1 Bileammi ge Balaki ǃoa ge mî: “Hû altarde nēpa kuruba te, î hû ǁgōgu tsî hû baigu tsîna hā-ūba te.”
2 Balaki ge mîbaheb ge khami ge dī; ǁîb tsî Bileammi tsîkha ge mâ altars hoas ai ǁgōb tsî baib tsîkha ge ǁguiba. 3 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Bileamma Balaki ǃoa ge mî: “Aibe nēpa sa ǁguibas tawa mâǀgara, î ta tita ǃgû tsî kō iseb ǃKhūba nî ǂhai te ǃkhaisa. ǁÎb ga mîba te xū-i hoa-e ta ge hā nî mîba tsi.” ǁNātib ge ǁîba ǀguri ǃhommi di ǂaob ai ge ǂoa. 4 Elob ge Bileamma ge ǂhai tsîb ge Bileamma ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Hû altarde ta ge kuru tsî mâs hoas ai ǁgōb tsî baib tsîkha nî ǁguiba.”
5 ǃKhūb ge Bileamma tare-eb nî mîsa mîba tsî Balaki ǁga ǁîba ge sî-oa, ǃKhūb di ǂhôasa sī nî mîbase. 6 Bileammi ge oa tsî Balaka noxopab ǁîb di ǁguibas tawa, Moab di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu hoagu ǀkha mâse sī ge hō.
7 Tsîb ge Bileamma sao ra kēbosa ge gowaǂui:
“Moab di gao-aob Balaki ge go hā-ū te;
Siriaba xu, aiǂoas ǃhomga xu.
‘Hā, î ǃhoaba te’ tib ge go mî.
‘Israelǁîna ǀâxareba te.’
8 Mâti ta kha Elob ǀâxare tama khoena nî ǀâxare,
tamas ka io ǁîn di hîkākāhesa nî gowaǂui, ǃKhūb ǁîsa dī tama hîa?
9 ǀGapi ǀuiga xu ta ge ǁîna mû ǁkhā;
ǃNâuga xu ta ge ǁîna a ǃkhē ǁkhā.
ǁNās ge ǁaes ǀguri a ûi ǁkhāsa;
ǁÎn ge nau ǁaedi ǃgâ-ain ǃnāsase ǀkhaesa ǃkhaisa a ǂan.
10 Jakob surib ge tsarab khami ī,
kaisen ge ǁîna ǃgôas ǃaroma a ǂgui.
A ta ti tsēde Israelǁîn di ǀgui-i ase ǀamǀam;
a ta ǂkhîb ǃnâ ǂhanu-ai-i khami ǁō.”
11 Ob ge Balaka Bileammi ǃoa ge mî: “Tare-ets go dī? Tita ge nēpa ti khākhoenats nî ǀâxarese go hā-ū tsi, xawets ge ǁnās ǃās ǃnâ ǁîna go ǀkhae.”
12 Ob ge Bileamma ge mî: “Tita ge ǃKhūb ra mîba te xūn ǀguina ra mî.”
Bileammi ǀgamǁî kēbos
13 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Balaka Bileammi ǃoa ge mî: “ǀNî ǃkhais Israelǁîn di ǀgui ǃâb ǀguibats nî mûs ǁga tita sao, îts ǁîna ǀâxareba te.” 14 Balaki ge ǁîba Sofimǃgaroǃhūb ǁga ǃgû-ū tsî Pisgaǃhommi ǂaob ai ge ūǃapa. ǁNāpas tsînab ge hû altarde kuru tsî mâs hoas ai ǁgōb tsî baib tsîkha ge ǁguiba.
15 Ob ge Bileamma Balaki ǃoa ge mî: “Nēpa sa ǁguibas tawa mâǀgara, î ta Eloba naupa sī ǀhao-ū.”
16 ǃKhūb ge Bileamma ǂhai tsî tare-eb nî mîsa mîba tsî Balaki ǁga ge sî-oa, ǃKhūb di ǂhôasa ǁîba sī nî mîbase. 17 Bileammi ge oa tsî Balaka noxopab ǁîb khauǁguibas tawa, Moab di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu hoagu ǀkha mâse sī ge hō. Balaki ge ǁîba tare-eb ge ǃKhūba mî ǃkhaisa ge dî. 18 Ob ge Bileamma sao ra kēbosa ge gowaǂui:
“Sipori ôa, Balaktse hā re,
î tare-e ta ra mîsa ǃgâ.
19 Elob ge khoe tama, ǂhumib nîse;
ǁîb ge khoe tama, ǁîb ǂâisab nî dawase.
ǁÎb ga xū-e mîmâi, ob ge ǁnāsa hoaǁae ra dīǀoaǀoa;
ǁîb ga ǃhoa, o ra dīhe.
20 Tita ge ǀkhaeba ta nî gowaǂuise ge ǁgui-aihe,
tsî Elob ga ǀkhae, o ta ge tita ǁnāsa a ǂgae-oa ǁoa.
21 Tita ge Israelǁîn di ǃgoaxaǁaeb
ǁîna tsūǃō-i tamas ka io tsūǃgâ-e ǃkhōǂgāba hâsa mû tama hâ.
ǁÎn di ǃKhūb tsî Elob ge ǁîn ǀkha hâ;
ǁîn ge ǁîb a ǁîn di gao-ao ǃkhaisa ra ǃkhō-am.
22 Elob ge ǁîna Egipteba xu ge ǂgaeǂguiǂui;
ǁîb ge ǁîna ǃgarogomab khami gere ǃkhamba.
23 ǀHôagao ǂhumi-i tamas ka io ǃgaidī-i xare-i ǀkhai,
ǁnās ge Israelǁîn ǃoagu a sîsenūhe ǁkhā.
Khoen ge nēsi Israelǁîn xa,
‘Kō tare-eb go Eloba dīsa!’ ti nî mî.
24 Israelǁaes ge ǀgaisa xammi khami ī:
ǁÎb ge ǀkhauǃā tsîb hapu tamas kōse sâ tama hâ;
ǃgamhe go xū-i di ǀaobab ā tamas kōseb ge sâ tama hâ.”
25 Ob ge Balaka Bileammi ǃoa ge mî: “Sats ge Israelǁîna ǀâxare ǂgao tama hâ, xawe tā ǁnâi ǁîna ǀkhae re!”
26 Ob ge Bileamma ge ǃeream: “ǀNai ta kha mîba tsî tama hâ ǃKhūb ra mîba te xū-i ǀgui-e ta nî dī ǃkhaisa?”
Bileammi ǃnonaǁî kēbos
27 Balaki ge ge mî: “Tita sao, î ta ǀnî ǃkhai-i ǁga ī-ū tsi. ǀNîsib khom Eloba ǁnāpa xu sats nî ǁîna ǀâxare ǃkhaisa nî mā-am tsio.” 28 ǁNā-amagab ge Bileamma ū tsî Peorǃhommi ǃgaroǃhūb ǂamai ra ǃkhāǂuisenni ǂaob ai ge ūǃapa. 29 Bileammi ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Hû altarde nēpa kuruba te, î hû ǁgōgu tsî baigu tsîga hā-ūba te.” 30 Balaki ge mîbaheb ge khami dī tsî mâ altars hoas ai ǁgōb tsî baib tsîkha ge ǁguiba.
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.
