1 Balaam was sure that the Lord would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the Lord wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert 2 and saw the tribes of Israel camped below. Just then, God's Spirit took control of him, 3 and Balaam said:
“I am the son of Beor,
and my words are true,
so listen to my message!
4 It comes from the Lord,
the God All-Powerful.
I bowed down to him
and saw a vision of Israel.
5 “People of Israel,
your camp is lovely.
6 It's like a grove of palm trees
or a garden beside a river.
You are like tall aloe trees
that the Lord has planted,
or like cedars
growing near water.
7 You and your descendants
will prosper like an orchard
beside a stream.
Your king will rule with power
and be a greater king
than Agag the Amalekite.
8 With the strength of a wild ox,
God led you out of Egypt.
You will defeat your enemies,
shooting them with arrows
and crushing their bones.
9 Like a lion you lie down,
resting after an attack.
Who would dare disturb you?
“Anyone who blesses you
will be blessed;
anyone who curses you
will be cursed.”
10 When Balak heard this, he was so furious that he pounded his fist against his hand and said, “I called you here to place a curse on my enemies, and you've blessed them three times. 11 Leave now and go home! I told you I would pay you well, but since the Lord didn't let you do what I asked, you won't be paid.”
12 Balaam answered, “I told your messengers 13 that even if you offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I would still obey the Lord. And I explained that I would say only what he told me. 14 So I'm going back home, but I'm leaving you with a warning about what the Israelites will someday do to your nation.”
Balaam's Fourth Message
15 Balaam said:
“I am the son of Beor,
and my words are true,
so listen to my message!
16 My knowledge comes
from God Most High,
the Lord All-Powerful.
I bowed down to him
and saw a vision of Israel.
17 “What I saw in my vision
hasn't happened yet.
But someday, a king of Israel
will appear like a star.
He will wipe out you Moabites
and destroy those tribes
who live in the desert.
18 Israel will conquer Edom
and capture the land
of that enemy nation.
19 The king of Israel will rule
and destroy the survivors
of every town there.
20 “And I saw this vision
about the Amalekites:
Their nation is now great,
but it will someday
disappear forever.
21 “And this is what I saw
about the Kenites:
They think they're safe,
living among the rocks,
22 but they will be wiped out
when Assyria conquers them.
23 “No one can survive
if God plans destruction.
24 Ships will come from Cyprus,
bringing people who will invade
the lands of Assyria and Eber.
But finally, Cyprus itself
will be ruined.”
25 After Balaam finished, he started home, and Balak also left.
1 Ngashingeyi Bileam sho a ndhindhilike kutya Omuwa nani okwe mu hala a yambeke Aaisraeli, ina anekela we, ngaashi ha ningi shito. Okwa pungululile oshipala she kombuga 2 e ta mono Aaisraeli ye li moontanda omazimo nomazimo. Ombepo yaKalunga oye mu lambele, 3 e ta totomona ehunganeko lye ta ti:
“Bileam yaBeor, popya;
omulumentu gwomeho ga tonata, uvitha!
4 Ndika ehunganeko lyomuuvi gwoohapu dhaKalunga,
lyanakumona omamoniko gOmunankondoawike
nolyomukakuki ngoka e na omeho ga tonata:
5 Omatsali goye, Jakob, ogo opala ngiini!
Oonkalelo dhoye, Israel, odha poleka ngiini!
6 Odha andjalala dha fa omalusilu gomeya,
odha fa iitsambe pooha dhomulonga,
odha fa omandombo ga tsikwa kOmuwa
nenge omisedeli pooha dhomeya.
7 Omeya otaga kungulukile miiyuma yawo.
Otaa kunu oombuto dhawo momapya ga tosima.
Omukwaniilwa gwawo omunene e vule Agag,
nelelo lye olya taandela nolya yeluka.
8 Kalunga okwe ya tembudha muEgipiti;
oku ya lile po a fa ooniga dhonyati.
Otaa ka nyanyagula aatondi yawo,
taye ya teyagula omasipa
notaye ya yaha niikuti.
9 Otaa hundjunine
notaa ka lala ya fa onkoshi, ongonime onyali;
olye te ya pendutha?
Ngoka te ku yambeke, Israel, ota yambekwa,
ihe ngoka te ku thingi, ota thingwa.”
10 Nena Balak okwa geele Bileam. Okwa dhenge iikaha ye kumwe e ta lombwele Bileam ta ti: “Onde ku ithana u ye u lile ndje aatondi yandje muumpulile, ihe peha lyasho owe ya laleke nuuyamba lutatu nokuli. 11 Shuna kaandjeni! Onda li ndu uvaneke tandi ku futu, ihe Omuwa okwe ku keelele okutaamba ondjambi.”
12 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Onda lombwele aatumwa mboka wa tumine kutya 13 nando u pe ndje iisiliveli ayihe niingoli ayihe yu udha egumbo lyoye, itandi pandakana noshipango shOmuwa, ndi ninge sha mungame mwene. Otandi popi owala shoka Omuwa ta lombwele ndje, ndi shi popye.”
Ehunganeko lyaBileam lyahugunina
14 Bileam okwa ti kuBalak: “Ngashingeyi otandi shuna koyaandjetu, ihe manga inaandi ya, otandi ku lombwele shoka Aaisraeli taa ka ningila aantu yoye monakuyiwa.”
15 Okwa totomona ehunganeko lye a ti:
“Bileam yaBeor, popya;
omulumentu gwomeho ga tonata, uvitha!
16 Ndika ehunganeko lyomuuvi gwoohapu dhaKalunga,
lyanakutseya uunongo waanguka Gwokombandambanda,
nolyaangoka ha mono omamoniko gOmunankondoadhihe:
17 Ondi mu wete, ihe hangashingeyi,
otandi mu ligamene, ihe hapopepi.
Onyothi otayi piti muJakob,
ondhimbo yuukwaniilwa otayi yeluka muIsrael.
Oye ta nyanyagula po aawiliki yaMoab,
nota kombo po oluvalo aluhe lwaSet.
18 Ota sindi aatondi ye muEdom
e ta lala evi lyawo Seir,
ihe Israel ota nkondopala aluhe.
19 MuJakob otamu zi omupangeli,
nota kombo po mboka ya hupile ko.”
20 Bileam okwa mono wo Amalek nokwa totomona ehunganeko lye a ti:
“Amalek oye oshigwana oshinankondo shotango,
ihe ehulilo lyasho olyo ekano lyasho.”
21 Sho a mono Aakeni, okwa totomona ehunganeko lye a ti:
“Oonkalelo dhoye odha gamenwa,
odhi li puule pemanya ngoshihandhila shontsa.
22 Ihe ne Aakeni otamu ka hanagulwa po.
Assur ote mu fala muupika.”
23 Bileam okwa tsikile okutotomona kwe a ti:
“Yayee, akwetse, olye ta kala nomwenyo,
Kalunga ngele ta gwanitha mbika?
24 Aayendifuta otaa zi kombinga yaKipro.
Otaa teya po Assur naEber,
ihe nayo wo otaa ka yonuka po thilu.”
25 Bileam sho a mana, okwa thikama e ta shuna kaandjawo, naBalak wo okwa yi nondjila ye.
