Numbers 24
1 Kuthe lapho uBhileyamu ebona ukuthi kuyamthokozisa uSimakade ukubusisa u-Israyeli, wangabe esahamba njengasemihleni ukuyofuna imilingo, kodwa waphendukela ngasogwadule.
2 UBhileyamu waphakamisa amehlo akhe wabona ukuthi u-Israyeli ukanise ngokwezizwe zakhe, uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kwakhe.
3 Wayesedlulisa umbiko, wathi: “Umbiko kaBhileyamu indodana kaBheyori, ukukhuluma kwalowo muntu oliso lakhe livulekile,
4 ukuphimisela kozwileyo amazwi kaNkulunkulu, obonile umbono kaSomandla owele phansi, kodwa amehlo akhe engamboziwe, uthi:
5 “Mahle kangakanani amathende akho Jakobe, namadlangala akho, Israyeli!
6 Endlalekise okwemfunda, nanjengezivande eziseceleni komfula, njengenhlaba etshalwe nguSimakade, nanjengemisedari ngaseceleni kwamanzi.
7 Amanzi ayakugobhoza, aphume ezimbizeni zakhe, imbewu yakhe ibe semanzini amaningi, inkosi yakhe ibe nkulu kuno-Agagi, umbuso wakhe uphakame.
8 “UNkulunkulu owabakhipha eGibhithe; unjengezimpondo zenyathi kubo; uyoqothula izizwe, izitha zakhe, ephule amathambo azo, azigwaze ngemicibisholo yakhe.
9 Wacutha njengengonyama, walala phansi njengengonyamakazi, ngubani oyakumvusa na? “Mababusiswe bonke abakubusisayo, baqalekiswe bonke abakuqalekisayo.”
10 UBhalaki wamthukuthelela kakhulu uBhileyamu, wahlanganisa izandla zakhe; wathi kuBhileyamu: “Ngikubize ukuba uzoqalekisa izitha zami, kunalokho, bheka uzibusisile kwaze kwakathathu.
11 Suka uphele lapha uphindele kini; ngathi ngizakukuhlonipha kakhulu, kodwa uSimakade wenqabile ukuba ngikuhloniphe.”
12 UBhileyamu wathi kuBhalaki: “Angizitshelanga yini izithunywa zakho owawuzithume kimi, ngathi:
13 ‘Noma ngabe uBhalaki ubenganginika isigodlo sakhe sigcwele phama isiliva negolide, anginakuleqa izwi likaSimakade ngenze noma yini, okuhle noma okubi, ngizosho kuphela lokho uSimakade azongitshela ukuthi ngikusho na?’
14 Bheka, manje sengiphindela kwabakithi, kodwa-ke woza ngikweluleke ukuthi laba bantu bazokwenzani kubantu bakho ezinsukwini ezizayo.”
15 UBhileyamu wayesethatha ethi: “Umbiko kaBhileyamu indodana kaBheyori, umbiko womuntu oso lakhe livuliwe,
16 ozwileyo amazwi kaNkulunkulu, nowazi ukwazi koPhezukonke, obone umbono ovela kuSomandla, ewele phansi kodwa amehlo akhe engemboziwe, uthi:
17 “Ngiyambona, kodwa hhayi manje; ngiyambheka, kodwa akekho eduze. Kuyovela inkanyezi kuJakobe; intonga yobukhosi iyovuka kwa-Israyeli, iphohloze uMowabi nxazonke, ichithe amadodana kaSethi;
18 U-Edomi uyakuba yisabelo sakhe neSeyire izitha zakhe zibe yifa lakhe. U-Israyeli uyakudlondlobala ngamandla.
19 Kuyakuvela umbusi kuJakobe oyocoboshisa insali emzini.”
20 UBhileyamu wabona u-Amaleki, wayesewethula umbiko wakhe, wathi: “U-Amaleki wayengowokuqala ezizweni, kodwa isiphetho sakhe ngukubhujiswa.”
21 Wabona amaKheni wedlulisa umbiko wakhe, wathi: “Indawo ohlala kuyo ivikelekile, isidleke sakho sakhelwe edwaleni,
22 kodwa uKhayini uzochithwa; kuze kube yileso sikhathi u-Ashuri azonithumba ngaso.”
23 UBhileyamu wethula umbiko wakhe, wathi: “Maye, ngubani oyakuphila lapho uNkulunkulu enza lokhu na?
24 Kuyakuvela imikhumbi eKhithimi eyakuhlupha u-Ashuri no-Ebhere, nabo bagcine ngokubhujiswa.”
25 UBhileyamu wasuka, wahamba, waphindela kwakhe, noBhalaki wabona eze ngayo.