Numbers 23
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
UBhalamu wathi, “Ngakhela ama-alithare ayisikhombisa lapha, ube usungilungisela inkunzi eziyisikhombisa kanye lenqama eziyisikhombisa.”
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
UBhalaki wenza njengokutshiwo nguBhalamu, kwathi bobabili babo banikela ngenkunzi langenqama eyodwa e-alithareni linye ngalinye.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.
Ngakho uBhalamu wasesithi kuBhalaki, “Hlala lapha eceleni lomnikelo wakho mina ngisaya eceleni. Mhlawumbe uThixo uzabuya azohlangana lami. Lokho azakuveza kimi ngizakutshela.” Wasesuka waya endaweni ephakemeyo eligceke.
4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
UNkulunkulu wahlangana laye, njalo uBhalamu wathi, “Sengakhe ama-alithare ayisikhombisa njalo e-alithareni linye ngalinye nginikele ngenkunzi langenqama eyodwa.”
5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
Ngakho uThixo watshela uBhalamu wathi, “Buyela kuBhalaki uyemupha umbiko lo.”
6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
Ngakho wabuyela kuBhalaki wamfica emi eceleni komnikelo wakhe, kanye lawo wonke amakhosana amaMowabi.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.
Ngakho uBhalamu wasesitsho umbiko wakhe: “UBhalaki ungilethe ngivela e-Aramu, inkosi yamaMowabi evela ezintabeni zasempumalanga. ‘Woza,’ watsho njalo, ‘ngiqalekisela uJakhobe; woza, mchothoze u-Israyeli.’
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
Ngingabaqalekisa njani labo abangaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu? Ngingachothoza njani labo abangazange bachothozwe nguThixo?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that dwell alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Eziqongweni zamatshe ngiyababona, khonale phezulu bayangikhanyela. Ngibona abantu abahlezi ngokwehluka, njalo kabaziboni bengabalezizizwe.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!
Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakhobe loba ingxenye yesine yabako-Israyeli na? Yekela ngife ukufa kwabalungileyo, njalo sengathi isiphetho sami singafana lesabo!”
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
UBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Kuyini osungenzele khona na? Ngize lawe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa akulalutho olwenzileyo ngaphandle kokuzibusisa!”
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?
UBhalamu, waphendula wathi, “Ngingakukhulumi na engikutshelwe nguThixo?”
13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
Ngakho uBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Woza asiye kwenye indawo lapha ozababona khona; uzabona ingxenye kuphela kungeyisibo bonke. Khonapho-ke ungiqalekisele bona.”
14 And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Wasesuka laye waya emangweni waseZofimu phezu kwentaba iPhisiga, kulapho akha khona ama-alithare ayisikhombisa wanikela ngenkunzi langenqama e-alithareni linye ngalinye.
15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet [the LORD] yonder.
UBhalamu wathi kuBhalaki, “Hlala lapha eceleni komnikelo wakho mina ngisayahlangana laye ngale.”
16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
UThixo wahlangana loBhalamu wamtshela wathi, “Buyela kuBhalaki uyemnika umbiko lo.”
17 And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
Wasebuyela kuBhalaki wamfica emi eceleni komnikelo wakhe, kanye lamakhosana amaMowabi. UBhalaki wambuza wathi, “Utheni uThixo?”
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
Wasesitsho umbiko wakhe: “Vuka, Bhalaki, njalo ulalele; zwana mina, ndodana kaZiphori.
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
UNkulunkulu kasumuntu, ukuthi angaqamba amanga, loba indodana yomuntu, yona eguquguqula ingqondo yayo. Kambe ukhuluma angenzi na? Uyathembisa angagcwalisi isithembiso na?
20 Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
Ngamukele umlayo wokubusisa; usebusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule lokho.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.
Akulamabhadi ehlela kuJakhobe, akulasizi olubonakala ku-Israyeli. UThixo uNkulunkulu wabo ukanye labo; umkhosi weNkosi uphakathi kwabo.
22 God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
UNkulunkulu wabakhipha eGibhithe; balamandla enyathi.
23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob, Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Akulamilingo engalinga uJakhobe, akulamasalamusi angamelana lo-Israyeli. Khathesi sekuzathiwa ngoJakhobe kanye lo-lsrayeli, ‘Khangela okwenziwe nguNkulunkulu!’
24 Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.
Abantu bayavuka njengesilwanekazi; badlwanguluka njengesilwane sona esingaphumuliyo size sitshwabadele inyamazana yaso njalo sinathe igazi layo.”
25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Ngakho uBhalaki wasesithi kuBhalamu, “Ungabaqalekisi, njalo ungababusisi!”
26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
UBhalamu waphendula wathi, “Angikutshelanga na ukuthi ngenza engikutshelwe nguThixo?”
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
Ngakho uBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Woza, kahle ngikuse kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbe kuzamthokozisa uNkulunkulu akuvumele ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ukhonale.”
28 And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.
Ngakho uBhalaki wahamba loBhalamu baya phezu kwePheyori ekhangele enkangala.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
UBhalamu wathi, “Ngakhela ama-alithare ayisikhombisa khonapha, ungilungisele inkunzi eziyisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.”
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
UBhalaki wenza lokho ayekutshelwe nguBhalamu, wanikela inkunzi eyodwa lenqama e-alithareni linye ngalinye.
