UBaba ubusisa lokho uBalaki ayefuna ukukuqalekisa
UBalaki wakha ama-altare ayisikhombisa kabili futhi uthola isibusiso kabili. Impendulo kaBalami ithi uBaba wethu akasiye umuntu ukuba aqambe amanga noma aguqule umqondo wakhe; lokho akubusisile akunakuhoxiswa, noma inkosi izama iziqongo ezingaki ezilandelayo.
23 1UBalami wathi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele ama-altare ayisikhombisa lapha, ungilungiselele izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa lapha.”
2UBalaki wenza njengokusho kukaBalami; uBalaki noBalami banikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo i-altare. 3UBalami wathi kuBalaki: “Yima eduze komnikelo wakho oshiswayo ngesikhathi ngihamba; mhlawumbe uNkulunkulu uzohlangana nami, bese ngikutshela noma yini angibonisa yona.” Wayesenyukela esiqongweni esiyize.
4UBaba wethu wahlangana noBalami, owathi kuye: “Ngimise ama-altare ayisikhombisa, nganikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo i-altare.”
5UBaba wethu wafaka izwi emlonyeni kaBalami, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki ukhulume kanje.”
6Wabuyela kuBalaki—nangu uBalaki emi eduze komnikelo wakhe oshiswayo, kanye nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaMowabi. 7Waphakamisa isisho sakhe wathi: “UBalaki ungilethe evela e-Aramu, inkosi yakwaMowabi ivela ezintabeni zasempumalanga: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe; woza, ugxeke u-Israyeli. 8Ngingabaqalekisa kanjani labo uBaba wethu angabaqalekisanga? Ngingabagxeka kanjani labo uBaba wethu angabagxekanga? 9Ngisukela esicongweni samadwala ngiyababona, ngisemagqumeni ngiyababuka: isizwe esihlala sodwa, esingazibali phakathi kwezizwe. 10Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe noma abale ngisho nengxenye yesine ka-Israyeli? Mangife njengokufa kwabaqotho, nokuphela kwami kube njengokwabo!”
11UBalaki wathi kuBalami: “Wenzeni kimi? Ngikulethe ukuba uqalekise izitha zami, kanti bheka—ubuye wazibusisa nje!”
12Waphendula wathi: “Akufanele yini ngiqaphele ukukhuluma lokho uNkulunkulu akufaka emlonyeni wami?”
Izwi likaBaba wethu limi liqinile
13UBalaki wayesethi: “Ake uhambe nami siye kwenye indawo lapho ungababona khona. Uyobona umkhawulo wabo wangaphandle kuphela, hhayi bonke, ubese ungiqalekisela bona usuka lapho.”
14Wamthatha wamyisa ensimini yaseZofimi, esicongweni sasePhisiga, wakha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, wanikela ngenkunzi nenqama kulelo nalelo. 15UBalami wathi kuBalaki: “Yima lapha eduze komnikelo wakho oshiswayo ngesikhathi ngihlangana naye laphaya.”
16UBaba wethu wahlangana noBalami, wafaka izwi emlonyeni wakhe, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki ukhulume kanje.”
17Wafika kuye—nanguya, emi eduze komnikelo wakhe oshiswayo, kanye nezikhulu zakwaMowabi. UBalaki wathi kuye: “UNkulunkulu ukhulumeni?”
18Waphakamisa isisho sakhe: “Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe; ungilalele, ndodana kaZipori: 19UBaba wethu akasona umuntu, ukuba aqambe amanga, noma indodana yomuntu, ukuba aguqule umqondo wakhe. Wake washo yini into wangayenza? Wake wakhuluma yini wangakugcwalisa? 20Bheka, ngithole umyalo wokubusisa. Yena ubusisile, mina angikwazi ukukuhoxisa. 21Akabonanga ishwa kuJakobe, akabonanga nhlupheko ku-Israyeli. UBaba wethu unaye, nomkhosi weNkosi uphakathi kwabo. a a v21 Umkhosi weNkosi: uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ubusa phezu kwabo njengeNkosi, nomkhosi wakhe wokunqoba uhamba phambi kwabo empini. 22UBaba wethu, owabakhipha eGibhithe, kubo unjengezimpondo zenyathi. b b v22 Inyathi yayiyisilwane esikhulu kakhulu, esesashabalala manje; izimpondo zayo zazifanekisela amandla amakhulu angathanjiswayo. 23Akukho ukuthakatha okungamelana noJakobe, akukho ukubhula okungamelana no-Israyeli. Manje kuyakuthiwa ngoJakobe nango-Israyeli, ‘Bheka lokho uBaba wethu akwenzile!’ 24Bheka, isizwe esivuka njengebhubesikazi, esiziphaphamisa njengebhubesi; asiyikulala size sidle impango siphuze negazi lababuleweyo.”
25UBalaki wathi kuBalami: “Ungabaqalekisi nhlobo, futhi ungababusisi nhlobo!”
26Kodwa uBalami waphendula uBalaki wathi: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi kumele ngenze konke uNkulunkulu akushoyo?”
27UBalaki wathi kuBalami: “Woza, ngikuyise kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbe uNkulunkulu uzokuvumela ukuba ungiqalekisele bona usuka lapho.”
28Ngakho uBalaki wathatha uBalami wamyisa esicongweni sasePheyori, esibuka phansi ehlane. 29UBalami wathi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele ama-altare ayisikhombisa lapha, futhi ulungise izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa lapha.”
30UBalaki wenza njengokusho kukaBalami, wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo i-altare.
