AmaNani

22 Abako-Israyeli basebesuka bayakhempa emagcekeni akoMowabi ngaphetsheya kukaJodani bekhangele iJerikho.+ 2 UBhalakhi+ indodana kaZiphori wakubona konke okwakwenziwe ngama-Israyeli kuma-Amori, 3 njalo abakoMowabi batshaywa luvalo ngoba abantu bako-Israyeli babebanengi kakhulu futhi babanjwa ngumhedehede ngenxa yama-Israyeli.+ 4 AbakoMowabi basebekhuluma labadala bakoMidiyani+ bathi: “Ibandla leli lizatshaya libhuqe zonke indawo esakhelane lazo, njengenkunzi etshabalalisa utshani egangeni.”

Ngalesosikhathi uBhalakhi indodana kaZiphori wayeyinkosi yakoMowabi. 5 Ngakho wathuma izithunywa kuBhalamu indodana kaBheyori ePhethori+ eduze komfula* elizweni adabuka kulo. Wathumela ilizwi lokuthi abizwe, esithi: “Zwana, kulesizwe esibuye lapha sivela eGibhithe njalo abantu bakhona bagcwele umhlaba wonke*+ futhi bahlezi khonapha phambi kwami. 6 Ngicela ubuye uzobaqalekisa abantu laba+ ngoba balamandla kulami. Mhlawumbe ngingabanqoba ngibadudule baphume elizweni ngoba ngikwazi mhlophe ukuthi lowo ombusisayo uyabusiswa lokuthi lowo omqalekisayo uyaqalekiswa.”

7 Ngakho abadala bakoMowabi labadala bakoMidiyani basuka bephethe imbadalo yokuhlahlula baya kuBhalamu+ bafika bamtshela umlayezo ovela kuBhalakhi. 8 UBhalamu wasesithi kubo: “Lalani lapha lamuhla njalo ngizabuya ngizolitshela loba yiliphi ilizwi uJehova azalikhuluma kimi.” Ngakho iziphathamandla zakoMowabi zalala endlini yakhe.

9 UNkulunkulu wasefika kuBhalamu wathi:+ “Ngobani amadoda la olawo?” 10 UBhalamu wathi kuNkulunkulu weqiniso: “UBhalakhi indodana kaZiphori inkosi yakoMowabi ungithumele ilizwi esithi, 11 ‘Abantu abaphume eGibhithe sebegcwele umhlaba wonke.* Woza uzongiqalekisela bona.+ Mhlawumbe ngingalwa labo ngibaxotshe.’” 12 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi kuBhalamu: “Ungahambi labo. Akumelanga ubaqalekise abantu besizwe leso ngoba babusisiwe.”+

13 UBhalamu wavuka ekuseni watshela iziphathamandla zikaBhalakhi wathi: “Buyelani elizweni lenu ngoba uJehova walile ukuthi ngihambe lani.” 14 Ngakho iziphathamandla zakoMowabi zasuka zabuyela kuBhalakhi zafika zathi kuye: “UBhalamu walile ukubuya lathi.”

15 Loba kunjalo, uBhalakhi waphinda wathumela ezinye iziphathamandla ezinengi njalo ezihloniphekayo kulezakuqala. 16 Zafika kuBhalamu zathi kuye: “UBhalakhi indodana kaZiphori uthe, ‘Ngicela ungavumeli lutho lukuvimbele ukuthi ubuye kimi, 17 ngoba ngizakunika udumo olukhulu njalo ngizakwenza loba yini othi ngiyenze. Yikho ngicela ubuye uzongiqalekisela abantu laba.’” 18 Loba kunjalo uBhalamu waphendula izinceku zikaBhalakhi wathi: “Lanxa uBhalakhi enganginika indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva legolide, angisoze ngenze loba yini ezakwephula umlayo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wami kungelani lokuthi incane kumbe inkulu.+ 19 Kodwa ngicela lani lilale lapha lamuhla ukuze ngizwe ukuthi kuyini okunye uJehova azangitshela khona.”+

20 UNkulunkulu wasefika kuBhalamu ebusuku wathi: “Nxa amadoda la elande ukuzokubiza hamba lawo. Kodwa kumele ukhulume lokho engizakutshela khona kuphela.”+ 21 Ngakho uBhalamu wavuka ekuseni wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi wakhe wahamba leziphathamandla zakoMowabi.+

22 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathukuthela kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi wayesehamba njalo ingilosi kaJehova yema emgwaqweni ukuze imvimbele.* UBhalamu wayegade ubabhemi wakhe futhi wayehamba lezinceku zakhe ezimbili. 23 Ubabhemi wathi ebona ingilosi kaJehova imi emgwaqweni iphethe inkemba, wazama ukuphambuka emgwaqweni angene iganga. Kodwa uBhalamu wamtshaya ubabhemi ukuze ambuyisele emgwaqweni. 24 Ingilosi kaJehova yasisima emkotweni phakathi laphakathi kwamasimu amagilebisi, kulomduli wamatshe ngapha langapha. 25 Ubabhemi wathi ebona ingilosi kaJehova waziminyezela emdulini futhi wabandezela unyawo lukaBhalamu emdulini, uBhalamu waphinda wamtshaya.

26 Ingilosi kaJehova yaphinda yedlula yayakuma emkotweni lapho okwakungelandawo yokuphambukela kwesokudla loba kwesenxele. 27 Ubabhemi wathi ebona ingilosi kaJehova walala phansi. UBhalamu wathukuthela kakhulu futhi waqhubeka etshaya ubabhemi ngomqwayi. 28 Ekucineni uJehova wenza ukuthi ubabhemi akhulume+ njalo wathi kuBhalamu: “Kanti ngikoneleni uze ungitshaye kathathu konke?”+ 29 UBhalamu waphendula ubabhemi wakhe wathi: “Ungenza isiphukuphuku. Ngabe bengilenkemba bengizahle ngikubulale!” 30 Ubabhemi wasesithi kuBhalamu: “Angisibabhemi wakho yini obumgada okwempilo yakho yonke kuze kube lamuhla? Sengake ngakuphatha ngalindlela yini?” Yena waphendula wathi: “Hatshi!” 31 UJehova wasevula amehlo kaBhalamu+ wabona ingilosi kaJehova imi emgwaqweni iphethe inkemba. UBhalamu wahle wakhothama njalo waguqa wakhothamisa ikhanda.

32 Ingilosi kaJehova yasisithi kuye: “Ubumtshayelani ubabhemi wakho kwaze kwaba kathathu konke? Ngilapha nje ngizokuvimba ngoba indlela yakho iphikisana lentando yami.+ 33 Ubabhemi lo ungibonile wazama ukuphambuka phambi kwami kathathu konke.+ Aluba kaphambukanga phambi kwami, ngabe sengikubulele ngatshiya ubabhemi ephila!” 34 UBhalamu waphendula ingilosi kaJehova wathi: “Ngonile ngoba bengingakwazi ukuthi nguwe omi emgwaqweni ukuze uzohlangana lami. Nxa ukubona kukubi lokhu, yekela ngibuyele.” 35 Kodwa ingilosi kaJehova yathi kuBhalamu: “Hamba lawo amadoda la kodwa kumele ukhulume lokho engizakutshela khona kuphela.” Ngakho uBhalamu waqhubeka wahamba leziphathamandla zikaBhalakhi.

36 UBhalakhi wathi esizwa ukuthi uBhalamu sefikile, wahle waphuma wayamhlangabeza edolobheni lakoMowabi elisekhunjini le-Arinoni emngceleni wendawo leyo. 37 UBhalakhi wathi kuBhalamu: “Angikuthumelanga ilizwi yini? Kungani ungabuyanga? Ubucabanga ukuthi ngingehluleka ukukunika udumo olukhulu yini?”+ 38 UBhalamu waphendula uBhalakhi wathi: “Sengibuyile. Kodwa angisoze ngivunyelwe ukukhuluma loba yini engiyifunayo. Lokho uNkulunkulu azangitshela khona yikho kuphela engingakukhuluma.”+

39 Ngakho uBhalamu wahamba loBhalakhi bayafika eKhiriyathi-huzothi. 40 UBhalakhi wenza umhlatshelo ngenkomo lezimvu njalo enye inyama yakhona wayinika uBhalamu leziphathamandla ezazilaye. 41 Ekuseni uBhalakhi wathatha uBhalamu waya laye eBhamothi-bhali. UBhalamu wathi esekuleyondawo wayesesenelisa ukubabona kuhle bonke abako-Israyeli.+