1 Banduluka oonyana bakaSirayeli, baya bamisa ezinkqantsoni zakwaMowabhi phesheya kweYordan, malunga neYeriko.
2 Wakubona uBhalaki, unyana kaTsipore, konke abekwenzile uSirayeli kuma-Amori.
3 UMowabhi wanxunguphala kakhulu ngabantu, ngokuba bebaninzi; wakruquka uMowabhi ngoonyana bakaSirayeli.
4 Wathi uMowabhi kumadoda amakhulu akwaMidiyan, Ngoku esi sikhungu siya kukukhotha konke okungeenxa zonke kuthi, njengoko inkomo ilukhothayo uhlaza lwasendle. Ke uBhalaki, unyana kaTsipore, ubengukumkani wamaMowabhi ngelo xesha.
5 Wathuma abathunywa kuBhileham, unyana kaBhehore, ePehore, esemlanjeni welizwe loonyana babantu bakowabo, ukuba bambize bathi, Yabona, kuphume abantu eYiputa; nabo bebugubungele ubuso belizwe, behleli malungana nam.
6 Khawuze ke, undiqalekisele aba bantu, ngokuba banamandla kunam; mhlawumbi ndingaba nako ukubabulala, ndibagxothe kweli lizwe; ngokuba ndiyazi ukuba omsikelelayo usikelelwe, omqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.
7 Ahamba ke amadoda amakhulu akwaMowabhi, namadoda amakhulu akwaMidiyan, eneenkozo zokuvumisa ezandleni zawo, aya kuBhileham, athetha kuye amazwi kaBhalaki.
8 Wathi kuwo, Lalani apha ngobu busuku; ndoninika ilizwi, njengoko uYehova aya kuthetha kum. Bahlala ke abathetheli abo bakwaMowabhi noBhileham.
9 Wafika uThixo kuBhileham, wathi, Angoobani na la madoda anawe apha?
10 Wathi uBhileham kuThixo, UBhalaki unyana kaTsipore, ukumkani wamaMowabhi, uthumele kum, esithi,
11 Yabona, kuphume abantu eYiputa, babugubungela ubuso belizwe; yiza ke undiqalekisele bona, mhlawumbi ndingaba nako ukulwa nabo, ndibagxothe.
12 Wathi uThixo kuBhileham, Uze ungahambi nawo, ungabaqalekisi abo bantu, kuba basikelelwe.
13 Wavuka uBhileham kusasa, wathi kubathetheli bakaBhalaki, Yiyani ezweni lenu; ngokuba uYehova uyala ukundivumela ndihambe nani.
14 Besuka ke abathetheli bakwaMowabhi, baya kuBhalaki, bathi, Walile uBhileham ukuza nathi.
15 Waphinda uBhalaki, wathuma abathetheli bebaninzi, bebekekile kunabo.
16 Bafika ke kuBhileham, bathi kuye, Utsho uBhalaki, unyana kaTsipore, ukuthi, Musa ukukha unqandwe nto ukuza kum;
17 kuba ukukuzukisa kona ndiya kukuzukisa kunene, ndikwenze konke ondixelela kona; khawuze undiqalekisele aba bantu.
18 Waphendula uBhileham, wathi kubakhonzi bakaBhalaki, Angafanelana uBhalaki endinika indlu yakhe izele yisilivere negolide, andinako ukuwugqitha umlomo kaYehova, uThixo wam, ndenze okuncinane nokuba kokukhulu.
19 Khanihlale apha ke nani ngobu busuku, ndide ndiyazi into aya kuyongeza uYehova, ayithethe kum.
20 Wafika uThixo kuBhileham ebusuku, wathi kuye, Ukuba la madoda afike kuwe eza kukubiza, suka uhambe nawo; ke ilizwi endolithetha kuwe, uze wenze lona lodwa.
21 Wavuka uBhileham kusasa, wayibopha imazi yakhe ye-esile, wahamba nabathetheli abo bakwaMowabhi.
22 Wavutha umsindo kaThixo, ngokuba wahambayo. Sema isithunywa sikaYehova endleleni ukuba simchase. Wayekhwele e-esileni lakhe, enamadodana akwakhe omabini.
23 Iesile lasibona isithunywa sikaYehova simi endleleni, sirhole ikrele laso ngesandla saso, lathi gu bucala iesile endleleni, laya entsimini. UBhileham walibetha iesile, elisongela endleleni.
24 Sema isithunywa sikaYehova engxingweni yezidiliya, iludonga ngapha, iludonga ngapha.
25 Iesile lasibona isithunywa sikaYehova, lagudla udonga, lalugudla unyawo lukaBhileham ngodonga; waphinda walibetha.
26 Saphinda sagqitha isithunywa sikaYehova, sema endaweni exineneyo, apho bekungekho ndlela yakucezela ekunene nasekhohlo.
27 Iesile lasibona isithunywa sikaYehova, lasadalala phantsi koBhileham. Wavutha umsindo kaBhileham, walibetha iesile ngentonga.
28 Wawuvula ke uYehova umlomo weesile, lathi kuBhileham, Ndikwenzé ntoni na, ukuba undibethe la maxesha mathathu?
29 Wathi uBhileham kwiesile, Kungokuba ufekethé ngam; akwaba bendiphethe ikrele ngesandla sam; inene, ngendikubulele ngoku!
30 Lathi iesile kuBhileham, Andililo iesile lakho na okhwela kulo, kuseloko wabakhoyo unanamhla? Ndiqhelile na ukwenjenje kuwe?
31 Wathi, Hayi. Wawavula uYehova amehlo kaBhileham, wasibona isithunywa sikaYehova simi endleleni, sirhole ikrele laso ngesandla saso. Wathoba, waqubuda ngobuso bakhe.
32 Sathi kuye isithunywa sikaYehova, Ulibethele ntoni na iesile lakho la maxesha mathathu? Yabona, kuphumé mna ukuza kukuchasa; ngokuba ekuboneni kwam le ndlela iseyelisela.
33 Landibona iesile, lacezela phaya kum la maxesha omathathu; koko lacezela phaya ngenxa yam, okanye ngendikubulele ngoku wena, ndalisindisa lona.
34 Wathi uBhileham kwisithunywa sikaYehova, Ndonile, kuba bendingazi ukuba wena uze kundimela endleleni; ngoku, ukuba kubi emehlweni akho, ndobuya.
35 Sathi isithunywa sikaYehova kuBhileham, Hamba namadoda lawo; ke ilizwi endolithetha kuwe, uze uthethe lona lodwa. Wahamba ke uBhileham nabathetheli bakaBhalaki.
36 Weva uBhalaki ukuba uBhileham uyeza. Waphuma waya kumhlangabeza emzini wakwaMowabhi osemdeni waseArnon, ekupheleni komda.
37 Wathi uBhalaki kuBhileham, Andikuthumelanga na ndiqinisile ukuba ndikubize? Yini na ukuba ungezi kum? Ndihleli nje, andinako na ukukuzikisa?
38 Wathi uBhileham kuBhalaki, Uyabona, ndifikile kuwe; ndinako na ke ngoku ukuthetha into eyiyo? Ilizwi alibekayo uThixo emlonyeni wam, ndiya kuthetha lona.
39 Wahamba uBhileham noBhalaki, bafika eKiriyati-hutsoti.
40 Wabingelela uBhalaki iinkomo nempahla emfutshane, wathumela kuBhileham nakubathetheli ababenaye.
41 Kwathi ngomso, uBhalaki wamthabatha uBhileham, wamnyusa wamsa ezigangeni zikaBhahali.* Wabona khona wada wesa ekupheleni kwabantu.