1. Ke kaloku amaSirayeli anduluka, aza aya kumisa kumathafa aseMowabhi, kwimpuma yeJordan, malunga neJeriko.
2. Uthe ke uBhalaki, ukumkani waseMowabhi, unyana kaZipore, akuziva izigigaba zamaSirayeli phakathi kwama-Amori,
3. akubuqonda nobungakanani bawo, suka yena nabantu bakhe bankwantya.
4. Ke 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
5. wathumela 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.
6. Ngokwamanani 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.”
7. Zasuka ke iinkokheli zamaMowabhi nezamaMidiyan zahamba ziphethe intlawulo kaBhalam. Zakufika kuye zawugqithisa umyalezo kaBhalaki.
8. UBhalam wathi kuwo la madoda: “Lalani. Mna ndonazisa ngomso into endiyixelelwe *nguNdikhoyo.” Ngenene ke amatshawe amaMowabhi alala apho kwaBhalam.
9. UThixo wafika, wabuza uBhalam, wathi: “Ngoobani la madoda unawo apha?”
10. Ke 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.’ ”
12. UThixo wathi kuBhalam: “Uze ungahambi nala madoda; uze ungabaqalekisi abo bantu, kuba bathamsanqelekile.”
13. Ngengomso ke uBhalam wabandulula abathunywa bakaBhalaki, wathi: “Buyelani ezweni lenu, kuba uNdikhoyo akavumi ukuba ndihambe nani.”
14. Ngoko ke bagoduka, bafika bamxelela uBhalaki ukuba uBhalam walile ukuhamba nabo.