1 Balaam wa tjiza kutja Muhona u nombango okusera ondaya kOvaisrael; ope ha zire okukapaha ovisanekero tjimuna ovikando mbi ovitenga, nungwari wa vingurura omurungu we na tara mokuti onguza, 2 na munu Ovaisrael ava kurama mozondanda otja komihoko vyawo; nOmbepo ya Ndjambi ye ya kombanda ye.
3 Eye wa hungira omaukiro we a tja: “Ombuze ya Balaam, omuzandu wa Beor; omambo womurumendu ngu nomeho nge muna mokuuka. 4 Ombuze yaingwi ngu zuva omambo wa Ndjambi, ngu muna omavandururiro wOmunamasaaehe, nu ngu wa pehi e nomeho nga paturuka. 5 Ozondanda zoye, Jakob, ozombwa tjiri, omaturiro woye, Israel! 6 Otja omikutu vyoturamba mbya tandavara kokure, otja ovikunino meṋe yonḓonḓu, otja ovindombo Muhona mbya kuna, otja otupapa meṋe yomeva. 7 Momahoro we mamu pupakana omeva, nu Israel ma honapara kombanda yoviwaṋa ovingi. Ombara ye omunamasa pu Agag, nouhona we mau tandavara kokure! 8 Ndjambi ngwe mu pitisa mOengipte me mu rwire otja otjimburu; oviwaṋa, mbi mavi mu rwisa, eye me vi nyono, na teya omaṱupa wavyo, na hahaura oviku vyawo. 9 Otjiwaṋa tja rara otja ongeyama onḓenḓu: Owaṋi ngu ma yenene okutjipendura? Ngu me ku sere ondaya ma serwa ondaya, nu ngu me ku sengi ma sengwa.”
10 Balak otja ṱomazenge tjinene na Balaam, na tono omake kumwe na tja ku ye: “Ami mbe kekupahera okusenga ovanavita na ami, nu tara, ove we ve sere ondaya potutatu! 11 Nambano hakahana u yaruke kehi roye! Ami mba ri nombango okukupa ondjambi onene; nungwari Muhona we ku kaerisa ondjambi ndji.”
12 Balaam opa tjera nai ku Balak: “Hi mu raerere ongahukiro kovatumwa voye mbu wa hindire ku ami, e tja: 13 ‘Balak nandi me ndji pe osilveri nongoldo aihe ndje ura mondjuwo ye youhona, himee yenene okukatuka omarakiza wa Muhona okutjita ouwa poo ouvi kombango yandje omuini; ami me hungire imbi Muhona mbi me ndji raere.’ 14 Nu ngunda ambi hiya yaruka kotjiwaṋa tjetu me ku tjivisa imbi Ovaisrael mbi mave tjiti kotjiwaṋa tjeṋu moruveze ndu maru ya.”
Omaukiro omasenina wa Balaam
15 Balaam wa hungira omaukiro we a tja:
“Ombuze ya Balaam, omuzandu wa Beor,
omambo womurumendu ngu nomeho nge muna mokuuka.
16 Ombuze yaingwi ngu zuva omambo wa Ndjambi,
nu ngu tjiwa omeripuriro wOkombandambanda,
ngu muna omavandururiro wOmunamasaaehe,
nu ngu wa pehi e nomeho nga paturuka.
17 Me munu, nu vari kanambano,
me tara okukonḓonona, nu vari kapopezu.
Onyose mai pitire mu Jakob,
nokati kouhona make zu mOisrael
nake tono ovanane va Moab,
nake nyono imba mbe nonḓero yovita.
18 Ehi ra Edom mari rire ouini we,
ehi rozondundu ra Seir wina;
nungwari Israel matji rire otjinamasa komurungu.
19 Mu Jakob mamu zu omuhona,
nu ma nyono ovataure vomovihuro.”
20 Nu Balaam tja muna Ovaamalek, wa hungira omaukiro we na tja:
“Otjiwaṋa otjitengatenga otjOvaamalek, nungwari ondjandero yatjo i ri pokuya.”
21 Nu Balaam tja muna Ovakeni, wa uka na tja:
“Omaturiro weṋu, Vakeni owo omazeu,
notjiruwo tjeṋu tja tungwa komatjo.
22 Nungwari eṋe mwa varerwa konyonokero.
Karure ndu ṱa pi, tjandje Asirie we mu twara otja ovahuurwa!”
23 Norukwao Balaam wa hungira omaukiro we a tja:
“Owee, owaṋi ngu ma kara nomuinyo,
Ndjambi tji ma tjiti ihi?
24 Ozondjuwozomomeva maze zu kOvakiti,
nOvakiti mave havere Ovaasirie nOvaeber,
nungwari owo oveni va varerwa konyonokero.”
25 Tjazumba Balaam we rirongera na yaruka kehi re; nu Balak wina wa twara ondjira ye.
1 Balaam was sure that the Lord would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the Lord wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert 2 and saw the tribes of Israel camped below. Just then, God's Spirit took control of him, 3 and Balaam said:
“I am the son of Beor,
and my words are true,
so listen to my message!
4 It comes from the Lord,
the God All-Powerful.
I bowed down to him
and saw a vision of Israel.
5 “People of Israel,
your camp is lovely.
6 It's like a grove of palm trees
or a garden beside a river.
You are like tall aloe trees
that the Lord has planted,
or like cedars
growing near water.
7 You and your descendants
will prosper like an orchard
beside a stream.
Your king will rule with power
and be a greater king
than Agag the Amalekite.
8 With the strength of a wild ox,
God led you out of Egypt.
You will defeat your enemies,
shooting them with arrows
and crushing their bones.
9 Like a lion you lie down,
resting after an attack.
Who would dare disturb you?
“Anyone who blesses you
will be blessed;
anyone who curses you
will be cursed.”
10 When Balak heard this, he was so furious that he pounded his fist against his hand and said, “I called you here to place a curse on my enemies, and you've blessed them three times. 11 Leave now and go home! I told you I would pay you well, but since the Lord didn't let you do what I asked, you won't be paid.”
12 Balaam answered, “I told your messengers 13 that even if you offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I would still obey the Lord. And I explained that I would say only what he told me. 14 So I'm going back home, but I'm leaving you with a warning about what the Israelites will someday do to your nation.”
Balaam's Fourth Message
15 Balaam said:
“I am the son of Beor,
and my words are true,
so listen to my message!
16 My knowledge comes
from God Most High,
the Lord All-Powerful.
I bowed down to him
and saw a vision of Israel.
17 “What I saw in my vision
hasn't happened yet.
But someday, a king of Israel
will appear like a star.
He will wipe out you Moabites
and destroy those tribes
who live in the desert.
18 Israel will conquer Edom
and capture the land
of that enemy nation.
19 The king of Israel will rule
and destroy the survivors
of every town there.
20 “And I saw this vision
about the Amalekites:
Their nation is now great,
but it will someday
disappear forever.
21 “And this is what I saw
about the Kenites:
They think they're safe,
living among the rocks,
22 but they will be wiped out
when Assyria conquers them.
23 “No one can survive
if God plans destruction.
24 Ships will come from Cyprus,
bringing people who will invade
the lands of Assyria and Eber.
But finally, Cyprus itself
will be ruined.”
25 After Balaam finished, he started home, and Balak also left.
