Numbers 23
1 Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
2 Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
UBalaki wenza njengokutsho kukaBalami; uBalaki loBalami basebenikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
3 Balaam said to Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I go and see if perhaps the Lord will come and meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I'll share with you.” Then Balaam left to climb up a rocky crag.
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, ngizahamba mina; mhlawumbe iNkosi izafika ukungihlangabeza; lento ezangitshengisa yona ngizakutshela. Wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
4 God met with him there, and Balaam said. “I have built seven altars and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
UNkulunkulu wasehlangana loBalami; wasesithi kuye: Sengilungise amalathi ayisikhombisa, nganikela kulelo lalelo ilathi ijongosi lenqama.
5 The Lord gave Balaam a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
INkosi yasifaka ilizwi emlonyeni kaBalami, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
6 So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.
Wasebuyela kuye, khangela-ke, wayemi emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa, yena lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoMowabi.
7 This is the declaration that Balaam gave: “Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the east. He said, ‘Come and curse Jacob for me! Come and condemn Israel!’
Wasephakamisa umzekeliso wakhe, wathi: UBalaki, inkosi yakoMowabi, ungilandile eSiriya, ezintabeni zempumalanga wathi: Woza, ungiqalekisele uJakobe, woza, umthuke uIsrayeli.
8 But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned?
Ngingamqalekisa njani uNkulunkulu angamqalekisiyo? Kumbe ngingamthuka njani iNkosi engamthukanga?
9 For I'm looking down on them from the top of rocky crags; I'm watching them from the hills. I see a people who live on their own, different from the other nations.
Ngoba ngisengqongeni yamadwala ngiyambona, ngisemaqaqeni ngiyamkhangela. Khangela, abantu bazahlala bodwa, kabayikubalelwa phakathi kwezizwe.
10 Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites? I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”
Ngubani ongabala uthuli lukaJakobe, lenani lengxenye yesine kaIsrayeli? Umphefumulo wami kawufe ukufa kwabalungileyo, lokuphela kwami kube njengokwakhe!
11 Then Balak complained to Balaam, “What on earth have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! All you have done is bless them!”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Wenzeni kimi? Ngikuthethe ukuze uqalekise izitha zami, kodwa khangela, uzibusisile lokuzibusisa.
12 But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”
Wasephendula wathi: Lokho iNkosi ekufaka emlonyeni wami, kakumelanga ngiqaphele yini ukukukhuluma?
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. But you'll only see a part of their camp—you won't see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”
UBalaki wasesithi kuye: Ake uze lami siye kwenye indawo lapho ozababona khona; uzabona ukucina kwabo kuphela, ungaboni bonke; njalo ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
14 He took him to the field of Zophim at the top of Mount Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Njalo wamthatha wamusa ensimini yeZofimu, engqongeni yePisiga; wakha amalathi ayisikhombisa, wanikela ijongosi lenqama phezu kwalelo lalelo ilathi.
15 Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”
Wasesithi kuBalaki: Mana lapha emnikelweni wakho wokutshiswa, njalo mina ngizahlangana layo laphayana.
16 The Lord met Balaam and gave him a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
INkosi yasihlangana loBalami, yafaka ilizwi emlonyeni wakhe, yathi: Buyela kuBalaki, ukhulume kanje.
17 So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.
Esefikile kuye, khangela-ke wema emnikelweni wakhe wokutshiswa leziphathamandla zakoMowabi zilaye. UBalaki wasesithi kuye: INkosi itheni?
18 This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered: “Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!
Wasephakamisa umfanekiso wakhe wathi: Sukuma, Balaki, uzwe, ubeke indlebe, ndodana kaZipori.
19 God isn't a human being who would lie. He's not a mere mortal who changes his mind. Does he say he's going to do something but doesn't? Does he make promises he doesn't carry out?
UNkulunkulu kasumuntu ukuthi aqambe amanga, loba indodana yomuntu ukuthi azisole. Utshilo, kanti kayikukwenza? Kumbe ukhulumile, kanti kayikukuqinisa?
20 Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that.
Khangela, ngemukele ukuthi ngibusise; yebo, ubusisile, njalo ngingeke ngikuguqule.
21 He's not expecting anything bad will happen to Jacob; he doesn't foresee any trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them; they celebrate him as their king.
Kakhangelanga ububi kuJakobe, kabonanga isiphambeko kuIsrayeli. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe ilaye, lesimemezelo senkosi siphakathi kwakhe.
22 God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.
UNkulunkulu wabakhupha eGibhithe, ulokunjengamandla enyathi.
23 No spell can be cast against Jacob; no magic can be used against Israel. People will talk about Jacob and Israel, saying, ‘What amazing things God has done for them!’
Isibili kakulamlingo ongamelana loJakobe, loba ukuvumisa okungamelana loIsrayeli. Ngalesisikhathi kuzatshiwo ngoJakobe langoIsrayeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo!
24 Look! The Israelites go out hunting like a lioness; they chase like a lion. They don't rest until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of their dead victim.”
Khangela, abantu bazasukuma njengesilwane esisikazi, bazisukumise njengesilwane; kabalali baze badle impango, njalo banathe igazi lababuleweyo.
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Futhi ungabaqalekisi lokubaqalekisa, njalo ungababusisi lokubabusisa.
26 But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”
Kodwa uBalami waphendula wathi kuBalaki: Kangikutshelanga yini ngisithi: Konke iNkosi ekutshoyo, lokho ngizakwenza?
27 “Please come with me and I will take you somewhere else,” Balak said. “Maybe God would let you curse them for me from there.”
UBalaki wasesithi kuBalami: Ake uze, ngizakusa kwenye indawo; mhlawumbe kungaqonda emehlweni kaNkulunkulu ukuthi ungiqalekisele bona ulapho.
28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.
UBalaki wamthatha wamusa uBalami engqongeni yePeyori ekhangele ngasenkangala.
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
UBalami wasesithi kuBalaki: Ngakhela lapha amalathi ayisikhombisa, ungilungisele lapha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa.
30 Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
UBalaki wasesenza njengokutsho kukaBalami, wanikela ijongosi lenqama kulelo lalelo ilathi.
