3 UMowabi wayesesaba kakhulu abantu, ngokuba babebaningi; uMowabi waba nosizi ngenxa yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
4 UMowabi wathi kumalunga akwaMidiyani: “Manje leli bandla liyakukhotha konke okungakithi nxazonke, njengalokhu inkabi ikhotha utshani bedlelo.”UBalaki indodana kaSipori wayeyinkosi yakwaMowabi ngaleso sikhathi.
5 Wathuma izithunywa kuBileyamu indodana kaBeyori ePethori elingasemfuleni ezweni labantwana babantu bakhe ukumbiza ngokuthi: “Bheka, nampa abantu abaphumile eGibithe; bheka, basibekela ubuso bomhlaba; sebehlala malungana nami;
6 ngalokho ake uze manje, ungiqalekisele laba bantu, ngokuba bayangahlula; mhlawumbe ngingaze ngibe namandla ukuba sibanqobe, ngibaxoshe ezweni, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi ombusisayo ubusisiwe, nomqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”
7 Amalunga akwaMowabi namalunga akwaMidiyani asuka enenkokhelo yokubhula esandleni sawo; ayesefika kuBileyamu, akhuluma kuye amazwi kaBalaki.
8 Wathi-ke kuwo: “Hlalani lapha lobu busuku, nginibuyisele izwi, njengalokhu uJehova eyakukhuluma kimi.” Izikhulu zakwaMowabi zahlala-ke kuBileyamu.
9 UNkulunkulu wafika kuBileyamu, wathi: “Ngobani lawa madoda akuwe na?”