1UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele lapha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa.”
2UBalaki wenza-ke njengalokho uBileyamu ekhulumile; oBalaki noBileyamu banikela kulelo nalelo altare inkunzi nenqama.
3UBileyamu wathi kuBalaki: “Yima ngasemnikelweni wakho wokushiswa, mina ngihambe; mhlawumbe uJehova angafika ukungihlangabeza; konke angitshengisa khona ngiyakukutshela.” Waya edulini elingenalutho.
4UNkulunkulu wahlangana noBileyamu; yena wathi kuye: “Sengilungisile ama-altare ayisikhombisa, nganikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.”
5UJehova wafaka izwi emlonyeni kaBileyamu, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.”
6Wayesebuyela kuye; bheka, wayemi ngasemnikelweni wokushiswa, yena nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaMowabi.
7Wayesethatha isisho sakhe, wathi: “E-Aramu uBalaki ungilandile, inkosi yakwaMowabi ezintabeni zasempumalanga: woza ungiqalekisele uJakobe; woza umdlelesele u-Israyeli.
8Ngingamqalekisa kanjani ongaqalekiswanga nguNkulunkulu na? Ngingamdlelesela ongadleleselwanga nguNkulunkulu na?
9Ngokuba ngisesiqongweni samadwala ngiyambona, ngisemadulini ngiyambuka; bheka, kungabantu abahlala bodwa, abangayikubalwa phakathi kwezizwe.
10Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, abale okwesine kuka-Israyeli, na? Mangife ukufa kolungileyo, nokuphela kwami makube njengokwakhe.”
11UBalaki wathumela kuBileyamu, wathi: “Wenzeni kimi na? Ngakuthatha ukuba uqalekise izitha zami; bheka, uzibusisile nokuzibusisa.”
12Waphendula wathi: “Angiyikuqaphela ukukhuluma lokhu uNkulunkulu akufakile emlonyeni wami na?”
13UBalaki wayesethi kuye: “Ake uze nami, siye kwenye indawo, lapho ungababona khona; uyakubona inxenye yabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; ungiqalekisele bona uselapho.”
14Wamyisa ensimini yaseSofimu esiqongweni sasePisiga, wakha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.
15Wathi kuBalaki: “Yima lapha ngasemnikelweni wakho wokushiswa, mina ngilinde laphaya.”
16UJehova wayesehlangana noBileyamu, wafaka izwi emlonyeni wakhe, wathi: “Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.”
17Wayesefika kuye; bheka, wayemi ngasemnikelweni wakhe wokushiswa, izikhulu zakwaMowabi zinaye. UBalaki wathi kuye: “UJehova ukhulume ngokuthini na?”
18Wayesethatha isisho sakhe, wathi: “Vuka, Balaki, uzwe; ngilalele, wena ndodana kaSipori:
19uNkulunkulu akasiye umuntu ukuba aqambe amanga, nandodana yomuntu ukuba azisole; ushilo, angayikukwenza, na? Ukhulumile, angayikukuphelelisa, na?
20Bheka, ngiyaliwe ukubusisa; yena ubusisile, anginakukubuyisa.
21Akabonanga ingozi kuJakobe, akabukanga nankathazo kwa-Israyeli. UJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe unaye, nesenanelo senkosi siphakathi kwabo.
22UNkulunkulu wabakhipha eGibithe; unjengezimpondo zenyathi kubo.
23Ayikho imilingo engamelana noJakobe; akukho ukubhula okungamelana no-Israyeli; manje sekuyashiwo ngoJakobe nango-Israyeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenzeni.
24Bheka, abantu bavuka njengengonyamakazi, nanjengengonyama bayaziphakamisa; abayikulala phansi, bengakayidli impango, baphuze igazi lababuleweyo.”
25UBalaki wayesethi kuBileyamu: “Ungabaqalekisi nokubaqalekisa, futhi ungababusisi nokubabusisa.”
26Kepha uBileyamu waphendula, wathi kuBalaki: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi konke uNkulunkulu akukhulumayo ngiyakukwenza na?”
27Wathi uBalaki kuBileyamu: “Ake uze, ngikuyise kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaba kuhle emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuba ungiqalekisele bona uselapho.”
28UBalaki wamyisa uBileyamu esiqongweni sasePeyori elibheke ngenzansi ngasehlane.
29UBileyamu wayesethi kuBalaki: “Ngakhele lapha ama-altare ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa.”
30UBalaki wenza-ke njengalokho eshilo uBileyamu; wanikela ngenkunzi nangenqama kulelo nalelo altare.