1UBhalam waxelela uBhalaki ukuba akhe amaqonga amadini apho abe sixhenxe, aze amzisele isixhenxe seenkunzi zeenkomo ngokunjalo nesixhenxe seenkunzi zeegusha.
2UBhalaki wenza ngokomyalelo lowo, baza ke noBhalam banikela inkunzi yenkomo neyegusha kwiqonga ngalinye. 3UBhalam ke washiya uBhalaki kuloo ndawo, wathi kuye: “Yima ngakweli dini litshiswayo, ngeli lixa mna ndiza kukhe ndithi gu. Mhlawumbi *uNdikhoyo uza kudibana nam. Ndiya kukwazisa nasiphi na isityhilelo andinika sona.” Wahamba ke, wenyuka inkqantosi yenduli. 4UThixo ke wadibana naye, uBhalam wathi: “Ndakhe amaqonga asixhenxe; kulo ngalinye ndenze idini ngenkunzi yenkomo neyegusha.”
5UNdikhoyo ke waxelela uBhalam oko makakuthethe, wathi: “Buyela kuBhalaki, umazise oku.”
6Ekubuyeni kwakhe ke wamfumana uBhalaki esemi apho ngakwidini elitshiswayo, enezo nkokheli zamaMowabhi. 7UBhalam ke wathetha la mazwi andilisekileyo, wenjenje:
“Ukumkani uBhalaki wamaMowabhi undisuse kwelama-Aram;
undiphuthume kwiintaba ezisempumalanga.
Uthe: ‘Yiza ushwabulele uYakobi egameni lam.
Yiza kaloku, umqalekise uSirayeli.’
8Xa bendingubani ke mna ukuba ndiqalekise ongaqalekiswanga nguThixo,
ndambathise ngeshwangusha ongashwatyulelwanga nguNdikhoyo?
9Kaloku nanko ndimbona ndisencochoyini yeentaba;
nanko ndimbukele ndiphezu kweenduli.
Ewe, luhlanga olungumth' uzimele;
lona aluzibandakanyi nezinye izizwe.
10Izizukulwana zikaYakobi yintlaninge njengentlabathi.
Ngubani ke ongamcukucezayo ambale uSirayeli?
Hayi bo! Masendisifa ukufa kwelungisa.
Ewe, isiphelo sam masibe njengesabakhe.”
11UBhalaki wabuza uBhalam wathi: “Yintoni le undenza yona? Ndingakuzisa apha ukuba uqalekise iintshaba zam, uze usuke wena uzithamsanqele!”
12Waphendula ke yena wathi: “Mandingakuthethi oko ndikuxelelwe nguNdikhoyo?”
Intetho yesibini kaBhalam
13Ke kaloku uBhalaki wathi kuBhalam: “Hamba siye kwenye indawo apho unokubona inxalenye yamaSirayeli kuphela, uze ke uthi ulapho uwaqalekise.” 14Waya naye kwintsimi kaZofim phezu kwentaba iPisga. Nalapho ke wenza amaqonga asixhenxe, waza wanikela ngenkunzi yenkomo neyegusha kwiqonga ngalinye.
15UBhalam wathi kuBhalaki: “Yima ngakweli dini litshiswayo, ngeli lixa mna ndiye kuhlangana naye qelele.”
16*UNdikhoyo ke wadibana noBhalam, wathi: “Buyela kuBhalaki, uthethe naye wenjenje.” 17Wabuyela kwakuBhalaki ke, waza wamfumana esemi ngakwelo dini litshiswayo ndawonye neenkokheli zamaMowabhi.
UBhalaki ke wambuza wathi: “Utheni uNdikhoyo?”
18Waza ke yena uBhalam wathetha la mazwi andilisekileyo, wenjenje:
“Hoyina ke, Bhalaki, khawubaz' iindlebe;
khawundiphulaphule, nyana kaZipore!
19UThixo yena akamntu;
akaxoki, akaguqu-guquki okomntu.
Akakufezekisi na akuthembisileyo?
Akakuphumelelisi na akuthethileyo?
20Nangoku ke kuthiwa mandithi jize ngentsikelelo;
ethamsanqele nje yena, mna andinakulicima.
21Akubonwa sikhwa kuYakobi;
hayi, akubonwa shwangusha kwaSirayeli.
UNdikhoyo uThixo wabo ungakubo;
ewe, kuvakala intswahla kuba uKumkani uphakathi kwawo.
22UThixo uwakhuphile eJiputa;
iimpondo zakhe zibaze okwenyathi.
23Nemilingo ingabuya nemband' esikhova kuYakobi;
nabuqili nabugqwirha buza ze kuSirayeli.
Yona ngundaba-mlonyeni ngoYakobi noSirayeli,
kusithiwa: ‘Khawubone ke imisebenzi kaThixo!
24Khawukhangele ke olu hlanga!
Lucondoba njengemaz' engonyama;
luvungama okwengwanyalal' engonyama.
Aluphumli lungazenzang' iziqweng' utshaba,
luze lulithi qongqololo igazi lamaxhoba!’ ”
25UBhalaki wabhekisa kuBhalam wenjenje: “Xa usala ke ukuwaqalekisa la maSirayeli musa ukuwathamsanqela!”
26UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Andithi na kanene ndikuxelele ukuba mna ndenza loo nto ndiyixelelwa nguNdikhoyo kuphela?”
Intetho yesithathu kaBhalam
27UBhalaki waphinda wathetha noBhalam, wathi: “Hamba siye kwenye indawo. Mhlawumbi uThixo angakuvumela uwaqalekise amaSirayeli xa ukuloo ndawo.”
28Ngoko ke wamsa phezu kwentaba iPehore evelele intlango.
29UBhalam wathi: “Yenza amaqonga abe sixhenxe apha, futhi uze nesixhenxe seenkunzi zeenkomo ngokunjalo nezeegusha.” 30Ngenene ke uBhalaki wenza ngokomyalelo kaBhalam, wanikela ngenkunzi yenkomo neyegusha kwiqonga ngalinye.
