Israel ta nangekwa noupuna kuBileam
1 Opo nee Bileam okwa lombwela Balak: “Tungile nge eealtari heyali u longekidile nge eengobe heyali deemhedi needi deemhedi.” 2 Ndele Balak a ninga ngaashi Bileam a hala. Ndele Balak naBileam va yamba ongobe imwe nodi imwe koaltari keshe. 3 Opo nee Bileam a lombwela Balak: “Kala ofika pexwikiloyambo loye, ame handi i kwinya. Kashiimba Omwene ta shakeneke nge, ndele keshe eshi Ye ta ulikile nge, ame ohandi ke shi ku shiivifila.” Ndele ye okwa ya koshikulundu shihe noixwa. 4 Ndele Kalunga e uya nokwa shakena naBileam, ndele Bileam okwe mu lombwela: “Eealtari heyali nde di tungifa nongobe imwe yomhedi nodi imwe yomhedi onde i yamba koaltari keshe.” 5 Opo nee Kalunga okwa tula ondjovo mokanya kaBileam ndee ta ti: Shuna kuBalak, ndele osho ngaha u noku mu lombwela: 6 Ndele ye okwa shuna ko kuye fimbo ye a li ofika pexwikiloyambo laye, ye mwene novakulunhu aveshe vaMoab. 7 Bileam okwa tumbula etumbulo laye, nde ta ti:
“Balak okwe ilile nge muAram,
Ohamba yaMoab okeemhunda dokoushilo:
‘Ila u lile nge Jakob
Ila u lyangulile nge Israel.’
8 Ame ohandi shi fingi ngahelipi, Kalunga ite shi fingi?
Ndele ame ohandi shi lyangula ngahelipi,
Omwene ite shi lyangula?
9 Osheshi apa okonhele yomamanya ohandi shi tale
nokeemhunda handi shi mono.
Tala, oshiwana tashi likalele,
itashi valwa moiwana yovapaani.
10 Olyelye a vala ouwe veheke laJakob?
Nolyelye oshitukulwa oshitine shomuIsrael?
Ame nandi fye ngaashi ovayuki hava fi
nexulilo lange nali ninge ngaashi lavo.”
11 Balak okwa lombwela Bileam: “Ove owa ninga nge ngahelipi? Ame nde ku ifana u lyangule ovatondadi vange, ndelenee tala, ove we va nangeka noupuna!” 12 Ndele ye okwa nyamukula ndee ta ti: “Ame ndiha popye ngeno ngaashi Omwene ta tula mokanya kange?”
13 Opo nee Balak ta ti kuye: “Ila tu yeni pamwe monhele imwe, oko to dulu okumona ombinga imwe yasho, ndelenee ito dulu oku shi mona ashishe, ove u shi lyangulile nge.” 14 Ndele ye okwe mu twala kenyana laSofim, konhele yaPisga, ndele va tunga eealtari heyali ndele va yamba ongobe imwe yomhedi nodi imwe yomhedi koaltari keshe. 15 Opo nee Bileam ta ti kuBalak: “Kala ofika apa pexwikiloyambo loye, ndele ame ohandi ke mu shakeneka kwinya.” 16 NOmwene okwa shakeneka Bileam ndele okwa tula ondjovo mokanya kaye, ndee ta ti: Shuna ko kuBalak u tye ngaha; 17 Ndele ye okwa ya kuye, ye fimbo ta kala ofika pexwikiloyambo laye novakulunhu vaMoab va kala puye. Ndele Balak ta ti kuye: Omwene okwa popya shike? 18 Opo nee Bileam okwa tumbula etumbulo ndee ta ti:
“Fikama Balak u ude!
Pwilikine nge, omona waSippor!
19 Kalunga ke fi pomunhu a fufye ngeno.
Ile omona womunhu ye e lialuluke.
Ye a tonga sha ngeno, ndelenee ite shi ningi mbela?
Ile ta popi sha, ite shi wanifa hamba?
20 Tala, ame nda lombwelwa ndi va nangeke noupuna.
Ndele Ye eshi a nangeka noupuna,
ame ihandi dulu oku shi lundulula.
21 MuJakob inamu monika owii
ndele muIsrael inamu uya oshiponga.
Omwene Kalunga kaye e li pamwe naye,
nefimaneko lohamba otali udika puvo.
22 Kalunga ou e va pitifa mo muEgipiti;
Oye e li ngaashi eembinga domhuulu kuvo.
23 Osheshi oupule itau kwafa okupongeka Jakob,
nokulowa itaku dulu sha kuIsrael.
Paife eshi tapa ka shiivifwa
‘Tala eshi Kalunga e va ningila.’
24 Tala, oshiwana tashi fikama po ngaashi onghoshi yonghadi,
tashi yeluka po ngaashi onghoshi.
Itashi ka nangala fimbo inashi lya po oshihakanwa
nofimbo inashi nwa ohonde yaai ya dipawa.”
25 Opo nee Balak ta ti kuBileam: “Ove ino shi lyangula ndele ino shi nangeka noupuna.”
26 Ndelenee Bileam okwa nyamukula ndee ta ti kuBalak: “Inandi ku lombwela nokutya: Ashishe eshi Omwene ta popi, ame ondi noku shi ninga?”
27 Balak ta ti vali kuBileam: “Ila nee, ame ohandi ku twala monhele imwe. Kashiimba sha yuka momesho aKalunga, ove u va lyangulile nge kwinya.”
28 Opo nee Balak okwa kufa Bileam pamwe naye koxulo yomhunda yaPeor ei ya tumba mombuwa. 29 Ndele Bileam ta ti kuBalak: “Tungile nge eealtari heyali u longekidile nge apa eengobe deemhedi needi heyali deemhedi.” 30 Ndele Balak osho a ninga Bileam ngaashi a hala, ndele okwa yamba ongobe imwe yomhedi nodi imwe yomhedi koaltari keshe.
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.
