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.
Omukwaniilwa gwaMoab ta hiya Bileam
1 Aaisraeli oya tembuka po e taa ka yunga oontanda molushandja lwaMoab kuuzilo waJordan ontega naJeriko.
2 Balak yaZippor, omukwaniilwa gwaMoab, sho a kundana shoka Aaisraeli ya ningile Aayamori nonkene Aaisraeli ye li po oyendjiyendji, 3 oye pamwe naantu ye oya sholola. 4 Aamoabi oya lombwele aawiliki yAamidiana ya ti: “Engathithi ndika otali tu mana po ongondumetana tayi gugula po omwiidhi omutalala komaunapelo.” Omukwaniilwa Balak 5 okwa tumu aatumwa ya ka tale Bileam yaBeor, ngoka a li muPetor popepi nomulonga Eufrat mevi lyoyaandjawo Amaw, ye mu lombwele ya tye: “Onda hala ndi ku tseyithile kutya muEgipiti omwa zi oshigwana oshindji, aantu yasho oya andjalala apehepehe notaa hala okukwata po evi lyetu. 6 Otaye tu nyenge okuyalula. Tu kwatha ano, u ye u ya lile ndje muumpulile. Pamwe tatu vulu oku ya sinda noku ya tidha mo mevi lyetu. Ondi shi shi kutya shaa to tomonene omuntu eyambeko, ota kala a yambekwa, naangoka to mu tomonene etulomutima, ota kala a tulwa omutima.”
7 Aawiliki Aamoabi naawiliki Aamidiana oya faalele iikahu kuBileam e taye mu lombwele etumwalaka lyaBalak. 8 Bilean okwe ya lombwele e ta ti: “Laleni mpaka, ongula otandi mu lombwele shoka Omuwa a lombwele ndje.” Aawiliki Aamoabi noya tokelwa puBileam.
9 Kalunga okwe ya kuBileam e ta ti: “Aalumentu mboka ya tokelwa pungoye, oolye?”
10 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Balak yaZippor, omukwaniilwa gwaMoab, oye e ya tumu kungame, ya lombwele ndje 11 kutya aantu ya tembuka muEgipiti, oya siikila oshilongo ashihe. Nokwa hala ndi ye mu lile muupulile, opo a wape oku ya kondjitha noku ya tidha po.”
12 Kalunga okwa ti kuBileam: “Ino ya nando naantu mboka ngoye ino tula Aaisraeli omutima, oshoka oyo aalalekwa nuuyamba.”
13 Ongula sho kwa shi, Bileam okwa yi kaatumwa yaBalak e ta ti: “Shuneni kevi lyeni, Omuwa okwa tindi okuzimina ndje ndi ye nane.” 14 Oyo noya shuna kuBalak e taye mu lombwele kutya okwa tindi ko.
15 Nena Balak okwa tumununa ko aawiliki oyendji noya simana ye vule mbeyaka yotango. 16 Oya yi kuBileam e taye mu pe elaka lyaBalak yaZippor tali ti: “Inapa kala shoka tashi ku dhike waa ye kungame.” 17 Otandi ke ku futa ondjambi onene notandi ningi shaa shoka to lombwele ndje. Kwatha ndje u ye u lile ndje aantu mbaka muumpulile.
18 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Balak nando na pe ndje oshisiliveli noshingoli shu udha egumbo lye, itandi vulu okutaaguluka elaka lyOmuwa Kalunga kandje nando okashona. 19 Kwathii ndje mu lale mpaka ongulohi ndjika, opo ndi koneke shoka Omuwa ta lombwele ndje.”
20 Kalunga okwe ya kuBileam uusiku tuu mbwiyaka e ta ti: “Aalumentu mbaka ngele oye ya kungoye ye ku ile, inda ano nayo, ihe longa ashike shoka tandi ku lombwele.” 21 Ongula sho kwa shi, Bileam okwa kutile okasino ke e ta yi naawiliki Aamidiana.
Bileam nokasino ke
22 Kalunga okwa geele Bileam, sho a yi. Bileam okwa kayile okasino ke a thindikilwa kaamati ye yaali, nomuyengeli gwOmuwa okwa thikama mondjila a keelele ondjila ye. 23 Okasino sho ka mono omuyengeli a thikama mondjila a yedha egongamwele, oka peguka mo mondjila ku uka mepya. Bileam okwa dhenge okasino e te ka galulile mondjila. 24 Nena omuyengeli gwOmuwa okwa humu ko e ta ka thikama pothina pokati kiitsambe yomiviinu ya gumbilwa omankolo gomakuma. 25 Okasino sho ka mono omuyengeli, oki iwegenyene kekuma e taka thengenyene ko ompadhi yaBileam. Bileam okwe ka dhengulula. 26 Omuyengeli okwa humu ko ishewe e ta thikama pokuma pwaa na ompito yokuhenukila kolulyo nenge kolumoho. 27 Okasino sho ka mono omuyengeli, oka tsu po oongolo. Bileam okwa geye e ta dhenge okasino noshitago. 28 Nopo mpoka Omuwa okwa makula okana kwokasino e taka ti kuBileam: “Onde ku ningi shike? Omolwashike wa dhenge ndje lutatu?”
29 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Omolwashoka wa tala ndje egoya! Ando nda li ndi na egongamwele, ando otandi ku dhipaga.”
30 Okasino oka yamukula ka ti: “Kandi shi okasino koye ho kayile ndje noshito? Onde ku ningile nale ngawo?”
Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Aawe!”
31 Omuwa okwa tonatitha omeho gaBileam e ta mono omuyengeli a thikama e na egongamwele; naBileam okwi iyundulile pevi koshipala shomuyengeli. 32 Omuyengeli okwa pula a ti: “Omolwashike wa dhenge okasino koye lutatu? Onde ya ndi ku keelele mondjila yoye, oshoka kakwa li u na okuya molweendo nduka. 33 Okasino koye oka mono ndje, noka peguka ndje lutatu. Ando oka li inaake shi ninga, ando nde ku dhipaga, ihe ando ko onde ka etha ka kale ke na omwenyo.”
34 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Onda yona. Inandi shi tseya kutya omo u li mondjila to keelele ndje, ihe ngashingeyi ngele ino hala ndi tsikile nondjila yandje, otandi shuna kegumbo.”
35 Omuyengeli okwa ti: “Inda ngaa naalumentu mbaka, ihe popya ashike shoka tandi ku lombwele u shi popye.” Bileam nokwa yi naantu yaBalak.
Balak ta tsakaneke Bileam
36 Balak sho ku uvu kutya Bileam ote ya, okwa yi e ke mu tsakaneke puAr, oshilando shi li pomulonga Arnon pongamba yaMoab. 37 Balak okwa ti kuBileam: “Omolwashike inoo ya, sho nde ku tuminine lwotango? Oto dhiladhila kutya ite vulu oku ku futa ondjambi ya gwana?”
38 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Ngashingeyi onde ya, ihe ondi na oonkondo dhashike? Ote vulu owala okupopya shoka Kalunga ta lombwele ndje ndi shi popye.” 39 Bileam nokwa yi naBalak kuKirjat Huzot, 40 nkoka Balak a tselele oongombe noonzi e ta pe Bileam naawiliki mboka a li nayo onyama.
Ehunganeko lyotango lyaBileam
41 Ongula sho kwa shi, Balak okwa kutha Bileam e te mu fala kondungu yondundu Bamot Baal pombanda, mpoka ta vulu okumona ombinga yimwe yAaisraeli.
