EYASENTLANGO 22

₁Ke kaloku amaSirayeli anduluka, aza aya kumisa kumathafa aseMowabhi, kwimpuma yeJordan, malunga neJeriko.

₂Uthe ke uBhalaki, ukumkani waseMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, akuziva izigigaba zamaSirayeli phakathi kwama-Amori, ₃akubuqonda nobungakanani bawo, suka yena nabantu bakhe bankwantya. ₄Ke amaMowabhi athetha neenkokheli zamaMidiyan, athi: “Eli hlokondiba losuka livuthulule nje konke kule ngingqi yethu, kanye oku kwenkunzi yenkomo igramza ingca edlelweni.”

Ngoko ke ukumkani uBhalaki ₅wathumela kuBhalam unyana kaBhehore owayesePetore ngakumlambo iEfrati, kumhlaba wamawabo. Umyalezo lowo wawusithi: “Ndiyakwazisa ukuba kukho isizwe esifikileyo apha siphuma eJiputa. Abantu baso banwenwele kulo lonke eli, futhi sebefike kwimida yam. ₆Ngokwamanani bangaphezu kwethu; ngoko ke nceda uze kubaqalekisa. Mhlawumbi xa ubaqalekisile singanako ukuboyisa, sibadudule baphume kweli lizwe. Kaloku ndiyazi ukuba xa uthe wabathamsanqela abantu, bayathamsanqeleka; ukanti xa uthe waqalekisa, abantu bahlelwa lishwangusha.”

₇Zasuka ke iinkokheli zamaMowabhi nezamaMidiyan zahamba ziphethe intlawulo kaBhalam. Zakufika kuye zawugqithisa umyalezo kaBhalaki. ₈UBhalam wathi kuwo la madoda: “Lalani. Mna ndonazisa ngomso into endiyixelelwe *nguNdikhoyo.” Ngenene ke amatshawe amaMowabhi alala apho kwaBhalam.

₉UThixo wafika, wabuza uBhalam, wathi: “Ngoobani la madoda unawo apha?”

₁₀Ke yena waphendula wathi: “UBhalaki, ukumkani waseMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, uthumele kum, wathi: ₁₁‘Kukho isizwe esifikileyo siphuma eJiputa. Ngoku sinwenwela kuwo wonke umhlaba. Yiza usiqalekise eso sizwe, khon' ukuze ndibe nako ukusoyisa ndisidudule simke.’ ”

₁₂UThixo wathi kuBhalam: “Uze ungahambi nala madoda; uze ungabaqalekisi abo bantu, kuba bathamsanqelekile.”

₁₃Ngengomso ke uBhalam wabandulula abathunywa bakaBhalaki, wathi: “Buyelani ezweni lenu, kuba uNdikhoyo akavumi ukuba ndihambe nani.” ₁₄Ngoko ke bagoduka, bafika bamxelela uBhalaki ukuba uBhalam walile ukuhamba nabo.

₁₅Ngoku ke uBhalaki waphinda wathumela iqela leenkokheli ezaziwayo elikhulu kuneliya. ₁₆Zaya kuBhalam, zafika zathi: “UBhalaki unyana kaZipore uthi mawuncede uye kuye, ungavumeli nasiphi na isithintelo, ₁₇kuba uza kukuhlawula, waye uzimisele ukukwenzela nayiphi na into oyifunayo. Ngoko ke nceda uye kuqalekisa abaya bantu.”

₁₈Kambe ke uBhalam waphendula wathi: “Noba uBhalaki ubeza kundinika ibhotwe lakhe lizele yigolide nesiliva bendingeze ndawaphula umyalelo kaNdikhoyo uThixo wam. ₁₉Kodwa ke nani khanilale kwanjengabanye abaya, ukuze ndiphinde ndibuzise, hleze uNdikhoyo andinike myalelo wumbi.”

₂₀Ngobo busuku uThixo wafika kuBhalam, wathi: “Njengoko la madoda eze kukulanda nje, lungisa uhambe nawo. Kambe ke uze wenze loo nto ndikuxelela yona.” ₂₁Ngentsasa elandelayo ke uBalam wabopha idonki yakhe, wakhwela, wahamba nezo nkokheli zamaMowabhi.

₂₂Uthe ke uBhalam akuba ehamba, suka wavutha ngumsindo uThixo. Wayesahamba njalo ekhwele kuloo donki yakhe enezicaka zakhe ezibini, suka isithunywa *sikaNdikhoyo saxaba endleleni yakhe. ₂₃Idonki ithe yakusibona isithunywa eso sixabile endleleni, siphethe ikrele, yacebuka endleleni, yangena emasimini. Suka ke uBhalam wayibetha, wayibuyisela endleleni.

₂₄Ngoku ke isithunywa eso sema apho indlela imxinwa khona phakathi kwezidiliya ezibini, kwaye kukho uthango lwamatye ngapha nangapha. ₂₅Idonki leyo ithe yakusibona isithunywa eso, yayama uthango olo, latsho lagruzuka unyawo lukaBhalam. Kwakhona uBhalam wayibetha idonki leyo.

₂₆Kwakhona isithunywa sahambela phambilana, safika sema apho indlela yayimxinwa kangangokuba kungabikho sithuba sakudlula ngapha nangapha. ₂₇Kwesi ke isihlandlo idonki ithe yakusibona isithunywa eso yalala phantsi. UBhalam wacaphuka, waza wayingena ngenduku idonki yakhe. ₂₈Kwesi sithuba ke uNdikhoyo wayenza ukuba ikwazi ukuthetha idonki leyo, yaza ke yathetha yathi kuBhalam: “Kodwa kodwa ndikwenze ntoni? Yintoni kanye ondibethela yona kwezi zihlandlo zozithathu?”

₂₉UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Kungoba uyandibhanxa! Ndiswele nje ikrele, ngendikubulele.”

₃₀Idonki yaphendula yabuza yathi: “Andithi na kanene ndiyidonki yakho, le yasoloko ikuthwala bonke ubomi bakho? Ke, kukangaphi ndikuphatha ngolu hlobo?”

UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Zange nakanye.”

₃₁UNdikhoyo ke wenza ukuba uBhalam asibone isithunywa eso sixabe endleleni siphethe ikrele. Akusibona ke, waziphosa phantsi ngobuso. ₃₂Isithunywa sabuza sathi: “Ubuyibethela ntoni kangaka le donki yakho kude kube kathathu? Ndize kukunqanda, kuba uzifaka engozini ngolu hambo. ₃₃Ke yona idonki yakho indibonile, yaza yaphambuka kwada kwakathathu. Ukuba ibingaphambukanga ngendikubulele ndasindisa kwayona.”

₃₄UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Hayi, ndonile. Bendingaqondi ukuba uxabile endleleni yam, kambe ke ngoku xa ubona ukuba akufanelekanga ukuba ndihambe, ndiyajika, ndiyagoduka.”

₃₅Ke sona isithunywa sathi kuye: “Hayi, sowuhamba nala madoda; kodwa ke uze uthethe loo nto ndithi thetha yona.” Ngoko ke uBhalam wahamba nazo iinkokheli zakwaBhalaki.

₃₆UBhalaki uthe akuva ukuba uBhalam uyeza, wamhlangabeza, wadibana naye kwisixeko esiphezu komlambo iAnoni, kumda welaseMowabhi. ₃₇UBhalaki wambuza wathi: “Kwakutheni ukuze ungezi ngokuya ndandikuthumele kuqala? Ngaba wawukrokrela ukuba sobe ndibe nako ukukuhlawula?”

₃₈UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Andithi na kaloku ndizile? Kambe ke gunya lini endinalo? Hayi kaloku, ndothetha loo nto athi mandiyithethe uThixo.” ₃₉Ngoko ke uBhalam wahamba noBhalaki, baya eKiriyati-huzoti. ₄₀UBhalaki waxhela iinkabi zeenkomo ndawonye neegusha, wamkela uBhalam nezo nkokheli wayehamba nazo.

₄₁Ngengomso ke uBhalaki wamthatha uBhalam, wamsa eBhamoti-bhali, apho wayeza kuba nako ukubona inxalenye yamaSirayeli.