Amanani 23

1 UBhalamu wathi, “Ngakhela ama-alithare ayisikhombisa lapha, ube usungilungisela inkunzi eziyisikhombisa kanye lenqama eziyisikhombisa.”

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

2 UBhalaki wenza njengokutshiwo nguBhalamu, kwathi bobabili babo banikela ngenkunzi langenqama eyodwa e-alithareni linye ngalinye.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 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.

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 showeth me I will tell thee.' And he went to a bare height.

4 UNkulunkulu wahlangana laye, njalo uBhalamu wathi, “Sengakhe ama-alithare ayisikhombisa njalo e-alithareni linye ngalinye nginikele ngenkunzi langenqama eyodwa.”

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.'

5 Ngakho uThixo watshela uBhalamu wathi, “Buyela kuBhalaki uyemupha umbiko lo.”

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.'

6 Ngakho wabuyela kuBhalaki wamfica emi eceleni komnikelo wakhe, kanye lawo wonke amakhosana amaMowabi.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 Ngakho uBhalamu wasesitsho umbiko wakhe: “UBhalaki ungilethe ngivela e-Aramu, inkosi yamaMowabi evela ezintabeni zasempumalanga. ‘Woza,’ watsho njalo, ‘ngiqalekisela uJakhobe; woza, mchothoze u-Israyeli.’

And he took up his parable, and said: From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: 'Come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel.'

8 Ngingabaqalekisa njani labo abangaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu? Ngingachothoza njani labo abangazange bachothozwe nguThixo?

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the LORD hath not execrated?

9 Eziqongweni zamatshe ngiyababona, khonale phezulu bayangikhanyela. Ngibona abantu abahlezi ngokwehluka, njalo kabaziboni bengabalezizizwe.

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakhobe loba ingxenye yesine yabako-Israyeli na? Yekela ngife ukufa kwabalungileyo, njalo sengathi isiphetho sami singafana lesabo!”

Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered the stock of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine end be like his!

11 UBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Kuyini osungenzele khona na? Ngize lawe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa akulalutho olwenzileyo ngaphandle kokuzibusisa!”

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.'

12 UBhalamu, waphendula wathi, “Ngingakukhulumi na engikutshelwe nguThixo?”

And he answered and said: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?'

13 Ngakho uBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Woza asiye kwenye indawo lapha ozababona khona; uzabona ingxenye kuphela kungeyisibo bonke. Khonapho-ke ungiqalekisele bona.”

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.'

14 Wasesuka laye waya emangweni waseZofimu phezu kwentaba iPhisiga, kulapho akha khona ama-alithare ayisikhombisa wanikela ngenkunzi langenqama e-alithareni linye ngalinye.

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.

15 UBhalamu wathi kuBhalaki, “Hlala lapha eceleni komnikelo wakho mina ngisayahlangana laye ngale.”

And he said unto Balak: 'Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I go toward a meeting yonder.'

16 UThixo wahlangana loBhalamu wamtshela wathi, “Buyela kuBhalaki uyemnika umbiko lo.”

And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.'

17 Wasebuyela kuBhalaki wamfica emi eceleni komnikelo wakhe, kanye lamakhosana amaMowabi. UBhalaki wambuza wathi, “Utheni uThixo?”

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?'

18 Wasesitsho umbiko wakhe: “Vuka, Bhalaki, njalo ulalele; zwana mina, ndodana kaZiphori.

And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear; give ear unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 UNkulunkulu kasumuntu, ukuthi angaqamba amanga, loba indodana yomuntu, yona eguquguqula ingqondo yayo. Kambe ukhuluma angenzi na? Uyathembisa angagcwalisi isithembiso na?

God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: when He hath said, will He not do it? or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?

20 Ngamukele umlayo wokubusisa; usebusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule lokho.

Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back.

21 Akulamabhadi ehlela kuJakhobe, akulasizi olubonakala ku-Israyeli. UThixo uNkulunkulu wabo ukanye labo; umkhosi weNkosi uphakathi kwabo.

None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shouting for the King is among them.

22 UNkulunkulu wabakhipha eGibhithe; balamandla enyathi.

God who brought them forth out of Egypt is for them like the lofty horns of the wild-ox.

23 Akulamilingo engalinga uJakhobe, akulamasalamusi angamelana lo-Israyeli. Khathesi sekuzathiwa ngoJakhobe kanye lo-lsrayeli, ‘Khangela okwenziwe nguNkulunkulu!’

For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel; now is it said of Jacob and of Israel: 'What hath God wrought!'

24 Abantu bayavuka njengesilwanekazi; badlwanguluka njengesilwane sona esingaphumuliyo size sitshwabadele inyamazana yaso njalo sinathe igazi layo.”

Behold a people that 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.

25 Ngakho uBhalaki wasesithi kuBhalamu, “Ungabaqalekisi, njalo ungababusisi!”

And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.'

26 UBhalamu waphendula wathi, “Angikutshelanga na ukuthi ngenza engikutshelwe nguThixo?”

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak: 'Told not I thee, saying: All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?'

27 Ngakho uBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Woza, kahle ngikuse kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbe kuzamthokozisa uNkulunkulu akuvumele ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ukhonale.”

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.'

28 Ngakho uBhalaki wahamba loBhalamu baya phezu kwePheyori ekhangele enkangala.

And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.

29 UBhalamu wathi, “Ngakhela ama-alithare ayisikhombisa khonapha, ungilungisele inkunzi eziyisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.”

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

30 UBhalaki wenza lokho ayekutshelwe nguBhalamu, wanikela inkunzi eyodwa lenqama e-alithareni linye ngalinye.

And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.