham kwisithunywa sikaBawo wethu: “Ndonile—bendingazi ukuba umi endleleni undichasa. Kaloku ke, ukuba kubi emehlweni akho, ndobuya umva.”
35Sathi isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuBhileham: “Hamba namadoda, kodwa uthethe kuphela oko ndikuxelele kona.” Wahamba ke uBhileham nababusi bakaBhalaki.
36Xa uBhalaki weva ukuba uBhileham uyafika, waphuma waya kumkhawulela kumzi wakwaMowabhi, osemdeni waseArnon, osekupheleni komda. 37Wathi uBhalaki kuBhileham: “Bendingathumanga na ngobungxamo ukukubiza? Yini na ukuba ungezi kum? Okunene andinako na ukukuzukisa?”
38Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki: “Khangela, ndize kuwe ngoku—kodwa ndinako na ukuthetha nantoni na? Ndinokuthetha kuphela ilizwi uThixo alibeke emlonyeni wam.”
39Wahamba ke uBhileham noBhalaki, baya eKiriyati-hutsoti. 40UBhalaki wabingelela iinkomo nezimvu, wathumela izabelo kuBhileham nakubabusi ababenaye. 41Ngentsasa uBhalaki wamthabatha uBhileham, wamnyusa eBhamotibhahali; esuka apho wabona icala labantu.
