1 Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho.
King Balak of Moab Hires Balaam To Curse Israel
2-3 When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked. 4 They said to the Midianite leaders, “That huge mob of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field.”
So King Balak 5 sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said:
I need your help. A large group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory. 6 They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.
7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord's answer.” So the officials stayed at his house.
9 During the night, God asked Balaam, “Who are these people at your house?”
10 “They are messengers from King Balak of Moab,” Balaam answered. “He sent them 11 to ask me to go to Moab and put a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off.”
12 But God replied, “Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them.”
13 The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, “Go on back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”
14 The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.
15 Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones. 16 They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, “Balaam, if you come to Moab, 17 I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people.”
18 Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the Lord my God. 19 You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the Lord has something else to say about this.”
20 That night, God said, “Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say.”
21 So Balaam got up the next morning and saddled his donkey, then left with the Moabite officials.
Balaam and His Donkey Meet an Angel
22 Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the Lord's angels stood in the road to stop him. 23 When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again.
26 The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around. 27 So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and whacked the donkey.
28 When that happened, the Lord told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done that made you beat me three times?”
29 “You made me look stupid!” Balaam answered. “If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!”
30 “But you're my owner,” answered the donkey, “and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Just then, the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.
32 The angel said, “You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab. 33 If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”
34 Balaam replied, “I was wrong. I didn't know you were trying to stop me. If you don't think I should go, I'll return home at once.”
35 “It's all right for you to go,” the Lord's angel answered. “But you must say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak's officials.
King Balak Meets Balaam
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at the town of Ir on the Arnon River, which is the northern border of Moab. 37 Balak asked, “Why didn't you come when I invited you the first time? Did you think I wasn't going to pay you?”
38 “I'm here now,” Balaam answered. “But I will say only what God tells me to say.”
39 They left and went to the town of Kiriath-Huzoth, 40 where Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.
41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam to the town of Bamoth-Baal. From there, Balaam could see some of the Israelites.
Balak naBileam
1 Ndelenee ovana vaIsrael va dja po opo, ndele va ka onga onhanda pomaluhaela aMoab, koushilo waJordan, va shaama naJeriko.
2 Balak yaSippor, eshi a mona ashishe eshi Ovaisraeli va ningila Ovaamori, 3 Ovamoab ova tila unene ovanhu ava, osheshi va ninga vahapu. NOvamoab va kwatwa koumbada omolwovana vaIsrael. 4 Opo nee Moab okwa lombwela ovakulunhu vaMidian: “Paife eemhunga edi tadi ka lya ashishe eshi tashi di dingilile, ngaashi ongobe tai kunya omwiidi womoixwa.” Ndele Balak yaSippor okwa li ohamba yaMoab pefimbo olo. 5 Onghee hano ye okwa tuma ovatumwa kuBileam yaBeor muPetor sha kala puEufrat moshilongo shOmavite, oku mu ifana ndee ta ti: “Tala, ovanhu va dja muEgipiti. Tala ova pwipwikila oshilongo ashishe, ndele ve li meenhanda da yukilila nge. 6 Ila hano paife u lyangulile nge ovanhu ava, osheshi vo ove dule nge. Kashiimba handi dulu oku va denga noku va taataa mo moshilongo. Osheshi ondi shii ou ta nangekwa noupuna kwoove, ye ota nangekwa noupuna, ndee ou ta lyangulwa kwoove, ota kala a lyangulwa.”
7 Opo nee ovakulunhu vaMoab novakulunhu vaMidian ova ya ve nondjabi yomumonikokule, ndele ve uya kuBileam ndele ve mu hepaululila eendjovo daBalak. 8 Opo ye e va nyamukula ta ti: “Opo nee ame ohandi ke mu shiivifila ngaashi Omwene ta ka lombwela nge.” Opo nee ovakulunhu vaMoab va fyaala puBileam. 9 Ndele Kalunga e uya kuBileam ndee ta ti: “Ovalumenhu oolyelye ava ve li pwoove?” 10 Ndele Bileam okwa nyamukula: “Balak yaSippor, ohamba yaMoab, ya tumina nge ondaka: 11 Tala, ovanhu va dja kuEgipiti, ndele vo ova pwipwikila oshilongo. Ila hano paife u va lyangulile nge. Kashiimba ame ohandi dulu oku va denga noku va taataa mo.” 12 Opo nee Kalunga okwa lombwela Bileam: “Ino ya ko pamwe navo. Ino lyangula ovanhu venya, osheshi vo ovanangekwa noupuna.” 13 Opo nee Bileam okwa penduka ongula ndele ye ta ti kovakulunhu vaBalak: “Shuneni ko koshilongo sheni, osheshi Omwene okwa anyena nge okuya pamwe nanye.” 14 Ndele ovakulunhu vaMoab ova fikama ndele ve uya kuBalak, ndee tava ti: Bileam okwa anya okuya nafye. 15 Opo nee Balak okwa tuma ko vali ovakulunhu vahapu, ve dule venya, ndele va li va fimanekwa komesho yaavenya. 16 Ndele vo ove uya kuBileam, ndee tave mu lombwele: “Balak yaSippor osho ta ti: Ino anya okuya kwaame.” 17 Osheshi ame ohandi ke ku fimaneka unene, naashishe to lombwele nge, ame ohandi ke shi ninga. Onghee hano ila, lyangulile nge ovanhu ava. 18 Opo nee Bileam okwa nyamukula ndee ta ti kovapiya vaBalak: “Balak nande a pe nge oshisiliveli noshingoldo shi yadi eumbo laye, ame ihandi dulu okutauluka elombwelo lOmwene Kalunga kange nande moshinima shinini ile shinene. 19 Ndelenee kaleni ngeno natango oufiku wonena apa, opo ndi shiive eshi Omwene ta ka lombwela nge vali.” 20 Ndele Kalunga e uya kuBileam oufiku ndee ta ti kuye: “Ovalumenhu eshi ve uya oku ku ifana, fikama hano, inda navo. Ndelenee u nokuninga ashike eshi Ame handi ku lombwele.”
Ondongi yaBileam tai popi
21 Opo nee Bileam a meneka ongula nokwa tula ondongi yonghadi omutumba, ndele ye okwa ya pamwe novakulunhu vaMoab.
22 Ndelenee ehandu laKalunga la xwama, ye eshi a ya. Ndele omweengeli wOmwene okwa kala ofika mondjila oku mu kelela, eshi a londa ondongi yaye novapiya vaye vavali ve mu findikila. 23 Nondongi oya mona omweengeli wOmwene ta kala ofika mondjila e neongamukonda la pweywa mo meke laye. Onghee hano ondongi ya yapuka mondjila ndele ya ya mepya. Ndelenee Bileam okwa denga ondongi e i shunife mondjila. 24 Opo nee omweengeli wOmwene okwa ya ponhele yondjila ya finana pokati koikokola yomiviinyu pokati komakuma. 25 Ndele ondongi eshi ya mona omweengeli wOmwene, yo oye lifininika kekuma noya fenghenyena omhadi yaBileam kekuma. Onghee hano ye okwe i denga vali. 26 Ndele omweengeli wOmwene okwa ehena vali komesho, ndele a kala ofika ponhele ya finana, apa kapa li vali okuyapukila kolulyo ile kolumosho. 27 Ondongi eshi ya mona omweengeli, yo oya nangala fimbo Bileam e li kuyo. Onghee hano Bileam okwa handuka unene nokwa denga ondongi noshiti. 28 Ndelenee Omwene okwa makulifa okanya kondongi ndee tai ti kuBileam: “Ame nde ku ninga shike eshi wa denga nge lutatu nokuli?” 29 Opo nee Bileam okwa nyamukula ta ti kondongi: “Shaashi ove wa lundukila nge. Ngeno ndi kale ndi neongamukonda meke lange, ngeno onde ku dipaa.” 30 Ndele ondongi tai ti kuBileam: “Haame ondongi yoye, ho londo nge shito mokukala kwoye fiyo onena? Wa mona nge ndi neenghedi da tya ngaha kwoove?” Ndele ye okwa nyamukula: “Aaye.” 31 Opo nee Omwene okwa pashukifa omesho aBileam, opo a dule okumona omweengeli wOmwene e li ofika mondjila e neongamukonda la pweywa mo meke laye. Ndele ye okwe linyongamena nokwa wila eombe. 32 Nomweengeli wOmwene okwa pula kuye: “Omolwashike wa denga nokuli lutatu ondongi yoye? Tala, Ame mwene nda fikama nde uya oku ku kelela, osheshi ondjila ei yoye oi noiponga momesho ange. 33 Ndelenee ondongi ya mona nge ndele ya kanduka ko komesho yange lutatu. Oyo ngeno inai kanduka ko komesho yange, ngeno nde ku dipaa, ndelenee ondongi handi i efa i nomwenyo.” 34 Opo nee Bileam okwa nyamukula omweengeli ndee ta ti: “Ame nda nyona, osheshi inandi shiiva nokutya, ove ou li mondjila to kelele nge.” Ndelenee ondjila ei, ngeenge inai wapala momesho oye, ame ohandi shuna. 35 Nomweengeli wOmwene okwa lombwela Bileam: “Inda pamwe novalumenhu, ndelenee ondjovo ei aike, Ame handi ku lombwele, u noku i popya.” Opo nee hano Bileam okwa ya novakulunhu vaBalak. 36 Balak eshi a uda nokutya, Bileam te uya, ye okwa fikama e ke mu shakeneke muIr-Moab, osho shi li pongaba yaArnon, koxulo yoshilongo. 37 Ndele Balak ta ti kuBileam: “Inandi tumununa ko kwoove ovanhu, nde ku ifana? Omolwashike ino uya kwaame? Ame ohandi nyengwa mbela oku ku fimanekifa?” 38 Ndele Bileam okwa nyamukula Balak, ndee ta ti: “Heeno, ame nde uya kwoove paife. Ndelenee ame ndi nepangelo mbela okupopya sha? Ondjovo ei aike Kalunga te i tula mokanya kange ohandi ke i popya.” 39 Opo nee Bileam okwa ya pamwe naBalak, ndele ova fika kuKiriat-Husot. 40 Ndele Balak okwa yamba eengobe needi nokwa tumina Bileam novakulunhu ava va kala puye dimwe domudo.
41 Ndele ongula Balak okwa kufa Bileam nokwe mu twala koshikulundu shaBaal, oko ye a shiive okumona okambinga kamwe koshiwana.
