1 UBhalam waxelela uBhalaki ukuba akhe amaqonga amadini apho abe sixhenxe, aze amzisele isixhenxe seenkunzi zeenkomo ngokunjalo nesixhenxe seenkunzi zeegusha.
2 UBhalaki wenza ngokomyalelo lowo, baza ke noBhalam banikela inkunzi yenkomo neyegusha kwiqonga ngalinye.
3 UBhalam ke washiya uBhalaki kuloo ndawo, wathi kuye: “Yima ngakweli dini litshiswayo, ngeli lixa mna ndiza kukhe ndithi gu. Mhlawumbi *uNdikhoyo uza kudibana nam. Ndiya kukwazisa nasiphi na isityhilelo andinika sona.” Wahamba ke, wenyuka inkqantosi yenduli.
4 UThixo ke wadibana naye, uBhalam wathi: “Ndakhe amaqonga asixhenxe; kulo ngalinye ndenze idini ngenkunzi yenkomo neyegusha.”
5 UNdikhoyo ke waxelela uBhalam oko makakuthethe, wathi: “Buyela kuBhalaki, umazise oku.”
6 Ekubuyeni kwakhe ke wamfumana uBhalaki esemi apho ngakwidini elitshiswayo, enezo nkokheli zamaMowabhi.
7 UBhalam ke wathetha la mazwi andilisekileyo, wenjenje:“Ukumkani uBhalaki wamaMowabhi undisuse kwelama-Aram;undiphuthume kwiintaba ezisempumalanga.Uthe: ‘Yiza ushwabulele uYakobi egameni lam.Yiza kaloku, umqalekise uSirayeli.’
8 Xa bendingubani ke mna ukuba ndiqalekise ongaqalekiswanga nguThixo,ndambathise ngeshwangusha ongashwatyulelwanga nguNdikhoyo?
9 Kaloku nanko ndimbona ndisencochoyini yeentaba;nanko ndimbukele ndiphezu kweenduli.Ewe, luhlanga olungumth' uzimele;lona aluzibandakanyi nezinye izizwe.
10 Izizukulwana zikaYakobi yintlaninge njengentlabathi.Ngubani ke ongamcukucezayo ambale uSirayeli?Hayi bo! Masendisifa ukufa kwelungisa.Ewe, isiphelo sam masibe njengesabakhe.”
11 UBhalaki wabuza uBhalam wathi: “Yintoni le undenza yona? Ndingakuzisa apha ukuba uqalekise iintshaba zam, uze usuke wena uzithamsanqele!”
12 Waphendula ke yena wathi: “Mandingakuthethi oko ndikuxelelwe nguNdikhoyo?”
13 Ke kaloku uBhalaki wathi kuBhalam: “Hamba siye kwenye indawo apho unokubona inxalenye yamaSirayeli kuphela, uze ke uthi ulapho uwaqalekise.”
14 Waya naye kwintsimi kaZofim phezu kwentaba iPisga. Nalapho ke wenza amaqonga asixhenxe, waza wanikela ngenkunzi yenkomo neyegusha kwiqonga ngalinye.
15 UBhalam wathi kuBhalaki: “Yima ngakweli dini litshiswayo, ngeli lixa mna ndiye kuhlangana naye qelele.”
16 *UNdikhoyo ke wadibana noBhalam, wathi: “Buyela kuBhalaki, uthethe naye wenjenje.”
17 Wabuyela kwakuBhalaki ke, waza wamfumana esemi ngakwelo dini litshiswayo ndawonye neenkokheli zamaMowabhi.UBhalaki ke wambuza wathi: “Utheni uNdikhoyo?”
18 Waza ke yena uBhalam wathetha la mazwi andilisekileyo, wenjenje:“Hoyina ke, Bhalaki, khawubaz' iindlebe;khawundiphulaphule, nyana kaZipore!
19 UThixo yena akamntu;akaxoki, akaguqu-guquki okomntu.Akakufezekisi na akuthembisileyo?Akakuphumelelisi na akuthethileyo?
20 Nangoku ke kuthiwa mandithi jize ngentsikelelo;ethamsanqele nje yena, mna andinakulicima.
21 Akubonwa sikhwa kuYakobi;hayi, akubonwa shwangusha kwaSirayeli.UNdikhoyo uThixo wabo ungakubo;ewe, kuvakala intswahla kuba uKumkani uphakathi kwawo.
22 UThixo uwakhuphile eJiputa;iimpondo zakhe zibaze okwenyathi.
23 Nemilingo ingabuya nemband' esikhova kuYakobi;nabuqili nabugqwirha buza ze kuSirayeli.Yona ngundaba-mlonyeni ngoYakobi noSirayeli,kusithiwa: ‘Khawubone ke imisebenzi kaThixo!
24 Khawukhangele ke olu hlanga!Lucondoba njengemaz' engonyama;luvungama okwengwanyalal' engonyama.Aluphumli lungazenzang' iziqweng' utshaba,luze lulithi qongqololo igazi lamaxhoba!’ ”
25 UBhalaki wabhekisa kuBhalam wenjenje: “Xa usala ke ukuwaqalekisa la maSirayeli musa ukuwathamsanqela!”
26 UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Andithi na kanene ndikuxelele ukuba mna ndenza loo nto ndiyixelelwa nguNdikhoyo kuphela?”
27 UBhalaki waphinda wathetha noBhalam, wathi: “Hamba siye kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbi uThixo angakuvumela uwaqalekise amaSirayeli xa ukuloo ndawo.”
28 Ngoko ke wamsa phezu kwentaba iPehore evelele intlango.
29 UBhalam wathi: “Yenza amaqonga abe sixhenxe apha, futhi uze nesixhenxe seenkunzi zeenkomo ngokunjalo nezeegusha.”
30 Ngenene ke uBhalaki wenza ngokomyalelo kaBhalam, wanikela ngenkunzi yenkomo neyegusha kwiqonga ngalinye.