Numbers 23
1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
2 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
3 “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
4 and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
5 Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.
Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
7 And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathi: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe, woza, umthuke uIsrayeli.
8 How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
9 For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.
Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”
Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
12 But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”
UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
14 So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
16 And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”
INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
18 Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amanga, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa?
20 I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
21 He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.
Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
22 God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
23 For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’
Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
24 Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
25 Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
26 But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
27 “Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
29 Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
30 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
