Numbers 22
1 And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho.
Abako-Israyeli basuka lapho baya emagcekeni aseMowabi bamisa izihonqo zabo zisekele umfula iJodani ngaphetsheya kweJerikho.
2 And Balak son of Zippor sees all that Israel has done to the Amorite,
UBhalaki indodana kaZiphori wabona konke okwenziwa ngu-Israyeli kuma-Amori,
3 and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it [is] numerous; and Moab is distressed by the presence of the sons of Israel,
ngakho uMowabi wesaba ngoba abantu bako-Israyeli babebanengi kakhulu. Ngempela uMowabi watshaywa luvalo ngenxa yokwesaba abako-Israyeli.
4 and Moab says to [the] elderly of Midian, “Now the assembly licks up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the green thing of the field.” And Balak son of Zippor [is] king of Moab at that time,
AmaMowabi athi ebadaleni bamaMidiyani, “Ixuku leli lizahuquluza konke esilakho, njengenkabi isidla utshani emadlelweni.” Ngakho uBhalaki indodana kaZiphori, owayeyinkosi yamaMowabi ngalesosikhathi,
5 and he sends messengers to Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which [is] by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt; behold, it has covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding in front of me;
wathumela izithunywa ukuyabiza uBhalamu indodana kaBheyori, owayehlala ePhethori eduzane lomfula iYufrathe elizweni lakibo lomdabuko. UBhalaki wathi, “Kulabantu abanengi kakhulu abavela eGibhithe; bagcwele ilizwe lonke njalo bahlezi eduze kwami.
6 and now, come, please curse this people for me, for it [is] mightier than I. It may be I prevail, [and] we strike it, and I cast it out from the land; for I have known that which you bless is blessed, and that which you curse is cursed.”
Woza khathesi uzeletha isithuko phezu kwabo, ngoba balamandla kulami. Mhlawumbe ngalokho ngingabehlula ngibaxotshe elizweni. Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi labo obabusisayo bayabusiseka, njalo labo obaqalekisayo bayaqalekiswa.”
7 And [the] elderly of Moab and [the] elderly of Midian go with divinations in their hand, and they come to Balaam and speak the words of Balak to him,
Abadala bamaMowabi labamaMidiyani basuka, bathatha imbadalo yokuhlahlula. Bathe befika kuBhalamu, bamtshela lokho okwatshiwo nguBhalaki.
8 and he says to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I have brought you back word, as YHWH speaks to me”; and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam.
“Lalani lapha okwalamuhla,” watsho uBhalamu kubo, “Ngizalilethela impendulo engizayiphiwa nguThixo.” Ngakho amakhosana amaMowabi ahlala laye.
9 And God comes to Balaam and says, “Who [are] these men with you?”
UNkulunkulu weza kuBhalamu wambuza wathi, “Amadoda la olawo ngobani?”
10 And Balaam says to God, “Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me:
UBhalamu wathi kuNkulunkulu, “UBhalaki indodana kaZiphori inkosi yamaMowabi ungithumele lelizwi elithi:
11 Behold, the people that is coming out from Egypt and covers the eye of the land—now come, pierce it for me; it may be I am able to fight against it and have cast it out”;
‘Kulabantu abavele eGibhithe abagcwele elizweni lonke. Woza masinyane uzongiqalekisela lababantu. Mhlawumbe ngingaba lakho ukubalwisa ngibaxotshe lapha.’”
12 and God says to Balaam, “You do not go with them; you do not curse the people, for it [is] blessed.”
Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathi kuBhalamu, “Ungahambi labo. Ungabaqalekisi lababantu, ngoba babusisiwe.”
13 And Balaam rises in the morning and says to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, for YHWH is refusing to permit me to go with you”;
Ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo uBhalamu wavuka esithi kumakhosana kaBhalaki, “Buyelani ezweni lenu, ngoba uThixo walile ukuthi ngihambe lani.”
14 and the princes of Moab rise, and come to Balak, and say, “Balaam is refusing to come with us.”
Ngakho amakhosana amaMowabi abuyela kuBhalaki athi, “UBhalamu walile ukubuya lathi.”
15 And Balak adds yet to send princes, more numerous and honored than these,
Ngakho uBhalaki wathumela amanye amakhosana amanengi njalo adumileyo kulawakuqala.
16 and they come to Balaam and say to him, “Thus said Balak son of Zippor: Please do not be withheld from coming to me,
Eza kuBhalamu afika athi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguBhalaki indodana kaZiphori: Akungabi lalutho olungakuvimbela ukuza kimi,
17 for I honor you very greatly, and all that you say to me I do; and come, please pierce this people for me.”
ngoba ngizakunika umvuzo omuhle njalo ngenze konke okutshoyo. Woza uzongiqalekisela lababantu.”
18 And Balaam answers and says to the servants of Balak, “If Balak gives to me the fullness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of my God YHWH, to do a little or a great thing;
Kodwa uBhalamu wabaphendula wathi, “Loba uBhalaki enganginika isigodlo sakhe sigcwele isiliva legolide, angingeke ngenze ulutho olukhulu loba oluncane oluphambene lelizwi likaThixo uNkulunkulu wami.
19 and now, please abide in this [place], you also, tonight, then I know what YHWH is adding to speak with me.”
Khathesi hlalani lapha okwalobubusuku njengalokhu okwenziwe ngabanye, mina ngizadingisisa ukuthi kuyini okunye uThixo azangitshela khona.”
20 And God comes to Balaam by night and says to him, “If the men have come to call for you, rise, go with them, and only the thing which I speak to you—do it.”
Ngalobobusuku uNkulunkulu weza kuBhalamu wathi, “Njengoba ethunywe ukuzakubiza, hamba lawo, kodwa wenze lokho kuphela engizakutshela khona.”
21 And Balaam rises in the morning, and saddles his donkey, and goes with the princes of Moab,
UBhalamu wavuka ekuseni, wagada ubabhemi wakhe wahle wahamba lamakhosana amaMowabi.
22 and the anger of God burns because he is going, and the Messenger of YHWH stations Himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his donkey, and two of his servants [are] with him,
Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathukuthela kakhulu ngokuhamba kwakhe, ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yajama phambi kwakhe yamvimbela. UBhalamu wayegade ubabhemi wakhe elezinceku zakhe ezimbili.
23 and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turns aside out of the way and goes into a field, and Balaam strikes the donkey to turn it aside into the way.
Kwathi ubabhemi ebona ingilosi kaThixo imi endleleni iphethe inkemba esandleni sayo, waphambuka endleleni waqonda iganga. UBhalamu wamtshaya ubabhemi embuyisela endleleni.
24 And the Messenger of YHWH stands in a narrow path of the vineyards, [with] a wall on this [side] and a wall on that [side],
Ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yayakuma emkhandlwini phakathi kwezivini ezimbili, kulemiduli inxa zonke.
25 and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH, and is pressed to the wall, and presses Balaam’s foot to the wall, and he adds to strike her;
Kwathi ubabhemi ebona ingilosi kaThixo, ubabhemi wasondela emdulini, ehluzulela unyawo lukaBhalamu emdulini. Ngalokho wamtshaya njalo ubabhemi.
26 and the Messenger of YHWH adds to pass over, and stands in a narrow place where there is no way to turn aside [to] the right or left,
Ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yaya phambili yema emkhandlwini onciphileyo lapho okwakungelandlela yokuphendukela kwesokudla loba esenxele.
27 and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH, and crouches under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burns, and he strikes the donkey with a staff.
Kwathi ubabhemi ebona ingilosi kaThixo, ubabhemi walala phansi, uBhalamu wathukuthela kakhulu wamtshaya ubabhemi ngentonga yakhe.
28 And YHWH opens the mouth of the donkey, and she says to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?”
Ngalokho uThixo wavula umlomo kababhemi, wathi kuBhalamu, “Kanti ngenzeni na kuwe uze ungitshaye okwamahlandla amathathu?”
29 And Balaam says to the donkey, “Because you have rolled yourself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain you”;
UBhalamu waphendula ubabhemi wathi, “Ungenze isiwula! Ngabe bengilenkemba esandleni sami bengizakubulala khathesi.”
30 and the donkey says to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden since [I became] yours, even to this day? Have I at all been accustomed to do thus to you?” And he says, “No.”
Ubabhemi wathi kuBhalamu, “Kanti kangisubabhemi wakho na ovele uhlezi umgada insuku zonke kuze kube namhlanje? Kambe ngiyake ngikwenze lokhu kuwe na?” UBhalamu waphendula wathi, “Hatshi.”
31 And YHWH uncovers the eyes of Balaam, and he sees the Messenger of YHWH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and he bows and pays respect, to his face;
Ngakho uThixo wavula amehlo kaBhalamu, wabona ingilosi kaThixo imi endleleni iqaphise inkemba. Ngakho wakhothama wawa phansi ngobuso.
32 and the Messenger of YHWH says to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out for an adversary, for [your] way has been perverse before Me,
Ingilosi kaThixo yambuza yathi, “Kungani utshaye ubabhemi wakho okwamahlandla amathathu na? Ngize lapha ukukuvimbela ngoba indlela yakho iyibutshapha phambi kwami.
33 and the donkey sees Me and turns aside at My presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from My presence, surely I had also slain you now, and kept her alive.”
Ubabhemi ungibonile waphambuka okwamahlandla amathathu. Alubana kaphambukanga, ngabe khathesi sengikubulele wena, ngayekela ubabhemi.”
34 And Balaam says to the Messenger of YHWH, “I have sinned, for I did not know that You [are] standing to meet me in the way; and now, if [it is] evil in Your eyes, I turn back by myself.”
UBhalamu wathi engilosini kaThixo, “Ngonile. Angizange nginanzelele ukuthi umi endleleni ukungivimbela. Nxa kungakuthokozisi khathesi, ngizabuyela emuva.”
35 And the Messenger of YHWH says to Balaam, “Go with the men; and only the word which I speak to you—it you speak”; and Balaam goes with the princes of Balak.
Ingilosi kaThixo yathi kuBhalamu, “Hamba lawo lamadoda, kodwa ukhulume lokho engikutshela khona kuphela.” Ngakho uBhalamu wahamba lamakhosana kaBhalaki.
36 And Balak hears that Balaam has come, and goes out to meet him, to a city of Moab, which [is] on the border of Arnon, which [is] in the extremity of the border;
Kwathi uBhalaki esizwa ukuthi uBhalamu uyeza, waphuma ukumhlangabeza edolobheni lamaMowabi emngceleni wase-Arinoni emaphethelweni elizwe lakhe.
37 and Balak says to Balaam, “Did I not diligently send to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you?”
UBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Angikuthumelanga ilizwi lokuphangisa na? Kungani ungezanga kimi? Kambe kangenelisi ukukupha umvuzo na?”
38 And Balaam says to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you; now, am I able to speak anything at all? The word which God sets in my mouth—it I speak.”
UBhalamu waphendula wathi, “Yebo, sengifikile kuwe khathesi. Kodwa angiyikukhuluma loba yini engiyifunayo. Ngizakhuluma lokho uNkulunkulu azakubeka emlonyeni wami kuphela.”
39 And Balaam goes with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,
Ngakho uBhalamu wahamba loBhalaki eKhiriyathi-Huzothi.
40 and Balak sacrifices oxen and sheep, and sends [some] to Balaam and to the princes who [are] with him;
UBhalaki wenza umhlatshelo wenkomo lezimvu, njalo ezinye wazipha uBhalamu ezinye wazipha amakhosana ayehamba lawo.
41 and it comes to pass in the morning, that Balak takes Balaam and causes him to go up [to] the high places of Ba‘al, and he sees the extremity of the people from there.
Ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo uBhalaki wathatha uBhalamu waya eBhamothi-Bhali, kulapho abona khona izihonqo zabako-Israyeli.
