Omaukiro omatenga wa Balaam
1 Balaam wa tja nai ku Balak: “Ndji tungira ovipunguhiro hambombari poṋa mba, nu ndji etera ozondwezu hambombari zozongombe na hambombari zozonḓu.”
2 Nu Balak wa tjita otja Balaam pa vanga; nu aveyevari va punguhira ondwezu yongombe imwe noyonḓu imwe kotjipunguhiro atjihe peke. 3 Balaam wa tja nai ku Balak: “Kurama mba pombunguhiro yoye oningiririsiwa, ami ngunda ame i mutu Muhona me ndji tjakanene. Ami me ku serekarerere ngamwa atjihe eye tji me ndji tjivisa.” Neye otja ya kondunda ndja kuruka. 4 Ndjambi wa tjakanena Balaam. Nu Balaam wa tja ku ye: “Ami mba tungu ovipunguhiro hambombari, nu ku atjihe mba punguhire ko ondwezu yongombe noyonḓu.”
5 Muhona wa zira Balaam a tja: “Twende, yaruka ku Balak u kemuraere ombuze yandje.” 6 Nu eye otja yaruka, na kavaza Balak a kurama pombunguhiro ye oningiririsiwa puna imba ovanane ve avehe va Moab.
7 Nu Balaam wa uka a tja:
“Balak, ombara ya Moab,
we ndji eta okuza kOaram, okuza kozondundu zokomuhuka,
na tja: ‘Indjo,
ndji sengira Jakob, nu indjo, ndji tandera Israel!’
8 Me sengi vi ingwi ngu ha sengirwe i Ndjambi?
Me tanda vi ingwi Muhona ngwe ha tandere?
9 Kondongamo yotuuwa ami meve munu,
nokuza kondunda ami me tara ku wo.
Tara, otjo otjiwaṋa tji tji tura peke,
nu katji rivara kumwe noviwaṋa.
10 Ozondekurona za Israel ze ṱeki poruuma,
ozo ozengi tjinene okuvarwa.
Ndji esa mbi koke onḓiro yovasemba,
nondjandero yandje ngai sane koyawo!”
11 Nu Balak wa tja ku Balaam: “Ove we ndji tjiti vi? Ami mbe kekupahera okusenga ovanavita na ami, nu tara, ove we ve sere ondaya!”
12 Neye we mu zira a tja: “Ami hi sokuhungira nouṱakame imbi avihe Muhona mbye ndji raere are?”
Omaukiro oyetjavari wa Balaam
13 Balak wa tja ku Balaam: “Indjo tu yende pamwe koṋa ku mo sora okukamuna tjiva uriri vOvaisrael. Nu u kendjisengire wo koṋa ngo.” 14 Neye we mu twara kOkuti kwOzohoze kondomba yondundu Pisga, na katunga ko ovipunguhiro hambombari na kapunguhira ko ondwezu yongombe noyonḓu kotjipunguhiro atjihe peke.
15 Balaam wa tja nai ku Balak: “Kurama mba pombunguhiro yoye oningiririsiwa, nami me katjakanenena Ndjambi ngwina.”
16 Muhona wa kahakaena na Balaam, ne mu raere a tja: “Twende yaruka ku Balak u kemuraere ombuze yandje.” 17 Nu eye otje ya ku Balak ngwa kurama pombunguhiro ye oningiririsiwa puna imba ovanane ve avehe va Moab. Nu Balak we mu pura a tja: “Muhona we ku raere tjike?”
18 Neye wa uka a tja:
“Sekama, Balak, nu u zuve!
Puratena ku ami, muzandu wa Sipor!
19 Ndjambi kamundu ngu kora ovizeze,
nu kamuatje womundu ngu
rundurura omeripuriro we.
Eye ka tamuna otjiṋa nokuhinokutjitjita;
Ka kwizike otjiṋa nokuhinokutjiyenenisa.
20 Tara, mba raerwa okusera ondaya.
Nu Ndjambi tja sere ondaya,
ami hi nokusora okurundurura.
21 Ouhasemba kau nakumunika mu Jakob,
noruhoze mu Israel; Muhona,
Ndjambi we, u ri puna ye,
nondjoroka ku Muhona, Ombara, i ri mu ye.
22 Ndjambi ngwe ve pitisa mOengipte
meve rwire otja otjimburu.
23 Oundjai kau eta otjipo ku Jakob,
nomaveterero kaye eta otjipo ku Israel.
Nambano ku Jakob na ku Israel maku zu nai:
‘Tara imbi Ndjambi mbya tjita!’
24 Tara, otjiwaṋa tjOvaisrael matji
sekama otja ongeyama onḓenḓu,
nu matji riyerurura otja ongeyama,
ndji ha rangavara ngunda
ai hiya rya otjikamburwa tjayo,
nu ngunda ai hiya nwa ombinḓu yaihi tji ya zepa.”
25 Nu Balak wa tja ku Balaam: “Ndoovazu ko nokuvanga okuvesenga, o ve sere ondaya!”
26 Nu Balaam wa zira a tja ku Balak: “Hi ku raerere ongahukiro kutja me tjiti avihe Muhona mbi me ndji raere are?”
Omaukiro oyetjatatu wa Balaam
27 Balak wa tja nai ku Balaam: “Indjo tu yende pamwe koṋa kwarwe. Ngahino Ndjambi ma vanga kutja u kendjisengire wo ngo.” 28 Balaam otja kayenda puna Balak kondomba yondundu Peor ndja tongamena okuti onguza. 29 Balaam arire tja tja ku Balak: “Ndji tungira ovipunguhiro hambombari poṋa mba, nu ndji etera ozondwezu hambombari zozongombe na hambombari zozonḓu.” 30 Nu Balak wa tjita otja Balaam pa vanga, na punguhire ondwezu yongombe noyonḓu kotjipunguhiro atjihe peke.
Balaam's First Message
1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, then bring seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 After Balak had done this, they sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said, “Wait here beside your offerings, and I'll go somewhere to be alone. Maybe the Lord will appear to me. If he does, I will tell you everything he says.” And he left.
4 When God appeared to him, Balaam said, “I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.”
5 The Lord gave Balaam a message, then sent him back to tell Balak. 6 When Balaam returned, he found Balak and his officials standing beside the offerings.
7 Balaam said:
“King Balak of Moab brought me
from the hills of Syria
to curse Israel
and announce its doom.
8 But I can't go against God!
He did not curse
or condemn Israel.
* 9 “From the mountain peaks,
I look down and see Israel,
the obedient people of God.
10 They are living alone in peace.
And though they are many,
they don't bother
the other nations.
“I hope to obey God
for as long as I live
and to die in such peace.”
11 Balak said, “What are you doing? I asked you to come and place a curse on my enemies. But you have blessed them instead!”
12 Balaam answered, “I can say only what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam's Second Message
13 Balak said to Balaam, “Let's go somewhere else. Maybe if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me.” 14 So he took Balaam to a field on top of Mount Pisgah where lookouts were stationed. Then he built seven altars there and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.
15 “Wait here beside your offerings,” Balaam said. “The Lord will appear to me over there.”
16 The Lord appeared to Balaam and gave him another message, then he told him to go and tell Balak. 17 Balaam went back and saw him and his officials standing beside the offerings.
Balak asked, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Balaam answered:
“Pay close attention
to my words—
19 God is no mere human!
He doesn't tell lies
or change his mind.
God always keeps his promises.
20 “My command from God
was to bless these people,
and there's nothing I can do
to change what he has done.
21 Israel's king is the Lord God.
He lives there with them
and intends them no harm.
22 With the strength of a wild ox,
God led Israel out of Egypt.
23 No magic charms can work
against them—
just look what God has done
for his people.
24 They are like angry lions
ready to attack;
and they won't rest
until their victim
is gobbled up.”
25 Balak shouted, “If you're not going to curse Israel, then at least don't bless them.”
26 “I've already told you,” Balaam answered. “I will say only what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam's Third Message
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come on, let's try another place. Maybe God will let you curse Israel from there.” 28 So he took Balaam to Mount Peor overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
29 Balaam said, “Build seven altars here, then bring me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30 After Balak had done what Balaam asked, he sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.
