The King of Moab Sends for Balaam
1 The Israelites moved on and set up camp in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and opposite Jericho.
2 When the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, heard what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and how many Israelites there were, 3 he and all his people became terrified. 4 The Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, “This horde will soon destroy everything around us, like a bull eating the grass in a pasture.” So King Balak 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor near the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw. They brought him this message from Balak: “I want you to know that a whole nation has come from Egypt; its people are spreading out everywhere and threatening to take over our land. 6 They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then perhaps we will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.”
7 So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message. 8 Balaam said to them, “Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the Lord tells me.” So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam.
9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these people that are staying with you?”
10 He answered, “King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me 11 that a people who came from Egypt has spread out over the whole land. He wants me to curse them for him, so that he can fight them and drive them out.”
12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not put a curse on the people of Israel, because they have my blessing.”
13 The next morning Balaam went to Balak's messengers and said, “Go back home; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So they returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them.
15 Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first. 16 They went to Balaam and gave him this message from Balak: “Please don't let anything prevent you from coming to me! 17 I will reward you richly and do anything you say. Please come and curse these people for me.”
18 But Balaam answered, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not disobey the command of the Lord my God in even the smallest matter. 19 But please spend the night, as the others did, so that I may learn whether or not the Lord has something else to tell me.”
20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “If these men have come to ask you to go with them, get ready and go, but do only what I tell you.” 21 So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite leaders.
Balaam and His Donkey
22 God was angry that Balaam was going, and as Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, the angel of the Lord stood in the road to bar his way. 23 When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back onto the road. 24 Then the angel stood where the road narrowed between two vineyards and had a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel, it moved over against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. Again Balaam beat the donkey. 26 Once more the angel moved ahead; he stood in a narrow place where there was no room at all to pass on either side. 27 This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down. Balaam lost his temper and began to beat the donkey with his stick. 28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the power of speech, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered, “Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you.”
30 The donkey replied, “Am I not the same donkey on which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever treated you like this before?”
“No,” he answered.
31 Then the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword; and Balaam threw himself face downward on the ground. 32 The angel demanded, “Why have you beaten your donkey three times like this? I have come to bar your way, because you should not be making this journey. 33 But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn't, I would have killed you and spared the donkey.”
34 Balaam replied, “I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me; but now if you think it is wrong for me to go on, I will return home.”
35 But the angel said, “Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with them.
Balak Welcomes Balaam
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at Ar, a city on the Arnon River at the border of Moab. 37 Balak said to him, “Why didn't you come when I sent for you the first time? Did you think I wasn't able to reward you enough?”
38 Balaam answered, “I came, didn't I? But now, what power do I have? I can say only what God tells me to say.” 39 So Balaam went with Balak to the town of Huzoth, 40 where Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
Balaam's First Prophecy
41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, from where Balaam could see a part of the people of Israel.
Moab gao-aob ge Bileamma ra sî
1 Israelǁîn ge ǁîn ǃgûs ǀkha aiǃgû tsî Moabǂgāgu aiǂoasǀkhāb Jordanǃāb dib, Jerixos ǃoagu ge ǁgoe ib tawa sī hâǃkhaiba ge ǂnaumâi.
2 Moab di gao-aob, Sipori ôab Balaki ge tare-en ge Israelǁîna Amorǁîn ǀkha dī tsî mâtikō ǃgôab di Israelǁîn a ǃkhaisa ǁnâu, 3 on ge ǁîb tsî ǁîb khoen tsîn hoana kaise ge ǃao. 4 ǁNā-amagan ge Moabǁîna Midianǁîn di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ǃoa ge mî: “Nē ǂnubis di khoen ge sada ǂnamipe hâ xūn hoana nî tsākhâi, ǁgōb ra ǃgarob di ǀgâna ǃûhāpu khami.” ǁNā-amagab ge gao-aob Balaka 5 ǁîb di sîsabegab ge Beori ôab, Bileammi, ǁnā ǁaeb ai ge Petors, Eufratǃāb ǀgūse ǁgoes, Amausǃhūb ǃnâ ge hâ ib ǁga sî tsî ǁîba ge mîmā kai: “Hoaraga ǁaes go Egipteba xu hāsats nî ǂansa ta ge ra ǂgao; ǁîn ge mâ ǀkhā-i hoa-i ai ǂapaǂoa tsî sida ǃhūban nî ǁkhâuǁnâ ǃkhais ǀkha ra ǃaoǃao da. 6 ǁÎn ge sida xa a ǂgui, ǁnā-amaga toxopa hā, î ǁîna ǀâxareba te. ǁNā ǀgaus ai da ge ǀnîsi, ǁîna dan tsî ǃhūba xu a sauruǂui ǁkhā. Tita ge a ǂan, ǀkhaebats ga gowaǂui, on ra khoena ǀkhaehe ǃkhaisa, tsî ǀâxarebats ga gowaǂui on ra khoena ǀâxarehe ǃkhaisa.”
7 ǁNāti gu ge Moabǁî tsî Midianǁî ǂgaeǂgui-aoga ǀâxareb di gowaǂuis ǃaroma mataresa ū tsî Bileammi ǁga ǃgû tsî Balaki ǂhôasa ǁîba sī ge mîba. 8 Bileammi ge ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “Nē tsuxuba nēpa ǁom, ǁari ta ǃKhūb ra mîba te xū-i hoa-e nî mîba go xuige.” O gu ge Moabǁî ǂgaeǂgui-aoga Bileammi tawa ge hâ.
9 Ob ge Eloba Bileamma ǂhai tsî ǁîba ge dî: “Tariga nē khoegu sa tawa hâga?”
10 Ob ge ǁîba Eloba ge ǃeream: “Moab di gao-aob Balaki, Sipori ôab ge ǁîga go sî, î gu tita hā mîba, 11 Egipteba xu ge hā khoen hoaraga ǃhūb ǃnâ ra ǂapaǂoa ǃkhaisa. ǁÎb ge tita ǁîna nî ǀâxare ǃkhaisa ra ǂgao, îb ǁîna ǃkhamdan tsî ǃhūba xu sauruǂui.”
12 Elob ge Bileammi ǃoa ge mî: “Tā ǁîgu ǀkha ǃgû, tsî tā Israelǁîna ǀâxare, ǁîn ǀkhaehe hâ xuige.”
13 Sao ra ǁgoagab ge Bileamma Balaki sîsabegu tawa sī tsî ǁîga ge mîba: “Sago ǃhūb ǁga ǁaru; ǃKhūb go tita sago ǀkha ǃgûsa ǂkhā xuige.” 14 ǁNāti gu ge ǁaru tsî Balaka sī ge mîba Bileammi ge ǁîga saosa ǂkhā ǃkhaisa.
15 Ob ge Balaka ǂgurob ge sî hâ i khoegu xa ǂgui tsî ǂhâǂhâsa ǃâsa gere ǀhuruga ǁkhawa ge sî. 16 ǁÎgu ge gao-aob Balaki di ǂhôasa Bileammi tawa sī-ū tsî nēti ge mî: “Tā i xū-i xare-e ǂhani tsi, tita tawa hāsa! 17 Tita ge ǂguiǃnâguse mādawa-am tsi tsî ǂgaots ra xū-i hoa-e nî dība tsi. Toxopa hā, îts nē khoena ǀâxareba te.”
18 Xaweb ge Bileamma ge ǃeream: “Balaki ga hoaraga ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib ǁîb di gao-ommi diba mā te, xawe ta ge ti ǃKhūb tsî ti Elob di mîmāsa ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ tide, mâtikōse i ga xū-e ǂkhari tamas ka io kai xawes tsîna. 19 Xawe nau khoegu ge dī khami nē tsuxuba nēpa ǁom, î ta ǃKhūba xu ǁnâu, ǀnî xū-eb nî mîba te ǃkhaisa.”
20 ǁNā tsuxub ǃnâb ge ǃKhūba Bileamma ǂhai tsî ge mî: “Nē khoegu ga hā tsî sats ǁîgu ǀkha nî ǃgû ǃkhaisa ǂgao, ots ge ǁîgu ǀkha nî ǃgû, xawets ge tita nî mîba tsi xūn ǀguina nî dī.” 21 ǁNā-amagab ge Bileamma sao ra ǁgoaga ǁîb dâukisa ǃgaeǃgâ tsî Moabǁî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ǀkha ge ǃgû.
Bileammi tsî ǁîb dâukis
22 Elob ge Bileammi ge ǃgû ǃkhais xa ge ǁaixa, tsî ǁîb ǃoaba-aokha xa ǁnūhe hâseb ǁîb dâukis ai ǃgapigaru hîab ge ǃKhūb di ǀhomǃgāba ǁîb daoba ge mâǁkhae. 23 Dâukis ge ǀhomǃgāb gôaba ūhâ ǃkhaisas ge mû, o daoba xu ǃkhoeǁgôa tsî ǃgarob ǃnâ ge ǃkhoeǂgâ. Bileammi ge dâukisa ǂnau tsî ǁkhawa daob ǃnâ ge ǂgâxa-ū. 24 Ob ge ǀhomǃgāba daob ra hoaǀkhākha ai draibehaidi tsî ǀuiǂnubiǂgoakha xa sī ǂō ǃkhais ai ge mâ. 25 Dâukis ge ǁkhawa ǀhomǃgāba mû, os ge ǂnubiǂgoab ai sī ǃnomsen tsî Bileammi ǂaisa ǂnubiǂgoab ai ge tsûtsû. Bileammi ge ǁkhawa dâukisa ge ǂnau. 26 ǀHomǃgāb ge ǁkhawa aisǀkhāb ǁga ǃkharu tsî khoe-i ǃkharu ǁoase ǂō ǃkhais daob dis ai sī ge mâ. 27 Dâukis ge nē ǃnāsas ge ǀhomǃgāba mû, o ge ǁnāǁgoe. Bileammi ge kaise ǁaixa tsî dâukisa ǁîb ǀkharub ǀkha gere ǂnau. 28 Ob ge ǃKhūba dâukisa ǃhoas ǁkhāsiba ge mā tsîs ge ǁîsa Bileammi ǃoa ge mî: “Tare-e ta tsūse sa ǃoagu go dī? Tare-ets nē ǀgaus ai ǃnona ǃnāde go ǂnau teba?”
29 Ob ge Bileamma ge ǃeream: “Titas ra gârekhoemû xui-ao! Gôaba ta ga ūhâ hâ, o ta ge ga ǃgam si hâ.”
30 Dâukis ge ǁîba ge ǃeream: “Ti tama ta, sa ûihâb hoabats gere ǃgapi-ai ta? Nēts ra tita ûi-ū khami ûi-ū tsi ta ge hâ i?”
“Hî-î” tib ge Bileamma ge ǃeream.
31 Ob ge ǃKhūba Bileamma gôab ǀkhab ǀhomǃgāba mâse ge mû kai; tsîb ge Bileamma ǁnāsab ge mûo, ais âb ǀkha ǃhūb ai ge ǁnāǁgoe. 32 ǀHomǃgāb ge ǁîba ge dî: “Tare-i ǃaromats sa dâukisa nē ǀgaus ai ǃnona ǃnāde go ǂnau? Satsa ta nî ǃgûts tidese ǁkhaega ta ge go hā, ǃgû tamats ga hâ daobats ra ǃgû xui-ao. 33 Xawes ge sa dâukisa mû te tsî ǃnona ǃnāde daoba xu go ǁgôa. ǁÎs ga daoba xu ǁgôa tama hâ, o ta ge satsa ǃgam tsî dâukis di ûiba ga sâu hâ.”
34 Bileammi ge ǀhomǃgāba ge ǃeream: “Tita ge go ǁore. Tita ge daob ǃnâ mâ tsîts goro ǁkhae te ǃkhaisa go ǀū i; xawes ga ti ǃgûsa sa mûǁae ǂhanu tama i, o ta ge dabasen tsî nî ǁaru.”
35 Xaweb ge ǃKhūb ǀhomǃgāba ge mî: “Nē khoegu ǀkha ǃgû, xawe tita ra mîba tsin ǀguina mî.” Ob ge Bileamma khoegu ǀkha ǃaruǀî ge ǃgû.
Balaki ge Bileamma ra ǁkhoreǁhare
36 Bileammi ǃgoaxa ǃkhaisab ge Balaka ǁnâu, ob ge ǁîbab sī nî ǃkhōǃoase Ars, Arnonǃāb Moab ǀkharib di ǃhūǀgoras tawa ǁgoe ǃās ǁga ge ǃgû. 37 Balaki ge Bileammi ǃoa ge mî: “Tare-i ǃaromats ǃnoesase ta ge ǂgai tsi xawe hā tama ge hâ i? Mādawa-am tsi ta tide tits ge ǂâi?”
38 Ob ge Bileamma ǁîba ge ǃeream: “Sa tawa ta ge go hā, xawe ta ge tita xu xū-e a ǃhoa ǁoa. Tita ge ǃKhūb ga mîba te xūn ǀguina nî mî.” 39 ǁNāpa xub ge Bileamma Balaki ǀkha ǃās Husots ǁga ge ǃgû. 40 ǁNāpab ge Balaka goman tsî gūn tsîna ǂā tsî ǀnî ǁgan-e Bileammi tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i gu tsîga ge mā.
Bileammi ǂguro kēbos
41 Sao ra ǁgoagab ge Balaka Bileamma Bamot-Baals tawa ge ūǃapa. ǁNāpa xub ge Bileamma ǀnî ǃâb Israelǁîn diba ge mû ǁkhā i.
