Amanani 23
1 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."
2 UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
3 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
Balaam said to Balak, "Station yourself by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps God will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And Balak went off and stationed himself by his offering, and Balaam called to God and went off to a barren height.
4 UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
And God met Balaam, and he said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar."
5 INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
And God put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
6 Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
He returned to him, and look, he was 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.
He took up his parable, and said, "From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. 'Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.'
8 Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
How shall I curse whom Jehovah has not cursed? How shall I defy whom God has not defied?
9 Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Look, it is a people that dwells alone, and not counting itself among the nations.
10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
Who can count the dust of Jacob, and who has numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous. Let my last end be like his."
11 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them altogether."
12 Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
He answered and said, "Must I not be careful to speak that which God puts in my mouth?"
13 UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you may see them; you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all; and curse them for me from there."
14 Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
15 Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
He said to Balak, "Station yourself here by your burnt offering, while I meet over there."
16 INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
And God met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and say this."
17 Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
He came to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What has Jehovah spoken?"
18 Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
He took up his parable, and said, "Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you 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, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
20 Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
Look, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't reverse it.
21 Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Jehovah his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.
22 UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
23 Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what has God done.
24 Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
Look, the people rises up as a lioness, as a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."
25 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."
26 Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, saying, 'All that God speaks, that I must do?'"
27 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."
28 UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.
29 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."
30 UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
