UNumeri 23 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELEUBileyamu ubusisa u-Israyeli 1 UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele lapha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa.” 2 UBalaki wenza-ke njengalokho uBileyamu ekhulumile; oBalaki noBileyamu banikela kulelo nalelo altare inkunzi nenqama. 3 UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Yima ngasemnikelweni wakho wokushiswa, mina ngihambe; mhlawumbe uJehova angafika ukungihlangabeza; konke angitshengisa khona ngiyakukutshela.” Waya edulini elingenalutho. 4 UNkulunkulu wahlangana noBileyamu; yena wathi kuye: “Sengilungisile ama-altare ayisikhombisa, nganikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.” 5 UJehova wafaka izwi emlonyeni kaBileyamu, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.” 6 Wayesebuyela kuye; bheka, wayemi ngasemnikelweni wokushiswa, yena nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaMowabi. 7 Wayesethatha isisho sakhe, wathi: “E-Aramu uBalaki ungilandile, inkosi yakwaMowabi ezintabeni zasempumalanga: woza ungiqalekisele uJakobe; woza umdlelesele u-Israyeli. 8 Ngingamqalekisa kanjani ongaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu na? Ngingamdlelesela ongadleleselwanga nguNkulunkulu na? 9 Ngokuba ngisesiqongweni samadwala ngiyambona, ngisemadulini ngiyambuka; bheka, kungabantu abahlala bodwa, abangayikubalwa phakathi kwezizwe. 10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, abale okwesine kuka-Israyeli, na? Mangife ukufa kolungileyo, nokuphela kwami makube njengokwakhe.” 11 UBalaki wathumela kuBileyamu, wathi: “Wenzeni kimi na? Ngakuthatha ukuba uqalekise izitha zami; bheka, uzibusisile nokuzibusisa.” 12 Waphendula wathi: “Angiyikuqaphela ukukhuluma lokhu uNkulunkulu akufakile emlonyeni wami na?” 13 UBalaki wayesethi kuye: “Ake uze nami, siye kwenye indawo, lapho ungababona khona; uyakubona inxenye yabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; ungiqalekisele bona uselapho.” 14 Wamyisa ensimini yaseSofimu esiqongweni sasePisiga, wakha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare. 15 Wathi kuBalaki: “Yima lapha ngasemnikelweni wakho wokushiswa, mina ngilinde laphaya.” 16 UJehova wayesehlangana noBileyamu, wafaka izwi emlonyeni wakhe, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.” 17 Wayesefika kuye; bheka, wayemi ngasemnikelweni wakhe wokushiswa, izikhulu zakwaMowabi zinaye. UBalaki wathi kuye: “UJehova ukhulume ngokuthini na?” 18 Wayesethatha isisho sakhe, wathi: “Vuka, Balaki, uzwe; ngilalele, wena ndodana kaSipori: 19 uNkulunkulu akasiye umuntu ukuba aqambe amanga, nandodana yomuntu ukuba azisole; ushilo, angayikukwenza, na? Ukhulumile, angayikukuphelelisa, na? 20 Bheka, ngiyaliwe ukubusisa; yena ubusisile, anginakukubuyisa. 21 Akabonanga ingozi kuJakobe, akabukanga nankathazo kwa-Israyeli. UJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe unaye, nesenanelo senkosi siphakathi kwabo. 22 UNkulunkulu wabakhipha eGibithe; unjengezimpondo zenyathi kubo. 23 Ayikho imilingo engamelana noJakobe; akukho ukubhula okungamelana no-Israyeli; manje sekuyashiwo ngoJakobe nango-Israyeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenzeni. 24 Bheka, abantu bavuka njengengonyamakazi, nanjengengonyama bayaziphakamisa; abayikulala phansi, bengakayidli impango, baphuze igazi lababuleweyo.” 25 UBalaki wayesethi kuBileyamu: “Ungabaqalekisi nokubaqalekisa, futhi ungababusisi nokubabusisa.” 26 Kepha uBileyamu waphendula, wathi kuBalaki: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi konke uNkulunkulu akukhulumayo ngiyakukwenza na?” 27 Wathi uBalaki kuBileyamu: “Ake uze, ngikuyise kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaba kuhle emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuba ungiqalekisele bona uselapho.” 28 UBalaki wamyisa uBileyamu esiqongweni sasePeyori elibheke ngenzansi ngasehlane. 29 UBileyamu wayesethi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele lapha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa.” 30 UBalaki wenza-ke njengalokho eshilo uBileyamu; wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare. |
© Bible Society of South Africa 1959, 1997. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Society of South Africa