UBhalakhi uyala uBhiliyamu
1Ama-Israyeli afuduka afese ahloma amatendawo ngemrhobeni weJordani kwaMowabi malungana neJerikho. 2UBhalakhi umsa kaTsipori wakubona koke ama-Israyeli agade akwenze kuma-Amori. 3AmaMowabi aba nevalo elikhulu ngama-Israyeli ngombana gade amanengi. Iye, akhathazeka khulu ngawo. 4UMowabi wakhuluma nabaphathi bamaMidiyani wathi: “Nje-ke isiqubuthwesi sizokutjhwamadela koke okusizombileko njengekomo nayitjhwamadela utjani emrhuleni.”
UBhalakhi umsa kaTsipori, ogade ayikosi yakwaMowabi ngesikhatheso, 5wathumela iinthunywa kuBhiliyamu umsa kaBhewori ngePetora emagegana nomlambo iYufrathe enarheni lapha adabuka khona, bona ziyombiza zithi kuye: “Yelela, kunabantu abaphuma eGibhide, abasibekele ubuso bephasi begodu bakhe eduze kwami. 6Nje-ke yewize, uzonginikelelela abantwaba ngamanikelela ngombana banamandla khulu kunami. Mhlamunye kungahle kwenzeke bona ngibahlule bengibaqotjhe enarheni. Iye, ngiyazi bona obusiswa nguwe, ubusisiwe nonikelelwa nguwe unikelelwe.”
7Nje-ke abaphathi bakwaMowabi nebakwaMidiyani basuka baphethe isiliva yokuthukula ezandleni zabo. Bafika kuBhiliyamu, bambikela umlayezo kaBhalakhi. 8Yena wathi kibo: “Lalani lapha namhlanje, kuzakuthi kusasa nginibuyele nelizwi engilifumene kuSomnini.”
Mbala iinkhulu zakwaMowabezo zalala kwaBhiliyamu. 9UZimu wabonakala kuBhiliyamu wambuza wathi: “Bobani amadoda anawe la?”
10UBhiliyamu waphendula uZimu wathi: “UBhalakhi ikosi yakwaMowabi omsa kaTsipori ungithumelele umbiko ngawo wathi, 11‘Yelela, kunabantu abaphuma eGibhide, abasibekele ubuso bephasi begodu bakhe eduze kwami. Nje-ke yewize, uzongithiyela abantwaba ngemilingo. Mhlamunye kungahle kwenzeke bona ngibahlule bengibaqotjhe.’ ”
12UZimu wathi kuBhiliyamu: “Ungakhambi nawo. Begodu unganikeleli abantwabo ngombana bangababusisiweko.”
13UBhiliyamu wavuka ekuseni wathi eenkhulwini zakaBhalakhi: “Buyelani enarheni yekhenu ngombana uSomnini walile bona ngikhambe nani.”
14Nje-ke iinkhulu zakwaMowabi zasuka zabuyela kuBhalakhi zafese zathi: “UBhiliyamu walile ukuza nathi.”
15Godu uBhalakhi wathumela iinkhulu ezinengi nezinesithunzi kunezokuthoma. 16Zeza kuBhiliyamu zafese zathi kuye: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguBhalakhi umsa kaTsipori uthi, ‘Hle, akungabi khona into ekuthiyako ukuza kimi 17ngombana ngizakupha umvuzo omkhulu. Nanyana yini oyitjhoko kimi ngizayenza. Yewize wena, uzongithiyela abantwaba ngemilingo.’ ”
18Kodwana uBhiliyamu waphendula iinceku zakaBhalakhi wathi: “Ngitjho nanyana uBhalakhi gade angangipha isigodlo sakhe sigcwele isiliva negolide bengingeze ngeqa umyalo kaSomnini uZimami ngenze nanyana yini. 19Nje-ke akhese nilale lapha nani ubusukobu, khengizwe bona yini enye into uSomnini azayitjho kimi.”
20UZimu wabonakala kuBhiliyamu ngobusukobo wathi kuye: “Nangabe amadoda lawo eze bona azokubiza, zilungiselele ukhambe nawo. Kodwana uzakwenza kwaphela lokho mina engikutjela khona.”
21Nje-ke uBhiliyamu wavuka ekuseni wabophela udumbanakhe wemuka neenkhulu zakwaMowabi. 22Kodwana gade asese sendleleni, akhwele udumbanakhe akhamba neenceku zakhe ezimbili, lokha ilaka lakaZimu nalithoma ukuvutha ngokukhamba kwakhe neenkhulwezo. Nje-ke ingilozi kaSomnini yajama endleleni phambi kwakhe kobana imkhandele. 23Udumbana wabona ingilozi kaSomnini ijame endleleni irhwatjhe isabulayo. Nje-ke udumbana waphuma endleleni wavundla ummango. UBhiliyamu wadula udumbana loyo bona abuyele endleleni. 24Ingilozi kaSomnini yajama emzilaneni phakathi kwesidiribe hlanu komthangala ngapha nangapha. 25Kuthe lokha udumbana nakabona ingilozi kaSomnini, waziyama ngomthangala, warhuhlisa inyawo lakaBhiliyamu ngomthangala lowo. Nje-ke uBhiliyamu wamdula godu. 26Ingilozi kaSomnini yaragela phambili yafese yajama emkghothaneni womthangala lapha kunganandawo yokujikela ngesidleni namkha ngesinceleni. 27Kwathi lokha udumbana nakabona ingilozi kaSomnini walala phasi uBhiliyamu asakhwele njalo. UBhiliyamu wabila khulu, watutlula udumbana loyo ngomtjhizakhe. 28Nje-ke uSomnini wavula umlomo kadumbana, wakhuluma noBhiliyamu wathi: “Ngikwenzeni mntabantu njengombana sekulihlandla lesithathu usoloko ungidula nje?”
29UBhiliyamu waphendula udumbana wathi: “Kungebanga lokobana ungitshime isidlhayela. Sengathi ngathana bengiphethe isabula esandleni samapha; bengizokubulala nya wena, khona nje!”
30Udumbana wathi kuBhiliyamu: “Kanti angisuye udumbanakho omkhwelileko esikhathini eside esidlulileko bekube namhlanje na? Bengiphele ngenze lokhu kuwe na?”
UBhiliyamu wathi: “Awa.”
31Nje-ke uSomnini wavula amehlo kaBhiliyamu, wabona ingilozi kaSomnini ijame endleleni irhwatjhe isabulayo. Khonapho waguqa wahloma ihloko phasi. 32Ingilozi kaSomnini yathi kuye: “Kubayini ututlule udumbanakho bekube kathathu na? Yelela-ke, mina ngize bona ngizokukhandela ngombana indlela leyo inameva ngokubona kwami. 33Udumbana ungibonile bewaphambuka kathathu phambi kwami. Nangathana udumbana akhange aphambuke phambi kwami, ngiqinisile yi, wena ngasele ngikubulele nya, yena ngamlisa waphila.” 34Nje-ke uBhiliyamu wathi engilozini kaSomnini: “Ngonile ngombana akhange ngazi bona ujame endleleni kobana ungihlangabeze. Yeke nangabe akuthandeki emehlweni wekosami, ngizokubuyela emuva.”
35Ingilozi kaSomnini yathi kuBhiliyamu: “Khamba namadoda lawo, kodwana ukhulume kwaphela amezwi engizakutjela wona.”
Nje-ke uBhiliyamu wakhamba neenkhulu zakaBhalakhi lezo.
36Kwathi lokha uBhalakhi nakezwa bona uBhiliyamu usendleleni, waphuma wayomhlangabeza edorobheni lakwaMowabi elisemlanjeni i-Arinoni, ngemaphelelweni womkhawulo. 37UBhalakhi wathi kuBhiliyamu: “Akhange ngithumele bona ubizwe na? Alo, kubayini ungakhange uze kimi ngesikhatheso? Kghani ngiyahluleka ukukuvuza na?”
38UBhiliyamu waphendula uBhalakhi wathi: “Lalela-ke, kwanje sengifikile kuwe. Kodwana ungacabangi bonyana ngizakukhuluma ilizwi uSomnini angakalitjho kimi. Kwaphela lokho uSomnini athe ngikutjho.”
39Nje-ke uBhiliyamu wakhamba noBhalakhi bebafika eKiriyathi-Rhutsothi. 40UBhalakhi wenza umhlabelo weenkomo nezimvu wabese uthumela isabelo kuBhiliyamu neenkhulu egade zinaye.
41Kwathi ngakusasa kwakhona uBhalakhi wathatha uBhiliyamu wenyukela naye eBhamothi-Bhali. Lapho uBhiliyamu wabona ingcenye yabantu bakwa-Israyeli.
