1 He said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and bring me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 Balak did as he was told, and he and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I go to see whether or not the Lord will meet me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went alone to the top of a hill, 4 and God met him. Balaam said to him, “I have built the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each.”
5 The Lord told Balaam what to say and sent him back to Balak to give him his message. 6 So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering with all the leaders of Moab.
7 Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Balak king of Moab has brought me
From Syria, from the eastern mountains.
‘Come speak for me,’ he said.
‘Put a curse on the people of Israel.’
8 How can I curse what God has not cursed,
Or speak of doom when the Lord has not?
9 From the high rocks I can see them;
I can watch them from the hills.
They are a nation that lives alone;
They know they are blessed more than other nations.
10 The descendants of Israel are like the dust—
There are too many of them to be counted.
Let me end my days like one of God's people;
Let me die in peace like the righteous.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you have done is bless them.”
12 He answered, “I can say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
Balaam's Second Prophecy
13 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place from which you can see only some of the Israelites. Curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Mount Pisgah. There also he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each of them.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, and I will meet God over there.”
16 The Lord met Balaam, told him what to say, and sent him back to Balak to give him his message. 17 So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering, with the leaders of Moab. Balak asked what the Lord had said, 18 and Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Come, Balak son of Zippor,
And listen to what I have to say.
19 God is not like people, who lie;
He is not a human who changes his mind.
Whatever he promises, he does;
He speaks, and it is done.
20 I have been instructed to bless,
And when God blesses, I cannot call it back.
21 I foresee that Israel's future
Will bring her no misfortune or trouble.
The Lord their God is with them;
They proclaim that he is their king.
22 God has brought them out of Egypt;
He fights for them like a wild ox.
23 There is no magic charm, no witchcraft,
That can be used against the nation of Israel.
Now people will say about Israel,
‘Look what God has done!’
24 The nation of Israel is like a mighty lion:
It doesn't rest until it has torn and devoured,
Until it has drunk the blood of those it has killed.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “You refuse to curse the people of Israel, but at least don't bless them!”
26 Balaam answered, “Didn't I tell you that I had to do everything that the Lord told me?”
Balaam's Third Prophecy
27 Balak said, “Come with me, and I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will be willing to let you curse them for me from there.” 28 So he took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor overlooking the desert. 29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars for me here and bring me seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did as he was told, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
1 Bileam okwa lombwele Balak a ti: “Tungila ndje mpaka iiyambelo iheyali ngoye u etele ndje oongombe heyali noonzi oondumentu heyali.”
2 Balak okwa ningi, ngaashi a lombwelwa, oye naBileam noya yamba ongombe nonzi ondumentu poshiyambelo kehe. 3 Opo ihe Bileam okwa ti kuBalak: “Kala mpaka pefikilondjambo lyoye, manga tandi ka tala, pamwe Omuwa ta tsakaneke ndje. Otandi ya ndi ku lombwele, ngele okwi ihololele ndje.” Okwa londo koshikulundundu shimwe, 4 naKalunga okwe mu tsakaneke. Bileam okwa ti kuye: “Onda tungu iiyambelo iheyali nonda yambele ongombe nonzi ondumentu koshiyambelo kehe.”
5 Omuwa okwa lombwele Bileam shoka e na oku shi popya e te mu tumu kuBalak, opo e mu lombwele elaka lye. 6 Okwa shuna e ta adha Balak a thikama pefikilondjambo e li pamwe naawiliki yaMoab.
7 Bileam okwa totomona ehunganeko lye e ta ti:
“Balak okwi ile ndje muAram,
omukwaniilwa gwaMoab okoondundu dhokuuzilo, a ti:
‘Ila, u lile ndje Jakob muumpulile;
ila, u tikilile ndje Israel.’
8 Otandi mu li ngiini,
Kalunga sho ite mu li?
Otandi mu tikile ngiini,
Omuwa sho ite mu tikile?
9 Opombanda mpaka nde mu tala,
okiikulundundu tandi mu ligamene.
Tala, oshigwana shi iyoololelwa
sho itaashi yalulilwa maantu yalwe.
10 Olye ta vulu okuyalula oluvalo lwaJakob,
nenge okuyeleka omwaalu gwaIsrael?
Nandi se eso lyaayuuki,
ndi tokoke ndi na ombili,
ngaashi aantu yaKalunga!”
11 Balak okwa ti kuBileam: “Owa ningi ndje ngiini? Onde ku ithana, u ye u lile ndje aatondi yandje muumpulile, ihe owe ya laleke nuuyamba.”
12 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Otandi popi ashike shoka Omuwa ta lombwele ndje, ndi shi popye.”
Ehunganeko etiyali lyaBileam
13 Balak okwa lombwele Bileam a ti: “Ila, tu ye kehala lilwe nkoka to vulu okutala ombinga onkwawo yAaisraeli, ngoye u ya lile ndje muumpulile.” 14 Okwe mu fala kelundu lyaZofim kondungu yondundu Pisga. Okwa tungile ko iiyambelo iheyali e ta yambele ongombe nonzi ondumentu koshiyambelo kehe.
15 Bileam okwa ti kuBalak: “Kala mpaka pefikilondjambo lyoye, manga tandi ka tsakaneka Kalunga hwiyaka.”
16 Omuwa okwa tsakaneke Bileam e te mu lombwele shoka e na okupopya, nokwe mu shunitha kuBalak, e mu faalele elaka. 17 Okwa shuna e ta adha Balak a thikama pefikilondjambo lye, pamwe naawiliki yaMoab. Balak okwa pula shoka Omuwa a ti, 18 naBileam okwa totomona ehunganeko lye a ti:
“Thikama, Balak, u pulakene!
Omuna gwaZippor, pulakena ndje!
19 Kalunga hamuntu a popye iifundja,
Ye hamuna gwomuntu i idhiladhilulule.
A uvaneke sha ye kee shi gwanithe;
a popye sha ye kee shi ninge.
20 Onda nongekwa okuyambeka,
nongele Kalunga a yambeke,
ite vulu oku shi galula.
21 Omuntu ka mono omukundu muJakob
nenge okundhindhilika oshiponga muIsrael.
Omuwa, Kalunga kawo, oku li puyo,
nesimano lyomukwaniilwa tali ligolelwa mokati kawo.
22 Kalunga okwe ya tembudha muEgipiti;
oku ya lile po a fa ooniga dhonyati.
23 Kaku na uumpulile tau li Jakob,
kaku na uulodhi tau logo Israel.
Ngashingeyi aantu taa popi Jakob naIsrael taa ti:
‘Tala shoka Kalunga a ningi!’
24 Oshigwana shaIsrael osha thikama sha fa onkoshi onyali.
Ongaashi onime otashi iyelutha po,
itashi ka lala, manga inaashi lya shoka she shi yugu,
manga inaashi nwa ombinzi yoshihakanwa shasho she shi dhipaga.”
25 Nena Balak okwa ti kuBileam: “Owa tindi okuthinga Aaisraeli, ihe ino ya laleka wo nuuyamba!”
26 Bileam okwa yamukula a ti: “Inandi ku lombwela nani kutya otandi ningi ashike shoka Omuwa ta lombwele ndje?”
Ehunganeko etitatu lyaBileam
27 Balak okwa ti: “Ila, tu ye ndi ku fale kehala lilwe. Pamwe Kalunga ota ka pitika, u ya lile ndje muumpulile nkoka.” 28 Okwa fala Bileam kondungu yondundu Peor, ndjoka ya tumbalala mombuga. 29 Bileam okwe mu lombwele e ta ti: “Tungila ndje iiyambelo iheyali mpaka e to etele ndje oongombe heyali noonzi oondumentu heyali.” 30 Balak okwa ningi, ngaashi a lombwelwa, e ta yambele ongombe nonzi ondumentu koshiyambelo kehe.
