Numbers 24
1 And Balaam seeth that [it is] good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face;
UBalami esebonile ukuthi kuhle emehlweni eNkosi ukubusisa uIsrayeli, kahambanga njengezinye izikhathi ukuyadinga imilingo; kodwa wakhangelisa ubuso bakhe enkangala.
2 and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,
Kwathi uBalami ephakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona uIsrayeli ehlezi ngokwezizwe zakhe, loMoya kaNkulunkulu waba phezu kwakhe.
3 and he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor — And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut —
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: UBalami indodana kaBeyori uthi, lendoda olihlo layo livulekile ithi,
4 An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God — Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling — and eyes uncovered:
uthi ozwayo amazwi kaNkulunkulu, obonayo umbono kaSomandla, esiwa, njalo kwembulwe amehlo.
5 How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;
Mahle kangakanani amathente akho, Jakobe, amakhaya akho, Israyeli!
6 As valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;
Njengezigodi zisabalele, njengezivande ngasemfuleni, njengezinhlaba iNkosi ezihlanyeleyo, njengezihlahla zemisedari ngasemanzini!
7 He maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed [is] in many waters; And higher than Agag [is] his king, And exalted is his kingdom.
Amanzi azageleza evela embizeni zakhe, lenhlanyelo yakhe izakuba semanzini amanengi, lenkosi yakhe izakuba nkulu kuloAgagi, lombuso wakhe uzaphakama.
8 God is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And [with] his arrows he smiteth,
UNkulunkulu wamkhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi, uzakudla izizwe, izitha zakhe, njalo uzakwephula amathambo azo, njalo azitshoke ngemitshoko yakhe.
9 He hath bent, he hath lain down as a lion, And as a lioness: who doth raise him up? He who is blessing thee [is] blessed, And he who is cursing thee [is] cursed.'
Waqutha, walala phansi njengesilwane, lanjengesilwane esisikazi; ngubani ozamvusa? Okubusisayo abusiswe, lokuqalekisayo aqalekiswe!
10 And the anger of Balak burneth against Balaam, and he striketh his hands; and Balak saith unto Balaam, 'To pierce mine enemies I called thee, and lo, thou hast certainly blessed — these three times;
Njalo ulaka lukaBalaki lwavuthela uBalami, watshaya izandla zakhe, uBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ngikubize ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa okwalezizikhathi ezintathu.
11 and now, flee for thyself unto thy place; I have said, I do greatly honour thee, and lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honour.'
Khathesi-ke zibalekele uye endaweni yakho. Bengithe ngizakuhlonipha ngodumo, kodwa khangela, iNkosi ikuvimbile kudumo.
12 And Balaam saith unto Balak, 'Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, saying,
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Kangikhulumanga yini lakuzithunywa obuzithume kimi ngisithi:
13 If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah, to do good or evil of mine own heart — that which Jehovah speaketh — it I speak?
Uba uBalaki ebezangipha indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva legolide, bengingayikweqa umlayo weNkosi, ukwenza okuhle kumbe okubi okwenhliziyo yami; lokho iNkosi ekutshoyo yilokho engizakukhuluma?
14 and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee [concerning] that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.'
Khathesi-ke, khangela, ngiya ebantwini bakithi; woza ngikucebise ukuthi lababantu bazakwenzani ebantwini bakini ensukwini zokucina.
15 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor — And an affirmation of the man whose eyes [are] shut —
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: UBalami indodana kaBeyori uthi, lendoda elamehlo avulekileyo ithi,
16 An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God — And knowing knowledge of the Most High; A vision of the Almighty he seeth, Falling — and eyes uncovered:
uthi ozwayo amazwi kaNkulunkulu, lowazi ulwazi loPhezukonke, obonayo umbono kaSomandla, esiwa, njalo kuvuleke amehlo.
17 I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.
Ngizambona, kodwa hatshi khathesi, ngizamkhangela, kodwa kungeseduze; kuzavela inkanyezi kuJakobe, lentonga yobukhosi izavuka koIsrayeli, itshaye amagumbi akoMowabi, njalo ichithe bonke abantwana bakaShethi.
18 And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, [for] its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;
Njalo uEdoma uzakuba yimfuyo, loSeyiri abe yimfuyo yezitha zakhe, kodwa uIsrayeli uzakwenza ngobuqhawe,
19 And [one] doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'
kuzavela-ke koJakobe umbusi, njalo uzabhubhisa oseleyo emzini.
20 And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'A beginning of the Goyim [is] Amalek; And his latter end — for ever he perisheth.'
Esebone uAmaleki, waphakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: UAmaleki wayengowokuqala wezizwe, kodwa ukucina kwakhe kuyikubhubha okupheleleyo.
21 And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Enduring [is] thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,
Esebone amaKeni, waphakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Iqinile indlu yakho, isidleke sakho usimise edwaleni.
22 But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'
Kanti-ke uKhayini uzachithwa, aze akuthumbe uAshuri.
23 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Alas! who doth live when God doth this?
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Maye, ngubani ozaphila nxa uNkulunkulu esenza lokhu?
24 And — ships [are] from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.'
Imikhumbi izavela ekhunjini lweKitimi, ihluphe uAshuri, ihluphe uEberi; njalo laye uzabhubha okwesikhathi sonke.
25 And Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.
UBalami wasesukuma wahamba wabuyela endaweni yakhe; loBalaki laye wahamba ngendlela yakhe.
