1 Ke kaloku amaSirayeli anduluka, aza aya kumisa kumathafa aseMowabhi, kwimpuma yeJordan, malunga neJeriko.
2 Uthe ke uBhalaki, ukumkani waseMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, akuziva izigigaba zamaSirayeli phakathi kwama-Amori,
3 akubuqonda nobungakanani bawo, suka yena nabantu bakhe bankwantya.
4 Ke amaMowabhi athetha neenkokheli zamaMidiyan, athi: “Eli hlokondiba losuka livuthulule nje konke kule ngingqi yethu, kanye oku kwenkunzi yenkomo igramza ingca edlelweni.”Ngoko ke ukumkani uBhalaki
5 wathumela kuBhalam unyana kaBhehore owayesePetore ngakumlambo iEfrati, kumhlaba wamawabo. Umyalezo lowo wawusithi: “Ndiyakwazisa ukuba kukho isizwe esifikileyo apha siphuma eJiputa. Abantu baso banwenwele kulo lonke eli, futhi sebefike kwimida yam.
6 Ngokwamanani bangaphezu kwethu; ngoko ke nceda uze kubaqalekisa. Mhlawumbi xa ubaqalekisile singanako ukuboyisa, sibadudule baphume kweli lizwe. Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba xa uthe wabathamsanqela abantu, bayathamsanqeleka; ukanti xa uthe waqalekisa, abantu bahlelwa lishwangusha.”
7 Zasuka ke iinkokheli zamaMowabhi nezamaMidiyan zahamba ziphethe intlawulo kaBhalam. Zakufika kuye zawugqithisa umyalezo kaBhalaki.
8 UBhalam wathi kuwo la madoda: “Lalani. Mna ndonazisa ngomso into endiyixelelwe *nguNdikhoyo.” Ngenene ke amatshawe amaMowabhi alala apho kwaBhalam.
9 UThixo wafika, wabuza uBhalam, wathi: “Ngoobani la madoda unawo apha?”
10 Ke yena waphendula wathi: “UBhalaki, ukumkani waseMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, uthumele kum, wathi:
11 ‘Kukho isizwe esifikileyo siphuma eJiputa. Ngoku sinwenwela kuwo wonke umhlaba. Yiza usiqalekise eso sizwe, khon' ukuze ndibe nako ukusoyisa ndisidudule simke.’ ”
12 UThixo wathi kuBhalam: “Uze ungahambi nala madoda; uze ungabaqalekisi abo bantu, kuba bathamsanqelekile.”
13 Ngengomso ke uBhalam wabandulula abathunywa bakaBhalaki, wathi: “Buyelani ezweni lenu, kuba uNdikhoyo akavumi ukuba ndihambe nani.”
14 Ngoko ke bagoduka, bafika bamxelela uBhalaki ukuba uBhalam walile ukuhamba nabo.
15 Ngoku ke uBhalaki waphinda wathumela iqela leenkokheli ezaziwayo elikhulu kuneliya.
16 Zaya kuBhalam, zafika zathi: “UBhalaki unyana kaZipore uthi mawuncede uye kuye, ungavumeli nasiphi na isithintelo,
17 kuba uza kukuhlawula, waye uzimisele ukukwenzela nayiphi na into oyifunayo. Ngoko ke nceda uye kuqalekisa abaya bantu.”
18 Kambe ke uBhalam waphendula wathi: “Noba uBhalaki ubeza kundinika ibhotwe lakhe lizele yigolide nesiliva bendingeze ndawaphula umyalelo kaNdikhoyo uThixo wam.
19 Kodwa ke nani khanilale kwanjengabanye abaya, ukuze ndiphinde ndibuzise, hleze uNdikhoyo andinike myalelo wumbi.”
20 Ngobo busuku uThixo wafika kuBhalam, wathi: “Njengoko la madoda eze kukulanda nje, lungisa uhambe nawo. Kambe ke uze wenze loo nto ndikuxelela yona.”
21 Ngentsasa elandelayo ke uBalam wabopha idonki yakhe, wakhwela, wahamba nezo nkokheli zamaMowabhi.
22 Uthe ke uBhalam akuba ehamba, suka wavutha ngumsindo uThixo. Wayesahamba njalo ekhwele kuloo donki yakhe enezicaka zakhe ezibini, suka isithunywa *sikaNdikhoyo saxaba endleleni yakhe.
23 Idonki ithe yakusibona isithunywa eso sixabile endleleni, siphethe ikrele, yacebuka endleleni, yangena emasimini. Suka ke uBhalam wayibetha, wayibuyisela endleleni.
24 Ngoku ke isithunywa eso sema apho indlela imxinwa khona phakathi kwezidiliya ezibini, kwaye kukho uthango lwamatye ngapha nangapha.
25 Idonki leyo ithe yakusibona isithunywa eso, yayama uthango olo, latsho lagruzuka unyawo lukaBhalam. Kwakhona uBhalam wayibetha idonki leyo.
26 Kwakhona isithunywa sahambela phambilana, safika sema apho indlela yayimxinwa kangangokuba kungabikho sithuba sakudlula ngapha nangapha.
27 Kwesi ke isihlandlo idonki ithe yakusibona isithunywa eso yalala phantsi. UBhalam wacaphuka, waza wayingena ngenduku idonki yakhe.
28 Kwesi sithuba ke uNdikhoyo wayenza ukuba ikwazi ukuthetha idonki leyo, yaza ke yathetha yathi kuBhalam: “Kodwa kodwa ndikwenze ntoni? Yintoni kanye ondibethela yona kwezi zihlandlo zozithathu?”
29 UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Kungoba uyandibhanxa! Ndiswele nje ikrele, ngendikubulele.”
30 Idonki yaphendula yabuza yathi: “Andithi na kanene ndiyidonki yakho, le yasoloko ikuthwala bonke ubomi bakho? Ke, kukangaphi ndikuphatha ngolu hlobo?”UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Zange nakanye.”
31 UNdikhoyo ke wenza ukuba uBhalam asibone isithunywa eso sixabe endleleni siphethe ikrele. Akusibona ke, waziphosa phantsi ngobuso.
32 Isithunywa sabuza sathi: “Ubuyibethela ntoni kangaka le donki yakho kude kube kathathu? Ndize kukunqanda, kuba uzifaka engozini ngolu hambo.
33 Ke yona idonki yakho indibonile, yaza yaphambuka kwada kwakathathu. Ukuba ibingaphambukanga ngendikubulele ndasindisa kwayona.”
34 UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Hayi, ndonile. Bendingaqondi ukuba uxabile endleleni yam, kambe ke ngoku xa ubona ukuba akufanelekanga ukuba ndihambe, ndiyajika, ndiyagoduka.”
35 Ke sona isithunywa sathi kuye: “Hayi, sowuhamba nala madoda; kodwa ke uze uthethe loo nto ndithi thetha yona.” Ngoko ke uBhalam wahamba nazo iinkokheli zakwaBhalaki.
36 UBhalaki uthe akuva ukuba uBhalam uyeza, wamhlangabeza, wadibana naye kwisixeko esiphezu komlambo iAnoni, kumda welaseMowabhi.
37 UBhalaki wambuza wathi: “Kwakutheni ukuze ungezi ngokuya ndandikuthumele kuqala? Ngaba wawukrokrela ukuba sobe ndibe nako ukukuhlawula?”
38 UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Andithi na kaloku ndizile? Kambe ke gunya lini endinalo? Hayi kaloku, ndothetha loo nto athi mandiyithethe uThixo.”
39 Ngoko ke uBhalam wahamba noBhalaki, baya eKiriyati-huzoti.
40 UBhalaki waxhela iinkabi zeenkomo ndawonye neegusha, wamkela uBhalam nezo nkokheli wayehamba nazo.
41 Ngengomso ke uBhalaki wamthatha uBhalam, wamsa eBhamoti-bhali, apho wayeza kuba nako ukubona inxalenye yamaSirayeli.