Amanani 23
1 UBhalamu wathi, “Ngakhela ama-alithare ayisikhombisa lapha, ube usungilungisela inkunzi eziyisikhombisa kanye lenqama eziyisikhombisa.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
2 UBhalaki wenza njengokutshiwo nguBhalamu, kwathi bobabili babo banikela ngenkunzi langenqama eyodwa e-alithareni linye ngalinye.
UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
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.
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
4 UNkulunkulu wahlangana laye, njalo uBhalamu wathi, “Sengakhe ama-alithare ayisikhombisa njalo e-alithareni linye ngalinye nginikele ngenkunzi langenqama eyodwa.”
UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
5 Ngakho uThixo watshela uBhalamu wathi, “Buyela kuBhalaki uyemupha umbiko lo.”
INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
6 Ngakho wabuyela kuBhalaki wamfica emi eceleni komnikelo wakhe, kanye lawo wonke amakhosana amaMowabi.
Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
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.’
Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathi: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe, woza, umthuke uIsrayeli.
8 Ngingabaqalekisa njani labo abangaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu? Ngingachothoza njani labo abangazange bachothozwe nguThixo?
Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
9 Eziqongweni zamatshe ngiyababona, khonale phezulu bayangikhanyela. Ngibona abantu abahlezi ngokwehluka, njalo kabaziboni bengabalezizizwe.
Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakhobe loba ingxenye yesine yabako-Israyeli na? Yekela ngife ukufa kwabalungileyo, njalo sengathi isiphetho sami singafana lesabo!”
Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
11 UBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Kuyini osungenzele khona na? Ngize lawe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa akulalutho olwenzileyo ngaphandle kokuzibusisa!”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
12 UBhalamu, waphendula wathi, “Ngingakukhulumi na engikutshelwe nguThixo?”
Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
13 Ngakho uBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Woza asiye kwenye indawo lapha ozababona khona; uzabona ingxenye kuphela kungeyisibo bonke. Khonapho-ke ungiqalekisele bona.”
UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
14 Wasesuka laye waya emangweni waseZofimu phezu kwentaba iPhisiga, kulapho akha khona ama-alithare ayisikhombisa wanikela ngenkunzi langenqama e-alithareni linye ngalinye.
Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
15 UBhalamu wathi kuBhalaki, “Hlala lapha eceleni komnikelo wakho mina ngisayahlangana laye ngale.”
Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
16 UThixo wahlangana loBhalamu wamtshela wathi, “Buyela kuBhalaki uyemnika umbiko lo.”
INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
17 Wasebuyela kuBhalaki wamfica emi eceleni komnikelo wakhe, kanye lamakhosana amaMowabi. UBhalaki wambuza wathi, “Utheni uThixo?”
Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
18 Wasesitsho umbiko wakhe: “Vuka, Bhalaki, njalo ulalele; zwana mina, ndodana kaZiphori.
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
19 UNkulunkulu kasumuntu, ukuthi angaqamba amanga, loba indodana yomuntu, yona eguquguqula ingqondo yayo. Kambe ukhuluma angenzi na? Uyathembisa angagcwalisi isithembiso na?
UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amanga, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa?
20 Ngamukele umlayo wokubusisa; usebusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule lokho.
Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
21 Akulamabhadi ehlela kuJakhobe, akulasizi olubonakala ku-Israyeli. UThixo uNkulunkulu wabo ukanye labo; umkhosi weNkosi uphakathi kwabo.
Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
22 UNkulunkulu wabakhipha eGibhithe; balamandla enyathi.
UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
23 Akulamilingo engalinga uJakhobe, akulamasalamusi angamelana lo-Israyeli. Khathesi sekuzathiwa ngoJakhobe kanye lo-lsrayeli, ‘Khangela okwenziwe nguNkulunkulu!’
Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
24 Abantu bayavuka njengesilwanekazi; badlwanguluka njengesilwane sona esingaphumuliyo size sitshwabadele inyamazana yaso njalo sinathe igazi layo.”
Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
25 Ngakho uBhalaki wasesithi kuBhalamu, “Ungabaqalekisi, njalo ungababusisi!”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
26 UBhalamu waphendula wathi, “Angikutshelanga na ukuthi ngenza engikutshelwe nguThixo?”
Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
27 Ngakho uBhalaki wathi kuBhalamu, “Woza, kahle ngikuse kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbe kuzamthokozisa uNkulunkulu akuvumele ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ukhonale.”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
28 Ngakho uBhalaki wahamba loBhalamu baya phezu kwePheyori ekhangele enkangala.
UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
29 UBhalamu wathi, “Ngakhela ama-alithare ayisikhombisa khonapha, ungilungisele inkunzi eziyisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
30 UBhalaki wenza lokho ayekutshelwe nguBhalamu, wanikela inkunzi eyodwa lenqama e-alithareni linye ngalinye.
UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
