INumeri 24

24 ¹UBalami wabona ukuthi kwakuthokozisa uBaba wethu ukubusisa u-Israyeli, ngakho akazange afune imihlola njengakuqala, kodwa wabhekisa ubuso bakhe ngasehlane. ²UBalami waphakamisa amehlo wabona u-Israyeli emise ngezizwe zakhe; khona uMoya kaBaba wethu wafika phezu kwakhe. ³Waphakamisa isiprofetho sakhe wathi: “Isiprofetho sikaBalami indodana kaBeyori, isiprofetho somuntu oliso lakhe livuliwe, ⁴isiprofetho salowo ozwa amazwi kaBaba wethu, obona umbono kaSomandla, eguqa phansi amehlo akhe evulekile: ⁵Zinhle kangakanani izihonqo zakho, Jakobe, nezindawo zakho zokuhlala, Israyeli! ⁶Njengezigodi ezelulekele kude, njengezivande eceleni komfula, njengezinhlaba uBaba wethu azitshalile, njengemisedari eceleni kwamanzi. ⁷Amanzi ayogeleza emathungeni akhe, nenzalo yakhe iyoba namanzi amaningi. Inkosi yakhe iyophakama kuno-Agagi, nombuso wakhe uyophakanyiswa. ^a a v7 U-Agagi wayeyinkosi yama-Amaleki, isitha sakwa-Israyeli esinesikhathi eside — inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iyomedlula. ⁸UBaba wethu ukhipha u-Israyeli eGibhithe; u-Israyeli unjengezimpondo zenyathi kubo. U-Israyeli uyozidla izizwe ezimelene naye, awaphule amathambo azo, azihlabe ngemicibisholo. ⁹Uyacwasha, ulala phansi njengebhubesi, njengebhubesikazi—ngubani ongalokotha amvuse na? Babusisiwe abakubusisayo, baqalekisiwe abakuqalekisayo.”

¹⁰Ulaka lukaBalaki lwavutha kuBalami, washaya izandla zakhe ndawonye. UBalaki wathi kuBalami: “Ngikubizele ukuba uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa bheka, usuzibusise kathathu manje! ¹¹Manje baleka uye ekhaya! Bengithe ngizokunika udumo olukhulu, kodwa uNkulunkulu ukuvimbele udumo.”

¹²UBalami waphendula uBalaki wathi: “Angizange yini ngitshele izithunywa owazithuma kimi, ¹³‘Noma uBalaki engangipha indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva negolide, bengingeke ngeqe umyalo kaNkulunkulu wami ngenze okuhle noma okubi ngokwami; ngingasho kuphela lokho uNkulunkulu wami angitshela khona’? ¹⁴Manje sengibuyela kubantu bakithi. Woza, ngikuxwayise ngalokho lesi sizwe esiyokwenza kubantu bakho ezinsukwini ezizayo.”

Inkanyezi Ephuma KuJakobe

¹⁵Wayesephakamisa isiprofetho sakhe wathi: “Isiprofetho sikaBalami indodana kaBeyori, isiprofetho somuntu oliso lakhe livuliwe, ¹⁶isiprofetho salowo ozwa amazwi kaBaba wethu, owazi ulwazi lukaPhezukonke, obona umbono kaSomandla, eguqa phansi amehlo akhe evulekile: ¹⁷Ngiyambona, kodwa hhayi manje; ngimgqolozele, kodwa hhayi eduze. Inkanyezi iyophuma kuJakobe, nentonga yobukhosi iyovela kwa-Israyeli; iyochoboza ibunzi lakwaMowabi, ichithe wonke amadodana kaShethi. ^b b v17 UBalami, isangoma sabezizwe, wenziwa ukuba aprofethe ngeNkosi ezayo. Le nkanyezi nale ntonga yobukhosi ekugcineni kukhomba kuJesu, iTestamente eliSha elimbiza ngokuthi “inkanyezi yokusa ekhanyayo” kanye nombusi ovela osendweni lukaJakobe. ¹⁸U-Edomi uyonqotshwa, noSeyiri, izitha zakhe, ziyonqotshwa, kuyilapho u-Israyeli eqina ngamandla. ¹⁹Omunye ovela kuJakobe uyobusa, abhubhise abasindileyo bomuzi.”

²⁰UBalami wabe esebona u-Amaleki, waphakamisa isiprofetho sakhe wathi: “U-Amaleki wayephambili phakathi kwezizwe, kodwa isiphetho sakhe siyimbubhiso ephelele.”

²¹Wabheka umKheni, waphakamisa isiprofetho sakhe wathi: “Indawo yakho yokuhlala iqinile, isidleke sakho usimise edwaleni. ²²Nokho uKhayini uyoqedwa lapho u-Ashuri ekuthumba akuse ekuthunjweni.”

²³Waphakamisa isiprofetho sakhe wathi: “Ngubani ongaphila lapho uNkulunkulu ekwenza lokhu? ²⁴Imikhumbi iyovela ogwini lwaseKhithimi; iyohlupha u-Ashuri ihluphe no-Ebere, kodwa nabo bayofinyelela embubhisweni ophelele.” ^c c v24 IKhithimi libhekisela emazweni asogwini olusentshonalanga yoLwandle iMedithera — kungamandla asolwandle esikhathi esizayo azoza emelene ne-Asiriya.

²⁵UBalami wasukuma wabuyela ekhaya lakhe, naye uBalaki wahamba indlela yakhe.