1Ngeli xesha ke uBhalam wayeseleqonda ukuba *uNdikhoyo uzimisele ukumthamsanqela uSirayeli, ngoko ke akabanga sabhenela kwimilingo njengangaphambili. Wajonga ngasentlango, 2waza wawabona amaSirayeli eqokelelene izindlu ngezindlu. Wasuka ke wonganyelwa nguMoya kaThixo; 3waza wadanduluka wathetha kwavokotheka wenjenje:
“Nal' udaba olundilisekileyo lukaBhalam, unyana kaBhehore,
amazwi andilisekileyo omfo obona cacileyo,
4izihlabo zomfo owevayo amazwi kaThixo,
othwetyulweyo, kambe ethe ntsho ngamehlo,
walamile, unombono kaSomandla.
5Hay' ubuhle beentente zikaYakobi!
Ewe, athe dwe amanqugwala kaSirayeli!
6Zithe tyaba okweentili;
zithe thande okomyezo ecaleni komlambo,
ngathi ngumngcelele wekhala elityalwe nguNdikhoyo,
sengathi yimisedare phezu komlambo.
7Kuwo imvula iya kuhlala ingunogumbe,
imbewu ayityale kumhlaba otofo-tofo.
Ukumkani wawo woba mkhulu kunoAgagi,
ulawulo lwakhe lubalasele ngodumo.
8UThixo wawakhupha eJiputa,
iimpondo zakhe zibaze okwenyathi.
Iintshaba zawo azithi nqwam-nqwam,
amathambo azo awacole.
Ke lona utolo lwawo luyahlabanisela.
9Luhlanga olubuthuma njengengonyama;
lunjengemaz' engonyama, lungavuswa ngubani?
Uthamsanqelekile osikelela uSirayeli!
Hay' ishwangusha kulowo umqalekisayo!”
10Ke kaloku uBhalaki wabhabhazela ngumsindo, wabetha ngenqindi phantsi, wathi kuBhalam: “Ndakulanda ukuba uze kuqalekisa iintshaba zam, kodwa ngoku kude kwakathathu uzithamsanqela! 11Yini le! Chitheka; goduka! Ndathembisa ukuba ndiya kukuvuza ungakrokri, kambe ke lo Ndikhoyo ukwalele ukuba uwufumane loo mvuzo.”
12UBhalam waphendula wathi: “Abathunywa bakho ndandibaxelele 13ukuba noba ungade undinike lonke ibhotwe lakho lizele yisiliva negolide andingekhe ndiwutsibe umyalelo kaNdikhoyo, ndenze ukuthanda kwam. Kuphela ndiya kuthetha oko athe mandikuthethe. 14Ke ngoku ndiyagoduka; ndiya kwabakowethu. Kodwa ke, phambi kokuba ndihambe, ndifuna ukukhe ndikulumkise ngento aya kuyenza uSirayeli kubantu bakho.”
Intetho yesine kaBhalam
15Wathetha ke kwavokotheka uBhalam, wathi:
“Nal' udaba olundilisekileyo lukaBhalam, unyana kaBhehore,
amazwi andilisekileyo omfo obona cacileyo,
16izihlabo zomfo owevayo amazwi kaThixo,
olwamkelayo ulwazi oluvela kuPhezukonke,
othwetyulweyo, kambe ke ethe ntsho ngamehlo,
walamile, unombono kaSomandla.
17Ewe, ndiyambona; nankuya phambili phaya.
Ndiyamalama, umgama, phambili qelele.
Ndibon' inkwenkwez' iphuma kwaYakobi;
ndiwujongile umsimbithi usithi thaphu kwaSirayeli.
Uya kuzintlekez' iinkokheli zikaMowabhi,
abafohloz' oonyana bakaSeti.
18Uya kuzivuthulula iintshaba zakhe kwaEdom;
ewe, iSeyire ibe yeyakhe,
abe ke yena uSirayeli ekhula ngokomelela.
19Kothi qhaphu umlawuli kwaYakobi,
abasindileyo e-Edom abatshayele kuthi nya.”
Ezinye iintetho zikaBhalam
20UBhalam wabona nama-Amaleki, waza wathetha kwavokotheka wathi:
“UAmaleki fudula elelona hlanga lomeleleyo,
kambe ke ekugqibeleni uya kutshabalala kuthi tu!”
21Kwangokunjalo wabona amaKeni, waza wathetha kwavokotheka wathi:
“Ikhaya lakho ngumankankela wenqaba,
ngathi yindlwana ekwiimfanta zeenkelekethe zamawa.
22Kambe ke, nani maKeni, niya kutshabalala,
akugaleleka uAsiriya anithimbe.”
23UBhalam waqhuba wathetha kwavokotheka wenjenje:
“Yaz'ba ngoobani abanokuphila engafuni uThixo?
24Abahlaseli bovela ngaseKiti, behamba ngezikhephe.
Baya kumtshabalalisa uAsiriya noHebhere.
Kambe nabo ngokwabo baya kutshabalala naphakade.”
25Ke kaloku uBhalam wev' endleleni wagoduka, waza ke noBhalaki wahamba eyakhe indlela.
