Numeri
24 UBhalami nakabona ukuthi kuyamthabisa uJehova ukubusisa ama-Israyeli akhenge asayokufuna eminye imilingo+ kodwana waqala emmangweni. 2 UBhalami nakabona ama-Israyeli akampe ngokweenkoro zawo,+ ummoya kaZimu waba phezu kwakhe.+ 3 Nje-ke wakhuluma amezwi asakondlo la, wathi:+
“Amezwi kaBhalami indodana kaBhewori,
Namezwi womuntu owavulwa amehlo,
4 Amezwi waloyo ozwe ilizwi lakaZimu,
Loyo obone umbono woMninimandla Woke,
Loyo okhothame avule amehlo:+
5 Qala mahle kangangani amatendakho Jakopo,
Qala mahle kangangani amathaberinakelakho Israyeli!+
6 Anjengemirhoba enabileko,+
Anjengamasimu ahlanu komlambo,
Anjengeenkghopha ezitjalwe nguJehova,
Anjengemisedari ehlanu kwamanzi.
7 Amanzi asolo athonta aphuma ezitjeni ezimbili,
Imbewakhe isemanzini amanengi.+
8 UZimu uwakhupha eGibhide,
Kiwo unjengeempondo zekunzi yommango.
Uzokutjhabalalisa iintjhaba eziwagandelelako,+
Apupure amathambazo begodu uzozitjhabalalisa ngemisubelakhe.
9 Uguqile, ulele njengebhubezi,
Njengebhubezi ngubani ongamvusa?
Labo abakubusisako babusisiwe,
Nalabo abakuqalekisako baqalekisiwe.”+
10 UBhalaki wasilingeka khulu ngebanga lakaBhalami. UBhalaki asilingekile, wawahla izandla wathi kuBhalami: “Ngikubizele bona uzokuqalekisa+ amanabami kodwana wena uwabusise kathathu. 11 Khamba khona nje, ubuyele kwakho.+ Benginqophe ukukuhlonipha khulu kodwana uJehova wenze bona ungayifumani ihlonipho leyo.”
12 UBhalami waphendula uBhalaki, wathi: “Kghani akhenge ngitjho na eenthunyweni zakho ukuthi, 13 ‘Ngitjho nanyana uBhalaki angangipha indlwakhe izele isiliva negolide, angekhe ngizenzele okufunwa ngimi bona ngeqe umyalo kaJehova, kungaba yinto ehle namkha into embi. Ngizokukhuluma kwaphela lokho uJehova azokuthi ngikutjho’?+ 14 Nje, ngiyakhamba ngiya ebantwini bekhethu. Yiza ngizokutjela ukuthi khuyini abantwaba abazoyenza ebantwini bakho esikhathini esizako.” 15 Nje-ke wakhuluma amezwi asakondlo la, wathi:+
“Amezwi kaBhalami indodana kaBhewori,
Namezwi womuntu owavulwa amehlo,+
16 Amezwi waloyo ozwe ilizwi lakaZimu,
Naloyo owazi oPhezukoke,
Loyo obone umbono woMninimandla Woke,
Loyo okhothame avule amehlo:
17 Ngizombona kodwana ingasi nje,
Ngizombamba kodwana ingasi nje,
Uzokuphadlha amathempeli wakwaMowabi+
Namakhakhayi wawo woke amadodana wenturhu.
18 Uzokuthatha u-Edomu abe yipahlakhe,+
ISeyiri+ izokuba yipahla yamanabakhe,+
U-Israyeli uzokutjengisa ukuthi unesibindi.
19 Munye kwaJakopo uzokuhlula amanaba,+
Atjhabalalise nanyana ngubani osindileko edorobheni.”
20 Nakabona ama-Amalekhi waraga namezwakhe asakondlo, wathi:
21 Nakabona amaKheni+ waraga namezwakhe asakondlo, wathi:
“Indawo ohlala kiyo ivikelekile begodu yakhelwe edwaleni.
22 Kodwana omunye umuntu uzokutjhisa iKhayini.
Sekusele isikhathi esingangani bona i-Asiriya ikuthumbe?”
23 Waraga namezwakhe asakondlo, wathi:
“Maye! Ngubani ozokusinda lokha uZimu nakenza lokhu?
Kodwana nayo izokutjhabalala.”
25 Nje-ke uBhalami+ wakhamba wabuyela lapha ahlala khona. UBhalaki naye wakhamba.