UBhalaki Uthumela Ukulanda UBhileyamu
1Abakwa-Israyeli bahamba, bakanisa emathafeni akwaMowabi, phesheya kweJordani maqondana neJerikho.
2UBhalaki, indodana kaZiphori, wakubona konke u-Israyeli ayekwenze kuma-Amori. 3AbakwaMowabi babesaba kakhulu abakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba babebaningi. UMowabi wangqangqazela luvalo ngenxa yabakwa-Israyeli.
4UMowabi wathi ezingwevini zakwaMidiyani: “Manje lolu quqaba luzoqothula konke esinakho nxazonke, njengenkabi iqothula utshani edlelweni.”
UBhalaki, indodana kaZiphori, wayeyinkosi yakwaMowabi ngaleso sikhathi. 5Wathumela izithunywa kuBhileyamu, indodana kaBheyori, owayesePhethori ngasemfuleni ezweni labantwana babantu bakhe, ukuyombiza zithi kuye:
“Bheka, kunoquqaba lwabantu, abaphuma eGibhithe asebegcwele yonke indawo, futhi sebehleli eduze kwami. 6Ngakho-ke woza uzongiqalekisela bona, ngokuba banamandla kakhulu kunami, mhlawumbe ngiyokwazi ukubanqoba, ngibaxoshe ezweni. Ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi ombusisayo ubusisiwe, nomqalekisayo uqalekisiwe.”
7Amalunga akwaMowabi nawakwaMidiyani ahamba ephethe ugxa, aya kuBhileyamu, afike akhuluma kuye amazwi kaBhalaki.
8UBhileyamu wathi kuwo: “Lalani lapha ngalobu busuku banamuhla, ngizoninika izwi njengalokho azakukusho kimi uSimakade.”
Alala lapho amalunga akwaMowabi.
9UNkulunkulu wafika kuBhileyamu wathi: “Ngobani lawa madoda anawe na?”
10UBhileyamu wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Inkosi uBhalaki, indodana kaZiphori wakwaMowabi, ungithumelele lo myalezo, wathi: 11‘Kunoquqaba lwabantu abaphuma eGibhithe asebegcwele ezweni lonke. Manje woza uzongiqalekisela bona, mhlawumbe ngingakwazi ukulwa nabo ngibaxoshe.’ ”
12UNkulunkulu wathi kuBhileyamu: “Awunakuhamba, awunakubaqalekisa labo bantu, ngoba babusisiwe.”
13Ngakho-ke uBhileyamu wavuka ekuseni, wathi ezikhulwini zikaBhalaki: “Phindelani ezweni lakini, ngokuba uSimakade ungenqabele ukuba ngihambe nani.”
14Izikhulu zakwaMowabi zasuka, zaphindela kuBhalaki, zafike zathi: “UBhileyamu wenqabile ukukhuphuka nathi.”
15UBhalaki wabuye wathumela ezinye izikhulu eziningi, neziqavile kunalezo ayezithumele kuqala. 16Zafika kuBhileyamu, zathi kuye:
“Usho kanje uBhalaki, indodana kaZiphori, uthi: ‘Ungavumeli lutho lukuvimbe ukuba uze kimi, 17ngoba ngizokuhlonipha kakhulu, ngiyokwenzela noma yini oyifunayo. Ngiyakuncenga, woza uzongiqalekisela laba bantu.’ ”
18UBhileyamu waziphendula izinceku zikaBhalaki, wathi: “Noma ngabe uBhalaki ubenganginika isigodlo sakhe sigcwele phama isiliva negolide, ngingeleqe izwi likaSimakade, uNkulunkulu wami, ngenze into noma ngabe inkulu noma incane kangakanani. 19Kodwa nani ake nilale ubusuku banamuhla, yikhona ngizokuzwa ukuthi yini enye azongitshela yona uSimakade.”
20Ngalobo busuku uNkulunkulu wafika kuBhileyamu, wathi: “Uma lawa madoda efikele ukuzokubiza, vuka uhambe nawo, kodwa uyokwenza kuphela lokho engizokutshela khona.”
UBhileyamu Nembongolo Yakhe
21UBhileyamu wavuka ekuseni, wabophela imbongolo yakhe, wahamba nezikhulu zakwaMowabi. 22Kodwa intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu yamvuthela ngokuba wahamba nabo, ingelosi kaSimakade yema endleleni yamelana naye. UBhileyamu wayegibele embongolweni yakhe, ekhashwa yizinceku zakhe ezimbili. 23Imbongolo yayibona ingelosi kaSimakade imi endleleni, ikhokhe inkemba yayo eyayiyiphethe ngesandla, yaphambuka endleleni, yayohamba ensimini. UBhileyamu wayishaya imbongolo ukuze ibuyele endleleni.
24Ingelosi kaSimakade yama endleleni eyayingumngcingo phakathi kwezindonga zesivini nxazombili. 25Imbongolo yaphinde yayibona ingelosi kaSimakade, yagudla yencika ngasodongeni, kwalimala unyawo lukaBhileyamu. Waphinde wayishaya.
26Ingelosi kaSimakade yaqhubekela phambili yema endaweni eminyeneyo, okungekho ndlela yokuphendukela kwesokudla noma kwesokunxele. 27Lapho imbongolo iyibona ingelosi kaSimakade, yalala phansi kwacindezeleka uBhileyamu egibele kuyo, wathukuthela kakhulu, wayibhonya ngenduku yakhe imbongolo. 28USimakade wayivula umlomo imbongolo, yathi kuBhileyamu: “Ngenzeni kuwe ungaze ungishaye amahlandla amathathu, na?”
29UBhileyamu wathi embongolweni: “Yingoba ungenza isilima! Ukuba benginenkemba esandleni, ngabe sengikubulele.”
30Imbongolo yathi kuBhileyamu: “Angisiyona yini imbongolo yakho ohlale uyigibela, nanamuhla osayigibele na? Ngivamile yini ukukwenza lokhu kuwe na?”
UBhileyamu wathi: “Qha.”
31USimakade wavula amehlo kaBhileyamu, wayibona ingelosi kaSimakade imi endleleni, ikhokhe inkemba esandleni sayo. Wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso.
32Ingelosi kaSimakade yathi kuye: “Uyishayeleni imbongolo yakho kuze kube ngamahlandla amathathu na? Ngize ukuzomelana nawe ngoba le ndlela yakho oyithathile imbi, iyingozi. 33Imbongolo ingibonile yachezuka phambi kwami kwaze kwaba kathathu. Ukuba ayizange ichezuke, ngabe sengikubulele, ngayisindisa yona.”
34UBhileyamu wathi engelosini kaSimakade: “Ngonile ngokuba bengingazi ukuthi umi endleleni, umelene nami; uma kukubi ukuba ngiqhubekele phambili, ngizophindela emuva.”
35Ingelosi kaSimakade yathi kuBhileyamu: “Hamba nalawa madoda, kodwa uyokhuluma kuphela lokho engizokutshela khona.”
UBhileyamu wayesehamba namalunga kaBhalaki.
UBhalaki Uhlangabeza UBhileyamu
36UBhalaki wezwa ukuthi uBhileyamu ufikile, waphuma wayomhlangabeza emzini wakwaMowabi emngceleni wase-Arinoni elingasekupheleni kwesifunda. 37UBhalaki wathi kuBhileyamu: “Angithumelanga yini kuwe ngikubiza ukuba uphuthume na? Awufikanga ngani kimi na? Ubucabanga ukuthi ngeke yini ngikuhloniphe na?”
38UBhileyamu wathi kuBhalaki: “Bheka, sengifikile kuwe manje, nokho anginamandla okusho utho kuwe. Ngiyokhuluma kuphela izwi uNkulunkulu alibeka emlonyeni wami.”
39UBhileyamu wahamba noBhalaki, bafika eKiriyathi Huzothi. 40UBhalaki wenza umhlatshelo ngezinkomo nezimvu, wayesekuthumela kuBhileyamu nezikhulu ayenazo. 41Kwathi ekuseni uBhalaki wathatha uBhileyamu, benyukela eBhamothi Bhali, elapho wabona ingxenye yabantu bakwa-Israyeli.
