Amanani 22
1 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesuka, bamisa inkamba emagcekeni akoMowabi, nganeno kweJordani, eJeriko.
The people of Israel traveled on until they camped in the plains of Moab near Jericho, on the other side of the Jordan River from the city.
2 UBalaki indodana kaZipori wasebona konke uIsrayeli ayekwenze kumaAmori.
Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 UMowabi wasesesaba kakhulu ubuso babantu, ngoba babebanengi. UMowabi wasetshaywa luvalo ngenxa yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Moab was very afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was in terror of the people of Israel.
4 UMowabi wasesithi ebadaleni beMidiyani: Khathesi lelibandla lizakhotha konke okusihanqileyo, njengenkabi ikhotha utshani bedlelo. Njalo uBalaki indodana kaZipori wayeyinkosi yakoMowabi ngalesosikhathi.
The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This multitude will eat up all that is around us as an ox eats up the grass in a field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5 Wasethuma izithunywa kuBalami indodana kaBeyori ePethori eliseduze lomfula welizwe labantwana babantu bakhe, ukumbiza, esithi: Khangela, abantu baphumile eGibhithe. Khangela, basibekele ubuso bomhlaba, futhi sebehlala maqondana lami.
He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, at Pethor which is by the Euphrates River, in the land of his nation and his people. He called him and said, “Look, a nation has come here from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and they are right now next to me.
6 Khathesi-ke, ake uze, ngiqalekisela lababantu, ngoba balamandla kulami; mhlawumbe ngingaba lamandla okuthi sibatshaye, lokuthi ngibaxotshe elizweni, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi lowo ombusisayo ubusisiwe, lalowo omqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.
So please come now and curse this nation for me, because they are too strong for me. Perhaps then I can manage to attack them and drive them out of the land. I know that whomever you bless will be blessed, and whomever you curse will be cursed.”
7 Abadala beMowabi labadala beMidiyani basebehamba belembadalo yokuvumisa esandleni sabo; bafika kuBalami, bakhuluma kuye amazwi kaBalaki.
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left, taking payment for divination. They came to Balaam and spoke to him Balak's words.
8 Wasesithi kubo: Lalani lapha lobubusuku, njalo ngizalilethela ilizwi, njengalokhu iNkosi ezakutsho kimi. Iziphathamandla zakoMowabi zasezihlala loBalami.
Balaam said to them, “Stay here tonight. I will bring you what Yahweh says to me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam that night.
9 UNkulunkulu wasefika kuBalami, wathi: Ngobani lamadoda alawe?
God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men who came to you?”
10 UBalami wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: UBalaki, indodana kaZipori, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungithumele esithi:
Balaam answered God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them to me. He said,
11 Khangela, abantu baphumile eGibhithe basibekele ubuso bomhlaba; woza khathesi, ungiqalekisele bona; mhlawumbe ngingaba lamandla okulwa labo, ngibaxotshe.
'Look, the people who have come from Egypt cover the surface of my land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I will manage to fight them and drive them out.'”
12 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuBalami: Ungahambi labo; ungabaqalekisi labobantu, ngoba babusisiwe.
God replied to Balaam, “You must not go with those men. You must not curse the people of Israel because they have been blessed.”
13 UBalami wasevuka ekuseni, wathi kuziphathamandla zikaBalaki: Yanini elizweni lakini, ngoba iNkosi iyala ukungivumela ukuhamba lani.
Balaam rose up in the morning and said to Balak's leaders, “Go back to your land because Yahweh refuses to allow me to go with you.”
14 Ngakho iziphathamandla zakoMowabi zasukuma, zaya kuBalaki, zathi: UBalami uyala ukuhamba lathi.
So the leaders of Moab left and went back to Balak. They said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 UBalaki wasebuya wathuma njalo iziphathamandla, ezinengi ezidumileyo kulalezo.
Balak sent again more leaders who were even more honored than the first group.
16 Zasezifika kuBalami zathi kuye: Utsho njalo uBalaki indodana kaZipori uthi: Ake ungavinjwa yilutho ukuza kimi.
They came to Balaam and said to him, “Balak son of Zippor says this, 'Please let nothing stop you from coming to me,
17 Ngoba ngizakuhlonipha lokukuhlonipha kakhulu, lakho konke ongitshela khona ngizakwenza. Ngakho ake uze, ngiqalekisela lababantu.
because I will pay you extremely well and give you great honor, and I will do whatever you tell me to do. So please come and curse this people for me.'”
18 Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi encekwini zikaBalaki: Uba uBalaki ebezangipha indlu yakhe igcwele isiliva legolide, bengingayikweqa umlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wami ukwenza okukhulu kumbe okuncinyane.
Balaam answered and said to Balak's men, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh, my God, and do less or more than what he tells me.
19 Khathesi-ke, ake lihlale lapha lani lobubusuku, ukuze ngazi ukuthi iNkosi izakuthini kimi futhi.
Now then, please wait here tonight too, so that I may learn anything further that Yahweh says to me.”
20 UNkulunkulu wasesiza kuBalami ebusuku wathi kuye: Uba amadoda efika ukukubiza, sukuma uhambe lawo; kodwa kuphela lelolizwi engizalikhuluma kuwe, lona uzalenza.
God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them. But only do what I tell you to do.”
21 UBalami wasesukuma ekuseni, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemikazi wakhe, wahamba leziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.
22 Ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lwavutha ngoba wahamba; ingilosi yeNkosi yayakuma endleleni ukuba yisitha esimelane laye. Njalo wayegade ubabhemikazi wakhe, lenceku zakhe ezimbili zilaye.
But because he went, God's anger was kindled. The angel of Yahweh placed himself in the road as someone hostile to Balaam, who was riding on his donkey. Balaam's two servants were also with him.
23 Ubabhemi waseyibona ingilosi yeNkosi imi endleleni, lenkemba ehwatshiweyo isesandleni sayo; lobabhemikazi waphambuka endleleni, wangena ensimini. UBalami wasemtshaya ubabhemi ukumphendulela endleleni.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. The donkey turned off the road and went into a field. Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road.
24 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisima endleleni eminyeneyo yezivini, umduli ngapha lomduli ngapha.
Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow part of the road between some vineyards, with a wall on his right side and another wall on his left side.
25 Lapho ubabhemikazi ebona ingilosi yeNkosi wazibandezela emdulini, wabandezela unyawo lukaBalami emdulini; wasemtshaya futhi.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh again. She went against the wall and pinned Balaam's foot against it. Balaam struck her again.
26 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasiqhubeka, yema endaweni eminyeneyo, lapho okwakungelandlela yokuphendukela ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo.
The angel of Yahweh went further and stood in another narrow place where there was no way to turn to either side.
27 Lapho ubabhemikazi ebona ingilosi yeNkosi, walala ngaphansi kukaBalami. Ulaka lukaBalami lwaseluvutha, wasemtshaya ubabhemi ngenduku.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 INkosi yasivula umlomo kababhemikazi, wasesithi kuBalami: Ngenzeni kuwe ukuthi ungitshaye okwalezizikhathi ezintathu?
Then Yahweh opened the donkey's mouth so she could talk. She said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that induced you to strike me these three times?”
29 UBalami wasesithi kubabhemikazi: Ngoba ungenze inhlekisa. Kungathi ngabe kulenkemba esandleni sami, ngoba bengizakubulala khathesi.
Balaam replied to the donkey, “It was because you acted so stupidly with me. I wish there were a sword in my hand. If there were, by now I would have killed you.”
30 Ubabhemikazi wasesithi kuBalami: Angisuye yini ubabhemi wakho omgade kusukela ngisengowakho kuze kube lamuhla? Ngake ngejwayela ukwenza kanje kuwe yini? Wasesithi: Hatshi.
The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey on which you have ridden all your life long to this present day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing such things to you before?” Balaam said, “No.”
31 INkosi yasivula amehlo kaBalami, wasebona ingilosi yeNkosi imi endleleni, lenkemba yayo ihwatshiwe isesandleni sayo; wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe phansi.
Then Yahweh opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. Balaam lowered his head and lay facedown.
32 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisithi kuye: Umtshayeleni ubabhemikazi wakho okwalezizikhathi ezintathu? Khangela, mina ngiphumile ukumelana lawe, ngoba indlela yakho iphambukile kimi;
The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come as someone hostile to you because your actions before me have been wicked.
33 njalo ubabhemikazi wangibona, waphambuka phambi kwami lezizikhathi ezintathu. Ngaphandle kokuthi ephambukile phambi kwami, ngeqiniso khathesi ngabe ngikubulele lawe, ngamgcina yena ephila.
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you and spared her life.”
34 UBalami wasesithi engilosini yeNkosi: Ngonile, ngoba bengingazi ukuthi umi endleleni ukumelana lami. Ngakho-ke uba kukubi emehlweni akho, ngizabuyela futhi.
Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned. I did not know that you stood against me in the road. So now, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”
35 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisithi kuBalami: Hamba lalawomadoda; kodwa kuphela ilizwi engizalikhuluma kuwe, yilo ozalikhuluma. UBalami wasehamba leziphathamandla zikaBalaki.
But the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go on ahead with the men. But you must only speak the words that I tell you.” So Balaam went with the leaders of Balak.
36 UBalaki esezwile ukuthi uBalami uyeza, waphuma ukuyamhlangabeza emzini wakoMowabi, osemngceleni weArinoni, osekucineni komngcele.
When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at a city in Moab at the Arnon, which is on the border.
37 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Kangithumanga yini lokuthuma kuwe ukukubiza? Kungani ungafikanga kimi? Isibili kangilamandla okukunika udumo yini?
Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send men to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”
38 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Khangela, ngifikile kuwe. Khathesi ngilamandla isibili okukhuluma loba yini na? Ilizwi uNkulunkulu alifaka emlonyeni wami, yilo engizalikhuluma.
Then Balaam replied to Balak, “See, I have come to you. Do I now have any power to say anything? I can only say the words that God puts into my mouth.”
39 UBalami wasehamba loBalaki, basebefika eKiriyathi-Huzothi.
Balaam went with Balak, and they arrived at Kiriath Huzoth.
40 UBalaki wasehlaba izinkabi lezimvu, wathumela kuBalami lakuziphathamandla ezazilaye.
Then Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and gave some meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Kwasekusithi ekuseni uBalaki wamthatha uBalami, wamenyusela endaweni eziphakemeyo zikaBhali, ukuthi abone elapho ukucina kwabantu.
In the morning, Balak took Balaam up to the high place of Baal. From there Balaam could see only a part of the Israelites in their camp.
