1 Kukati Bhalamu ebona kuti koshathisa Yahwe kukombolela Iziraela, kasitongonoshaka pheku sekwa akathama mu tjibaka tjakapinda. Kashanduka kalinga ku tjilambanyika. 2 Ngono Bhalamu kamilidza mesho kabona pakakotokela Baiziraela ludzi nge ludzi. Meya ye Ndzimu ikadelukila munli, 3 katangisa ndebeleko iye kati:
“Ndebeleko ya Bhalamu nkololo wa Bheori
ndebeleko ye nlume wakabe ebona zubuyanana ,
4 Ndebeleko ya iye unohwa dama le Ndzimu.
Iye unobona mbono inodwa kuna Masimbawose.
Iye unothigama ekotamisa nsholo, mesho awe akalinga.
5 Mishasha iyo yakanaka seni, iwe Jakubo
idzo thumba dzidzo iwe Iziraela.
6 Inonga mikuku yakapashila kule kule,
inonga minda imu phili ye gwizi,
inonga makonde akadzwagwa ndi Yahwe,
inonga mikosho ipa hwunde ne vula.
7 Vula inowowunga idwa mu makabha awe,
mbewu iye inowobe mu vula njinji,
mambo uwe unowobe nkulu kupinda Agagi,
bushe gugwe gowomilidzigwa pezhugwi.
8 Ndzimu wakan'dusa mu Egipiti,
Unobagwila se nyati.
Unowolobesa zwitjaba zwinonyanyayidzana naye,
Unowopkhwanya mafupa azo akabe zwitibhu tibhu,
Unobabhaya nge misebe iye.
9 Unobuba kalala pasi se shumba,
kakale unonga shumbakadzi, ndiani unowommusa?
Kwakakombolegwa mmwe ne mmwe unokukombolela,
una bhiso mmwe ne mmwe unokulonga bhiso.”
10 Bhalaki kazhala bushongola ngekwa Bhalamu, kalobanya maboko awe, kadwa Bhalamu kati, “Ndakakudanila kuwolonga bhiso mu zwita zwangu, ngono bona, wakabakombolela uyijali katatu. 11 Ndizo ngwenu milika uyendezo kanyi kuko. Ndakabe ndazwidwa nditi ndowokuwatsha, ngono Yahwe bakakuma mbeli kuti ndikuwatshe.”
12 Ngono Bhalamu kadwa Bhalaki kati, “Apa andizobudza batumwa babo bawakatuma kundili kuti, 13 ‘Nenguba Bhalaki angandipa ng'umba iye ili zhele siliva ne golide, andingatubule kutjuluka ndaulo ya Yahwe. Kuthama bubuya kene mbipo nge kuda kwangu, Yahwe tjabati ndilebe, nditjo tjandinowoleba kene?’
Bulebesambeli gwe bupelo gwa Bhalamu
14 “Ngono ngwenu, bona, ndoyenda ku bathu bakanyi kwangu. Ndizoke, ndowokubudza tjinowothamwa nge bathu ibaba mu mazhuba anozha muna bakanyi kwenyu.” 15 Katangisa ndebeleko iye kati:
“Ahwa matama a Bhalamu nkololo wa Bheori,
matama e nlume wabona mbono.
16 Matama e nthu unohwa matama e Ndzimu,
unoamutjila luzibo gwe u pezhugwi zhugwi.
Unobona mbono ya ibo Masimbawose,
iye unothigama ekotamisa nsholo,
koga mesho awe akalinga.
17 Ndombona, koga kusi ngwenu,
ndakanlinga, koga kusipejo pejo.
Nyenyedzi inowobhuda muna Jakubo,
swimbo ye bushe inowobhuda mu Iziraela,
inowopkhwanya migathu ye Moabu.
Inowolobesa bakololo bose ba Shethi.
18 Edomu unowokundiwa,
Seiri tjita tjitje unowothuyiwabo,
koga Iziraela unowokunda kupinda.
19 Bushe gopiwa mmwe unodwa muna Jakubo,
ngono unowolobesa malimbelimbe e nzi.”
20 Ndizo kalinga Amaleki, katangisa ndebeleko iye kati,
“Amaleki wakabe uli iwo umbeli kwe zwitjaba zose,
koga ku bupelo bose,” banowolobela tjose.
21 Kalinga Bakeniti, katangisa ndebeleko iye kati,
“Mugele mu bugalo gwakabakiligwa,
gunonga shaka lakabakwa mu shongwe;
22 Nenguba kwakajalo, Kaini unowothukudziwa.
Kudza Ashuri ukutapa.”
23 Bhalamu katangisa ndebeleko iye kakale kati,
“Yee mme wee mapalala! Apa ndiani unowotjila,
ha Ndzimu ungathama ikoku kene?
24 Koga zwikepe zowodwa ku Khitimu
ngono zongondongedza Ashuri na Eberi;
ngono na ibobo banowoloba.”
25 Ndizo Bhalamu kamilika, kabgwilila kanyi kukwe na Bhalaki na iyebo kazwiyendilazwe.
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.