Amanani 23
1 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
Balaamu akasema, “Nijengee hapa madhabahu saba, mnitayarishie mafahali saba na kondoo dume saba.”
2 UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyosema; hao wawili kila mmoja wao akatoa fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.
3 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
Kisha Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Kaa hapa kando ya sadaka yako wakati mimi ninakwenda kando. Huenda Bwana atakuja kukutana nami. Lolote atakalonifunulia, nitakuambia.” Basi akaenda hata mahali peupe palipoinuka.
4 UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
Mungu akakutana naye, kisha Balaamu akasema, “Nimekwisha kutengeneza madhabahu saba, na juu ya kila madhabahu nimetoa sadaka ya fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja.”
5 INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
Bwana akaweka ujumbe katika kinywa cha Balaamu na kusema, “Rudi kwa Balaki umpe ujumbe huu.”
6 Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
Basi Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki, akamkuta amesimama kando ya sadaka yake akiwa na wakuu wote wa Moabu.
7 Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathi: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe, woza, umthuke uIsrayeli.
Ndipo Balaamu akasema ujumbe wake: “Balaki amenileta kutoka Aramu, mfalme wa Moabu kutoka milima ya mashariki. Akasema, ‘Njoo, unilaanie Yakobo; njoo unishutumie Israeli.’
8 Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
Nitawezaje kuwalaani, hao ambao Mungu hajawalaani? Nitawezaje kuwashutumu hao ambao Bwana hakuwashutumu?
9 Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
Kutoka vilele vya miamba ninawaona, kutoka mahali palipoinuka ninawatazama. Ninaliona taifa ambalo wanaishi peke yao, nao hawahesabiwi kama mojawapo ya mataifa.
10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
Ni nani awezaye kuhesabu mavumbi ya Yakobo, au kuhesabu robo ya Israeli? Mimi na nife kifo cha mtu mwenye haki, na mwisho wangu na uwe kama wao!”
11 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Ni nini ulichonitendea? Nimekuleta ulaani adui zangu, lakini wewe badala yake umewabariki!”
12 Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
Balaamu akajibu, “Je, hainipasi kusema kile Bwana anachoweka katika kinywa changu?”
13 UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
Ndipo Balaki akamwambia, “Twende pamoja mahali pengine ambapo unaweza kuwaona; utawaona baadhi tu wala si wote. Nawe kutoka huko, unilaanie hao.”
14 Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
Basi akampeleka kwenye shamba la Sofimu, juu ya kilele cha Mlima Pisga. Pale akajenga madhabahu saba na kutoa sadaka ya fahali na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.
15 Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Kaa hapa kando ya sadaka yako wakati ninapokwenda kuonana na Mungu kule.”
16 INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
Bwana akakutana na Balaamu, akaweka ujumbe katika kinywa chake akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki umpe ujumbe huu.”
17 Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
Basi Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki, akamkuta amesimama kando ya sadaka yake, akiwa na wakuu wa Moabu. Balaki akamuuliza, “Je, Bwana amesema nini?”
18 Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
Ndipo Balaamu akasema ujumbe wake: “Balaki, inuka na usikilize, nisikie mimi, wewe mwana wa Sipori.
19 UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amanga, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa?
Mungu si mtu, hata aseme uongo, wala yeye si mwanadamu, hata ajute. Je, anasema, kisha asitende? Je, anaahidi, asitimize?
20 Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
Nimepokea agizo kubariki; amebariki, nami siwezi kubadilisha.
21 Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
“Haijaonekana bahati mbaya katika Yakobo, wala taabu katika Israeli. Bwana, Mungu wao yu pamoja nao, nayo sauti kuu ya Mfalme imo katikati yao.
22 UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
Mungu aliwatoa kutoka Misri; wao wana nguvu za nyati.
23 Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
Hakuna uchawi dhidi ya Yakobo, wala hakuna uaguzi dhidi ya Israeli. Sasa itasemwa kuhusu Yakobo na Israeli, ‘Tazama yale Mungu aliyotenda!’
24 Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
Taifa lainuka kama simba jike; linajiinua kama simba ambaye hatulii mpaka amalize kurarua mawindo yake na kunywa damu ya mawindo yake.”
25 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
Kisha Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Usiwalaani kabisa, wala usiwabariki kabisa!”
26 Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
Balaamu akajibu, “Je, sikukuambia ni lazima nifanye lolote analosema Bwana?”
27 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
Basi Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Njoo, nikupeleke mahali pengine. Huenda itampendeza Mungu kukuruhusu unilaanie hao watu kutoka mahali hapo.”
28 UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
Balaki akamchukua Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, unaotazamana na nyika.
29 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
Balaamu akasema, “Nijengee hapa madhabahu saba, uandae mafahali saba na kondoo dume saba kwa ajili yangu.”
30 UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyosema, kisha akatoa sadaka ya fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.
