Inkosi Iyesaba, Umprofethi Uyabizwa
Isatshiswe yilokho u-Israyeli akwenza kuma-Amori, iMowabi iqasha uBalami ukuba abaqalekise. Angaphinda kuphela lokho uBaba wethu amtshela khona, futhi iphuzu lenziwa yimbongolo, ebona inkemba ehunyushiwe imi endleleni lapho umboni odumile engayiboni.
22 1Base besuka abakwa-Israyeli bamisa amathente emathafeni akwaMowabi ngaphesheya kweJordani, maqondana neJeriko. 2UBalaki indodana kaZipori wabona konke lokho u-Israyeli ayekwenze kuma-Amori. 3UMowabi wesaba kakhulu abantu, ngokuba babebaningi; uMowabi wanovalo olukhulu ngabakwa-Israyeli. 4UMowabi wathi kumadoda amadala akwaMidiyani: “Lesi sixuku siyakukhotha konke esikuzungelezile, njengenkabi ikhotha utshani basendle.” UBalaki indodana kaZipori wayeyinkosi yakwaMowabi ngaleso sikhathi.
5Wathuma izithunywa kuBalami indodana kaBeyori ePethori, eduze noFrati ezweni labantu bakibo, ukuba zimbize. Wathi: “Bheka, abantu baphumile eGibhithe. Bheka, bagubuzele ubuso bezwe, futhi sebakhile maqondana nami. 6Woza, ngicela ungiqalekisele laba bantu—banamandla kunami. Mhlawumbe ngingabe sengiyakwazi ukubashaya ngibaxoshe ezweni, ngokuba ngiyazi: lowo omubusisayo ubusisiwe, nalowo omqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”
7Amadoda amadala akwaMowabi namadoda amadala akwaMidiyani ahamba, ephethe imali yokubhula ezandleni zawo, afika kuBalami amtshela amazwi kaBalaki.
8Wathi kuwo: “Lalani lapha namuhla ebusuku, ngiyakunibuyisela izwi njengokuba uNkulunkulu eyakukhuluma kimi.” Ngakho izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahlala noBalami.
9UBaba wethu weza kuBalami wathi: “Angobani lawa madoda anawe?”
10UBalami wathi kuBaba wethu: “UBalaki indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakwaMowabi, uthumele izwi kimi: 11Bheka, abantu abaphumile eGibhithe bagubuzele ubuso bezwe. Woza manje, ungiqalekisele bona—mhlawumbe ngingakwazi ukulwa nabo ngibaxoshe.”
12Kodwa uBaba wethu wathi kuBalami: “Ungahambi nawo. Ungabaqalekisi abantu, ngokuba babusisiwe.”
13UBalami wavuka ekuseni kwalolo suku wathi ezikhulwini zikaBalaki: “Buyelani ezweni lenu—uNkulunkulu wenqabile ukungivumela ukuba ngihambe nani.”
14Izikhulu zakwaMowabi zavuka, zaya kuBalaki, zathi: “UBalami wenqabile ukuza nathi.”
15UBalaki wabuye wathuma izikhulu—eziningi neziphakeme ngokuhlonishwa kunezokuqala. 16Zafika kuBalami zathi: “UBalaki indodana kaZipori uthi: Makungabi nalutho olukuvimbayo ukuba uze kimi, 17ngokuba ngiyakukuhlonipha kakhulu, futhi ngenze noma yini oyisho kimi. Ngakho ngicela uze ungiqalekisele laba bantu.”
18UBalami waphendula izinceku zikaBalaki wathi: “Noma uBalaki enganginika indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva negolide, angingeke ngeqe umyalo kaNkulunkulu, ngenze okuncane noma okukhulu. 19Manje ngicela, lalani lapha namuhla ebusuku, nani futhi, ukuze ngazi ukuthi yikuphi okunye uBaba wethu azakukusho kimi.”
20UBaba wethu weza kuBalami ebusuku wathi kuye: “Njengoba lawa madoda eze ukukubiza, vuka uhambe nawo, kodwa wenze kuphela lokho engikutshela khona.”
21Ngakho uBalami wavuka ekuseni, wabophela isihlalo embongolweni yakhe, wahamba nezikhulu zakwaMowabi.
UBaba Wethu Ukhuluma Ngembongolo
22Kodwa intukuthelo kaBaba wethu yavutha ngokuba wahamba, nesithunywa sikaBaba wethu sema endleleni njengesitha sikaBalami. UBalami wayegibele imbongolo yakhe, enezinceku zakhe ezimbili. 23Imbongolo yabona isithunywa sikaBaba wethu simi endleleni, inkemba yaso ihoshiwe esandleni saso, yaphambuka endleleni yangena endle. Ngakho uBalami wayishaya imbongolo ukuba ayibuyisele endleleni. 24Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu sema endleleni encane phakathi kwezivini, kunodonga nhlangothi zombili. 25Imbongolo yabona isithunywa sikaBaba wethu, yacindezela odongeni, yacindezela unyawo lukaBalami kulo, ngakho wayishaya futhi.
26Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu saqhubeka sema endaweni encane lapho kungekho ndawo yokuphambukela ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo. 27Kwathi lapho imbongolo ibona isithunywa sikaBaba wethu, yalala phansi ngaphansi kukaBalami; intukuthelo yakhe yavutha, wayishaya ngenduku yakhe.
28UBaba wethu wavula umlomo wembongolo, yathi kuBalami: “Ngikwenzeni, ukuba ungishaye lezi zikhathi ezintathu?”
29UBalami wathi kuyo imbongolo: “Ungihlekisile! Ukuba benginenkemba esandleni sami, bengiyakukubulala manje.”
30Imbongolo yathi kuBalami: “Angisiyo yini imbongolo yakho, leyo oyigibele ukuphila kwakho konke kuze kube namuhla? Ngake ngakwenza kanje yini ngaphambili?” Wathi: “Cha.”
31UBaba wethu wavula amehlo kaBalami, wabona isithunywa sikaBaba wethu simi endleleni, inkemba ihoshiwe esandleni, wakhothama phansi wawa ngobuso.
32Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu sathi kuye: “Umshayeleni imbongolo yakho kathathu? Ngiphumile njengesitha, ngokuba indlela yakho inobungozi phambi kwami. 33Imbongolo ingibonile yaphambuka kimi lezi zikhathi ezintathu. Ukuba ibingaphambukanga, bengiyakukubulala manje ngiyiyeke iphile yona.”
34UBalami wathi esithunyweni sikaBaba wethu: “Ngonile—bengingazi ukuthi umi endleleni ukuze umelane nami. Manje uma lokhu kukubi emehlweni akho, ngizakubuyela emuva.”
35Isithunywa sikaBaba wethu sathi kuBalami: “Hamba namadoda, kodwa usho kuphela lokho engikutshela khona.” Ngakho uBalami waqhubeka nezikhulu zikaBalaki.
36Kwathi lapho uBalaki ezwa ukuthi uBalami uyeza, waphuma ukuyomhlangabeza emzini wakwaMowabi, emngceleni wase-Arinoni, ekupheleni komngcele. 37UBalaki wathi kuBalami: “Angithumelanga ngokuphuthuma ukukubiza na? Kungani ungezanga kimi? Ngabe angikwazi ngempela ukukuhlonipha na?”
38UBalami wathi kuBalaki: “Bheka, sengize kuwe manje—kodwa ngingakhuluma noma yini na? Ngingakhuluma kuphela lokho uNkulunkulu akubeka emlonyeni wami.”
39Ngakho uBalami wahamba noBalaki, bafika eKiriyathi-Huzoti. 40UBalaki wahlaba izinkomo nezimvu, wathumela izabelo kuBalami nasezikhulwini ezazinaye. 41Ekuseni uBalaki wathatha uBalami wamkhuphulela eBamoti-Bhali, wathi esuka lapho wabona umkhawulo wabantu.
