UBawo Uyasikelela Oko uBhalaki Ebefuna Ukukuqalekisa
UBhalaki wakha izibingelelo ezisixhenxe kabini, wafumana intsikelelo kabini. Impendulo kaBhileham yeyokuba uBawo wethu akayondoda ukuba axoke okanye aguqule ingqondo yakhe; oko akusikeleleyo akunako ukurhoxiswa, nokuba ukumkani uzama iincopho zeentaba ezingaphi na emva koko.
23 1Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki: “Ndakhele apha izibingelelo zibe sixhenxe, undilungiselele apha iinkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo zibe sixhenxe, neenkunzi zezimvu zibe sixhenxe.”
2UBhalaki wenza njengoko watshoyo uBhileham; baza uBhalaki noBhileham basondeza inkunzi entsha nenkunzi yemvu kwisibingelelo ngasinye. 3Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki: “Yima ngasedinini lakho elinyukayo ngeli lixa ndihamba; mhlawumbi uThixo woza kundihlangabeza, ndiza kukuxelela nokuba yintoni na andibonisa yona.” Waza waya endulini ebhungqileyo.
4Wamhlangabeza uBawo wethu uBhileham, waza wathi kuye: “Ndimise izibingelelo zibe sixhenxe, ndasondeza inkunzi entsha nenkunzi yemvu kwisibingelelo ngasinye.”
5UBawo wethu wabeka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBhileham: “Buyela kuBhalaki, utsho oku.”
6Wabuyela kuBhalaki, wafika emi ngasedinini lakhe elinyukayo, kunye nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaMowabhi. 7Wasusela ngomzekeliso wakhe, wathi: “Ndithatyathwe eAram nguBhalaki, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi endithatha ezintabeni zasempumalanga: Yiza, undiqalekisele uYakobi; yiza, undigxekele uSirayeli. 8Ndingamqalekisa njani lowo angamqalekisanga uBawo wethu? Ndingamgxeka njani lowo angamgxekanga uBawo wethu? 9Ndisemantloko amawa ndiyambona, ndisezindulini ndiyamkhangela: ngabantu abahleli bodwa, abangazibalela phakathi kweentlanga. 10Ngubani na onokuluthela uthuli lukaYakobi, abale isine sikaSirayeli? Mandife ukufa kwabathe tye, nesiphelo sam masibe njengesabo!”
11Wathi uBhalaki kuBhileham: “Yintoni na le undenze yona? Ndikuthathele ukuba undiqalekisele iintshaba zam, kanti nawe uthe wazisikelela nje!”
12Waphendula wathi: “Andimele na ukuxunela ukuba ndithethe oko uThixo akubekayo emlonyeni wam?”
Ilizwi LikaBawo Wethu Limi Liqinile
13Waza uBhalaki wathi: “Khawuhambe nam uye kwenye indawo apho unokubabona khona. Woba kodwa icala labo, hayi bonke, undiqalekisele bona uphuma apho.”
14Wamsa entsimini yakwaTsofi, encotsheni yePisga, wakha izibingelelo zibe sixhenxe, waza wasondeza inkunzi entsha nenkunzi yemvu kwisibingelelo ngasinye. 15Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki: “Yima apha ngasedinini lakho elinyukayo ngeli lixa ndihlangana naye phaya.”
16UBawo wethu wamhlangabeza uBhileham, wabeka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, wathi: “Buyela kuBhalaki, utsho oku.”
17Wafika kuye, emile ecaleni kwedini lakhe elinyukayo, enezikhulu zakwaMowabhi. Wambuza uBhalaki esithi: “Uthethe ukuthini na uThixo?”
18Wasusela ngomzekeliso wakhe: “Vuka, Bhalaki, uve; ndiphulaphule, nyana kaTsipore: 19UBawo wethu akangomntu, ukuba athethe ubuxoki, akangonyana womntu, ukuba azohlwaye. Wakha wathetha into, akayenza na? Wakha wathetha, akayizalisa na? 20Yabona, ndamkele umyalelo wokuba ndisikelele. Yena usikelele, ndingenako ukukubuyisa. 21Akabonanga bugwenxa kuYakobi, akabonanga nkxwaleko kuSirayeli. UBawo wethu unaye, nentlokoma yokumkani iphakathi kwabo. a a v21 Nokuduma kukakumkani: uThixo wakwaSirayeli ulawula phezu kwabo njengokumkani, nesikhalo sakhe soloyiso siya phambi kwabo edabini. 22UBawo wethu, owabakhuphayo eYiputa, kubo unjengeempondo zenyathi. b b v22 Inyathi yayisisilwanyana esikhulu, ngoku esingasekhoyo; iimpondo zaso zazifanekisela amandla amakhulu angathambekiyo. 23Akukho bukhafula kuYakobi, akukho kuvumisa kuSirayeli. Ngoku kuya kuthiwa ngoYakobi nangoSirayeli: ‘Khangela oko akwenzileyo uBawo wethu!’ 24Yabona, abantu abesukayo njengengonyamakazi, bevuka njengengonyama; abayi kubutha bade baqwenge amaxhoba, basele negazi labahlatyiweyo.”
25Wathi uBhalaki kuBhileham: “Sukubaqalekisa konke konke, ungabasikeleli nokubasikelela!”
26Kodwa uBhileham waphendula uBhalaki, wathi: “Bendingakuxelelanga na ukuba ndimelwe kukwenza konke akuthethayo uThixo?”
27Wathi uBhalaki kuBhileham: “Yiza, mandikuse kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbi uThixo woza akuvumele undiqalekisele bona uphuma apho.”
28Waza uBhalaki wamsa uBhileham encotsheni yePehore, ekhangele enkangala. 29Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki: “Ndakhele apha izibingelelo zibe sixhenxe, undilungiselele apha iinkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo zibe sixhenxe, neenkunzi zezimvu zibe sixhenxe.”
30UBhalaki wenza njengoko watshoyo uBhileham, waza wasondeza inkunzi entsha nenkunzi yemvu kwisibingelelo ngasinye.
