1 By now Balaam knew that the Lord wanted him to bless the people of Israel, so he did not go to look for omens, as he had done before. He turned toward the desert 2 and saw the people of Israel camped tribe by tribe. The spirit of God took control of him, 3 and he uttered this prophecy:
“The message of Balaam son of Beor,
The words of the man who can see clearly,
4 Who can hear what God is saying.
With staring eyes I see in a trance
A vision from Almighty God.
5 The tents of Israel are beautiful,
6 Like long rows of palms
Or gardens beside a river,
Like aloes planted by the Lord
Or cedars beside the water.
7 They will have abundant rainfall
And plant their seed in well-watered fields.
Their king shall be greater than Agag,
And his rule shall be extended far and wide.
8 God brought them out of Egypt;
He fights for them like a wild ox.
They devour their enemies,
Crush their bones, smash their arrows.
9 The nation is like a mighty lion;
When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it.
Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed,
And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.”
10 Balak clenched his fists in anger and said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but three times now you have blessed them instead. 11 Now get on home! I promised to reward you, but the Lord has kept you from getting the reward.”
12 Balaam answered, “I told the messengers you sent to me that 13 even if you gave me all the silver and gold in your palace, I could not disobey the command of the Lord by doing anything of myself. I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
Balaam's Final Prophecies
14 Balaam said to Balak, “Now I am going back to my own people, but before I go, I am warning you what the people of Israel will do to your people in the future.” 15 Then he uttered this prophecy:
“The message of Balaam son of Beor,
The words of the man who can see clearly,
16 Who can hear what God is saying
And receive the knowledge that comes from the Most High.
With staring eyes I see in a trance
A vision from Almighty God.
17 I look into the future,
And I see the nation of Israel.
A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation.
Like a comet he will come from Israel.
He will strike the leaders of Moab
And beat down all the people of Seth.
18 He will conquer his enemies in Edom
And make their land his property,
While Israel continues victorious.
19 The nation of Israel will trample them down
And wipe out the last survivors.”
20 Then in his vision Balaam saw the Amalekites and uttered this prophecy:
“Amalek was the most powerful nation of all,
But at the end it will perish forever.”
21 In his vision he saw the Kenites, and uttered this prophecy:
“The place where you live is secure,
Safe as a nest set high on a cliff,
22 But you Kenites will be destroyed
When Assyria takes you captive.”
23 Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Who are these people gathering in the north?
24 Invaders will sail from Cyprus;
They will conquer Assyria and Eber,
But they, in turn, will perish forever.”
25 Then Balaam got ready and went back home, and Balak went on his way.
1 Balaam wa tjiza kutja Muhona u nombango okusera ondaya kOvaisrael; ope ha zire okukapaha ovisanekero tjimuna ovikando mbi ovitenga, nungwari wa vingurura omurungu we na tara mokuti onguza, 2 na munu Ovaisrael ava kurama mozondanda otja komihoko vyawo; nOmbepo ya Ndjambi ye ya kombanda ye.
3 Eye wa hungira omaukiro we a tja: “Ombuze ya Balaam, omuzandu wa Beor; omambo womurumendu ngu nomeho nge muna mokuuka. 4 Ombuze yaingwi ngu zuva omambo wa Ndjambi, ngu muna omavandururiro wOmunamasaaehe, nu ngu wa pehi e nomeho nga paturuka. 5 Ozondanda zoye, Jakob, ozombwa tjiri, omaturiro woye, Israel! 6 Otja omikutu vyoturamba mbya tandavara kokure, otja ovikunino meṋe yonḓonḓu, otja ovindombo Muhona mbya kuna, otja otupapa meṋe yomeva. 7 Momahoro we mamu pupakana omeva, nu Israel ma honapara kombanda yoviwaṋa ovingi. Ombara ye omunamasa pu Agag, nouhona we mau tandavara kokure! 8 Ndjambi ngwe mu pitisa mOengipte me mu rwire otja otjimburu; oviwaṋa, mbi mavi mu rwisa, eye me vi nyono, na teya omaṱupa wavyo, na hahaura oviku vyawo. 9 Otjiwaṋa tja rara otja ongeyama onḓenḓu: Owaṋi ngu ma yenene okutjipendura? Ngu me ku sere ondaya ma serwa ondaya, nu ngu me ku sengi ma sengwa.”
10 Balak otja ṱomazenge tjinene na Balaam, na tono omake kumwe na tja ku ye: “Ami mbe kekupahera okusenga ovanavita na ami, nu tara, ove we ve sere ondaya potutatu! 11 Nambano hakahana u yaruke kehi roye! Ami mba ri nombango okukupa ondjambi onene; nungwari Muhona we ku kaerisa ondjambi ndji.”
12 Balaam opa tjera nai ku Balak: “Hi mu raerere ongahukiro kovatumwa voye mbu wa hindire ku ami, e tja: 13 ‘Balak nandi me ndji pe osilveri nongoldo aihe ndje ura mondjuwo ye youhona, himee yenene okukatuka omarakiza wa Muhona okutjita ouwa poo ouvi kombango yandje omuini; ami me hungire imbi Muhona mbi me ndji raere.’ 14 Nu ngunda ambi hiya yaruka kotjiwaṋa tjetu me ku tjivisa imbi Ovaisrael mbi mave tjiti kotjiwaṋa tjeṋu moruveze ndu maru ya.”
Omaukiro omasenina wa Balaam
15 Balaam wa hungira omaukiro we a tja:
“Ombuze ya Balaam, omuzandu wa Beor,
omambo womurumendu ngu nomeho nge muna mokuuka.
16 Ombuze yaingwi ngu zuva omambo wa Ndjambi,
nu ngu tjiwa omeripuriro wOkombandambanda,
ngu muna omavandururiro wOmunamasaaehe,
nu ngu wa pehi e nomeho nga paturuka.
17 Me munu, nu vari kanambano,
me tara okukonḓonona, nu vari kapopezu.
Onyose mai pitire mu Jakob,
nokati kouhona make zu mOisrael
nake tono ovanane va Moab,
nake nyono imba mbe nonḓero yovita.
18 Ehi ra Edom mari rire ouini we,
ehi rozondundu ra Seir wina;
nungwari Israel matji rire otjinamasa komurungu.
19 Mu Jakob mamu zu omuhona,
nu ma nyono ovataure vomovihuro.”
20 Nu Balaam tja muna Ovaamalek, wa hungira omaukiro we na tja:
“Otjiwaṋa otjitengatenga otjOvaamalek, nungwari ondjandero yatjo i ri pokuya.”
21 Nu Balaam tja muna Ovakeni, wa uka na tja:
“Omaturiro weṋu, Vakeni owo omazeu,
notjiruwo tjeṋu tja tungwa komatjo.
22 Nungwari eṋe mwa varerwa konyonokero.
Karure ndu ṱa pi, tjandje Asirie we mu twara otja ovahuurwa!”
23 Norukwao Balaam wa hungira omaukiro we a tja:
“Owee, owaṋi ngu ma kara nomuinyo,
Ndjambi tji ma tjiti ihi?
24 Ozondjuwozomomeva maze zu kOvakiti,
nOvakiti mave havere Ovaasirie nOvaeber,
nungwari owo oveni va varerwa konyonokero.”
25 Tjazumba Balaam we rirongera na yaruka kehi re; nu Balak wina wa twara ondjira ye.
