Numbers 23
1 And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
2 And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar.
UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
3 And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
4 And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram.
UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
5 And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.
INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
6 Returning he found Balac standing by his burnt offering, with all the princes of the Moabites:
Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
7 And taking up his parable, he said: Balac king of the Moabites hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, said he, and curse Jacob: make haste and detest Israel.
Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathi: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe, woza, umthuke uIsrayeli.
8 How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?
Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
9 I shall see him from the tops of the rocks, and shall consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and know the number of the stock of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the just, and my last end be like to them.
Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
11 And Balac said to Balaam: What is this that thou dost? I sent for thee to curse my enemies: and thou contrariwise blessest them.
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
12 He answered him: Call I speak any thing else but what the Lord commandeth?
Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
13 Balac therefore said: Come with me to another place from whence thou mayest see part of Israel, and canst not see them all: curse them from thence.
UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
14 And when he had brought him to a high place, upon the top of mount Phasga, Balaam built seven altars, and laying on every one a calf and a ram,
Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
15 He said to Balac: Stand here by thy burnt offering while I go to meet him.
Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
16 And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou say to him.
INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
17 Returning he found him standing by his burnt sacrifice, and the princes of the Moabites with him. And Balac said to him: What hath the Lord spoken?
Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
18 But he taking up his parable, said: Stand, O Balac, and give ear: hear, thou son of Sephor:
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfill?
UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amanga, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa?
20 I was brought to bless, the blessing I am not able to hinder.
Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
21 There is no idol in Jacob, neither is there an image god to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the sound of the victory of the king in him.
Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
22 God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros.
UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
23 There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor divination in Israel. In their times it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God hath wrought.
Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
24 Behold the people shall rise up as a lioness, and shall lift itself up as a lion: it shall not lie down till it devour the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
25 And Balac said to Balaam: Neither curse, nor bless him.
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
26 And he said: Did I not tell thee, that whatsoever God should command me, that I would do?
Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
27 And Balac said to him: Come and I will bring thee to another place; if peradventure it please God that thou mayest curse them from thence.
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
28 And when he had brought him upon the top of mount Phogor, which looketh towards the wilderness,
UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
29 Balaam said to him: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
30 Balac did as Balaam had said: and he laid on every altar, a calf and a ram.
UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
