Amanani 23
1 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
And Balaam says to Balak, “Build seven altars for me in this [place], and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me in this [place].”
2 UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
And Balak does as Balaam has spoken, and Balak—Balaam also—offers a bullock and a ram on the altar,
3 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
and Balaam says to Balak, “Station yourself by your burnt-offering and I go on, it may be YHWH comes to meet me, and the thing which He shows me I have declared to you”; and he goes [to] a high place.
4 UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
And God comes to Balaam, and he says to Him, “I have arranged the seven altars, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar”;
5 INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
and YHWH puts a word in the mouth of Balaam and says, “Return to Balak, and thus you speak.”
6 Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
And he returns to him, and behold, he is standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
7 Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathi: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe, woza, umthuke uIsrayeli.
And he takes up his allegory and says: “Balak king of Moab leads me from Aram; From mountains of the east. Come—curse Jacob for me, And come—be indignant [with] Israel.
8 Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
How do I pierce [when] God has not pierced? And how am I indignant [when] YHWH has not been indignant?
9 Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
For from the top of rocks I see him, And from heights I behold him; Behold a people! He dwells alone, And does not reckon himself among nations.
10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
Who has counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, And let my last end be like his!”
11 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
And Balak says to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I have taken you to pierce my enemies, and behold, you have certainly blessed”;
12 Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
and he answers and says, “That which YHWH puts in my mouth—do I not take heed to speak it?”
13 UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
And Balak says to him, “Come! Come to another place with me, from where you see it—you see only its extremity, and you do not see all of it, and pierce it for me there”;
14 Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
and he takes him [to] the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and builds seven altars, and offers a bullock and a ram on the altar.
15 Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
And he says to Balak, “Station yourself here by your burnt-offering, and I meet [Him] there”;
16 INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
and YHWH comes to Balaam, and sets a word in his mouth, and says, “Return to Balak, and thus you speak.”
17 Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
And he comes to him, and behold, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab [are] with him, and Balak says to him: “What has YHWH spoken?”
18 Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
And he takes up his allegory and says: “Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, son of Zippor!
19 UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amanga, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa?
God [is] not a man—and lies, And a son of man—and relents! Has He said—and He does not do [it]? And spoken—and He does not confirm it?
20 Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
Behold, I have received [only] to bless; Indeed, He blesses, and I cannot reverse it.
21 Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen perverseness in Israel; His God YHWH [is] with him, And a shout of a king [is] in him.
22 UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
God is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a wild ox for him;
23 Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
For no enchantment [is] against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel; At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, O what God has worked!
24 Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
Behold, the people rises as a lioness, And he lifts himself up as a lion; He does not lie down until he eats prey, And drinks blood of pierced ones.”
25 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
And Balak says to Balaam, “Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all”;
26 Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
and Balaam answers and says to Balak, “Have I not spoken to you, saying, All that YHWH speaks—I do it?”
27 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
And Balak says to Balaam, “Please come, I take you to another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God to pierce it for me from there.”
28 UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
And Balak takes Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness,
29 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
and Balaam says to Balak, “Build seven altars for me in this [place], and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me in this [place]”;
30 UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
and Balak does as Balaam said, and he offers a bullock and a ram on an altar.
