Numbers 22
1 Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho.
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesuka, bamisa inkamba emagcekeni akoMowabi, nganeno kweJordani, eJeriko.
2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
UBalaki indodana kaZipori wasebona konke uIsrayeli ayekwenze kumaAmori.
3 and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites.
UMowabi wasesesaba kakhulu ubuso babantu, ngoba babebanengi. UMowabi wasetshaywa luvalo ngenxa yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,
UMowabi wasesithi ebadaleni beMidiyani: Khathesi lelibandla lizakhotha konke okusihanqileyo, njengenkabi ikhotha utshani bedlelo. Njalo uBalaki indodana kaZipori wayeyinkosi yakoMowabi ngalesosikhathi.
5 he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
Wasethuma izithunywa kuBalami indodana kaBeyori ePethori eliseduze lomfula welizwe labantwana babantu bakhe, ukumbiza, esithi: Khangela, abantu baphumile eGibhithe. Khangela, basibekele ubuso bomhlaba, futhi sebehlala maqondana lami.
6 So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
Khathesi-ke, ake uze, ngiqalekisela lababantu, ngoba balamandla kulami; mhlawumbe ngingaba lamandla okuthi sibatshaye, lokuthi ngibaxotshe elizweni, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lowo ombusisayo ubusisiwe, lalowo omqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.
7 The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak.
Abadala beMowabi labadala beMidiyani basebehamba belembadalo yokuvumisa esandleni sabo; bafika kuBalami, bakhuluma kuye amazwi kaBalaki.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and I will give you the answer that the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Wasesithi kubo: Lalani lapha lobubusuku, njalo ngizalilethela ilizwi, njengalokhu iNkosi ezakutsho kimi. Iziphathamandla zakoMowabi zasezihlala loBalami.
9 Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
UNkulunkulu wasefika kuBalami, wathi: Ngobani lamadoda alawe?
10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
UBalami wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: UBalaki, indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungithumele esithi:
11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”
Khangela, abantu baphumile eGibhithe basibekele ubuso bomhlaba; woza khathesi, ungiqalekisele bona; mhlawumbe ngingaba lamandla okulwa labo, ngibaxotshe.
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuBalami: Ungahambi labo; ungabaqalekisi labobantu, ngoba babusisiwe.
13 So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
UBalami wasevuka ekuseni, wathi kuziphathamandla zikaBalaki: Yanini elizweni lakini, ngoba iNkosi iyala ukungivumela ukuhamba lani.
14 And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
Ngakho iziphathamandla zakoMowabi zasukuma, zaya kuBalaki, zathi: UBalami uyala ukuhamba lathi.
15 Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers.
UBalaki wasebuya wathuma njalo iziphathamandla, ezinengi ezidumileyo kulalezo.
16 They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
Zasezifika kuBalami zathi kuye: Utsho njalo uBalaki indodana kaZipori uthi: Ake ungavinjwa yilutho ukuza kimi.
17 for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’”
Ngoba ngizakuhlonipha lokukuhlonipha kakhulu, lakho konke ongitshela khona ngizakwenza. Ngakho ake uze, ngiqalekisela lababantu.
18 But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi encekwini zikaBalaki: Uba uBalaki ebezangipha indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva legolide, bengingayikweqa umlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wami ukwenza okukhulu kumbe okuncinyane.
19 So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”
Khathesi-ke, ake lihlale lapha lani lobubusuku, ukuze ngazi ukuthi iNkosi izakuthini kimi futhi.
20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
UNkulunkulu wasesiza kuBalami ebusuku wathi kuye: Uba amadoda efika ukukubiza, sukuma uhambe lawo; kodwa kuphela lelolizwi engizalikhuluma kuwe, lona uzalenza.
21 So in the morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
UBalami wasesukuma ekuseni, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemikazi wakhe, wahamba leziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
22 Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
Ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwavutha ngoba wahamba; ingilosi yeNkosi yayakuma endleleni ukuba yisitha esimelane laye. Njalo wayegade ubabhemikazi wakhe, lenceku zakhe ezimbili zilaye.
23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.
Ubabhemi waseyibona ingilosi yeNkosi imi endleleni, lenkemba ehwatshiweyo isesandleni sayo; lobabhemikazi waphambuka endleleni, wangena ensimini. UBalami wasemtshaya ubabhemi ukumphendulela endleleni.
24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side.
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisima endleleni eminyeneyo yezivini, umduli ngapha lomduli ngapha.
25 And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her once again.
Lapho ubabhemikazi ebona ingilosi yeNkosi wazibandezela emdulini, wabandezela unyawo lukaBalami emdulini; wasemtshaya futhi.
26 And the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left.
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasiqhubeka, yema endaweni eminyeneyo, lapho okwakungelandlela yokuphendukela ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo.
27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.
Lapho ubabhemikazi ebona ingilosi yeNkosi, walala ngaphansi kukaBalami. Ulaka lukaBalami lwaseluvutha, wasemtshaya ubabhemi ngenduku.
28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
INkosi yasivula umlomo kababhemikazi, wasesithi kuBalami: Ngenzeni kuwe ukuthi ungitshaye okwalezizikhathi ezintathu?
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”
UBalami wasesithi kubabhemikazi: Ngoba ungenze inhlekisa. Kungathi ngabe kulenkemba esandleni sami, ngoba bengizakubulala khathesi.
30 But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied.
Ubabhemikazi wasesithi kuBalami: Angisuye yini ubabhemi wakho omgade kusukela ngisengowakho kuze kube lamuhla? Ngake ngejwayela ukwenza kanje kuwe yini? Wasesithi: Hatshi.
31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.
INkosi yasivula amehlo kaBalami, wasebona ingilosi yeNkosi imi endleleni, lenkemba yayo ihwatshiwe isesandleni sayo; wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe phansi.
32 The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me.
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisithi kuye: Umtshayeleni ubabhemikazi wakho okwalezizikhathi ezintathu? Khangela, mina ngiphumile ukumelana lawe, ngoba indlela yakho iphambukile kimi;
33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.”
njalo ubabhemikazi wangibona, waphambuka phambi kwami lezizikhathi ezintathu. Ngaphandle kokuthi ephambukile phambi kwami, ngeqiniso khathesi ngabe ngikubulele lawe, ngamgcina yena ephila.
34 “I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”
UBalami wasesithi engilosini yeNkosi: Ngonile, ngoba bengingazi ukuthi umi endleleni ukumelana lami. Ngakho-ke uba kukubi emehlweni akho, ngizabuyela futhi.
35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisithi kuBalami: Hamba lalawomadoda; kodwa kuphela ilizwi engizalikhuluma kuwe, yilo ozalikhuluma. UBalami wasehamba leziphathamandla zikaBalaki.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.
UBalaki esezwile ukuthi uBalami uyeza, waphuma ukuyamhlangabeza emzini wakoMowabi, osemngceleni weArinoni, osekucineni komngcele.
37 And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Kangithumanga yini lokuthuma kuwe ukukubiza? Kungani ungafikanga kimi? Isibili kangilamandla okukunika udumo yini?
38 “See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Khangela, ngifikile kuwe. Khathesi ngilamandla isibili okukhuluma loba yini na? Ilizwi uNkulunkulu alifaka emlonyeni wami, yilo engizalikhuluma.
39 So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
UBalami wasehamba loBalaki, basebefika eKiriyathi-Huzothi.
40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.
UBalaki wasehlaba izinkabi lezimvu, wathumela kuBalami lakuziphathamandla ezazilaye.
41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.
Kwasekusithi ekuseni uBalaki wamthatha uBalami, wamenyusela endaweni eziphakemeyo zikaBhali, ukuthi abone elapho ukucina kwabantu.
