23UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisaa. 2 UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqamab. 3 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswac, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshelad. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo. 4 UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalamie; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama. 5 INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanjef. 6 Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi. 7 Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya1, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathig: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobeh, woza, umthuke uIsrayelii. 8 Ngingamqalekisa njanij uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo?k Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga? 9 Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwal, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwem. 10 Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakoben, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyoo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!

11 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisap. 12 Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?q 13 UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.

14 Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathir. 15 Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayanas. 16 INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhet, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje. 17 Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni? 18 Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori. 19 UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amangau, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa? 20 Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqulev. 21 Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeliw. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhex. 22 UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithey, ulokunjengamandlaz enyathia. 23 Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayelib. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyoc! 24 Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazid, bazisukumise njengesilwanee; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyof.

25 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa. 26 Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?g

27 UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawoh; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho. 28 UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyorii ekhangele ngasenkangalaj. 29 UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisak. 30 UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathil.