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.
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.
