Isahluko 23
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.