1 Ngono Bhalamu kadwa Bhalaki kati, “Undibakile zwibeso zwili kutendeka ipapa, ube undilulwamisila mikong'wana ili kutendeka ne nyundo dzili kutendeka.” 2 Bhalaki kathama tjaadwiwa ndi Bhalamu, ngono iye na Bhalamu bakayisa tjibhayilo tje nkong'wana ne tje nyundo mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjimwe ne tjimwe. 3 Bhalamu kadwa Bhalaki kati, “Ima pa tjibhayilo tjitjo tjinopisiwa, imi ndi yendile mbelinyana, pamwe Yahwe banowozha kundili, ngono tjabanobe bandilakidza itjo ndowokubudza.” Bhalamu kabe etathila pezhugwi kwe dombo. 4 Ndzimu ukashangana naye, Bhalamu kadwa Ndzimu kati, “Ndabaka zwibeso zwili kutendeka, ngono mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjimwe ne tjimwe ndayisa nkong'wana ne nyundo.”
5 Yahwe bakalonga matama abo mu nlomo wa Bhalamu, bakan'dwa beti, “Bgwilila kuna Bhalaki, ngono umbudze matama iyawa.” 6 Ngono kabgwilila kuna Bhalaki, kanon'wana ali mile ana makulukota wose e Moabu pa tjibhayilo tjitje tjinopisiwa. 7 Bhalamu katangisa ndebeleko iye kati:
“Bhalaki mambo we Moabu wakanonditola ku Aramu,
ku bhezhuba kwe matombo,
Wakati, ‘buya, undilongele bhiso muna Jakubo,
buya undilongele Iziraela bhiso.’
8 Apa ndingalonga bhiso tjini muna usakalongwa bhiso nge Ndzimu,?
Ndingabona nlandu tjini mu nthu usakabongwa nlandu ndi Yahwe?
9 Ngoti ndombona ndili pezhugwi kwe matombo,
ndombona ali mu matombo.
Bona, itjaba tjinogala tjili tjoga.
Kakale atjitozwibalila mu zwimwe zwitjaba.
10 Ndiani ungabala zwizekugwana zwa Jakubo zwinji se hwuluba,
Banjinji kwazo mu kubagwa.
Letja ndife lufu gwe nlulwami;
Ne bhelelo langu linge lile.”
11 Ngono Bhalaki kadwa Bhalamu kati, “Apa wandithamilani kene? Ndakanokutolela kuwolonga bhiso mu zwita zwangu, ngono bona, akuna tjawathama, akusi kubakombolela.” 12 Ngono kan'dabila eti, “Apa andizofanila kuleba tjandadwiwa ndi Yahwe kene?”
Kulebesambeli kwe bubili kwa Bhalamu
13 Bhalaki kadwa Bhalamu kati, “Ngatiyende tose, paungati ulipo ukabona bamwe be Baizaraela. Unowobona bamwe babo banowobe bali pejo, aungababone bose. Ube undilongela bhiso mubali uli paunowobe ulipo.” 14 Kayenda naye ku shango ye Zofimu pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Pisiga, bakaswika bakabaka zwibeso zwili kutendeka, bakapisila tjibhayilo tje nkong'wana ne tje nyundo mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjimwe ne tjimwe.
15 Bhalamu kadwa Bhalaki kati, “Ima ipapa kubapa ne tjibhayilo tjitjo tjinopisiwa, nditjanoshangana na Yahwe tjandiyeno.”
16 Yahwe bakashangana na Bhalamu, bakalonga matama abo mu nlomo uwe, bakan'dwa beti, “Bgwilila kuna Bhalaki, ngono umbudze matama iyawa.” 17 Ngono kaswika kunli, kawana alimile kubapa ne tjibhayilo tjitje tjinopisiwa ana makulukota e Moabu. Bhalaki kambhuzwa kati, “Yahwe balebani?” 18 Bhalamu katangisa ndebeleko iye kati:
“Milika, Bhalaki uhwe;
Unditeedze, iwe nkololo wa Zipori
19 Ndzimu autonga nthu, kwaunganyepa;
Autonga nthu, kwaungashandula nkumbulo.
Apa ungati tjawaleba, ukasi tjithame kene?
Kene tjawagadzabgwe, aungatjishingikadze kene?
20 Bona, ndakapiwa ndaulo kuti ndikombolele,
Ha Ndzimu wakombolela, andingabgwilize shule.
21 Auzowana mbipo muna Jakubo
kene kuli kubona mang'oni mu Iziraela.
Yahwe Ndzimu wabo unabo,
kulumbidziwa kwa mambo kupakati kwabo
22 Ndzimu wakabadusa mu Egipiti,
wakabagwila se nyati.
23 Akuna pheku muna Jakubo,
akuna hakata dzingashingisiwa mu Iziraela.
Ngwenu kowolebgwa ngekwa Jakubo na Iziraela kuyi,
‘Bona tjathamwa nge Ndzimu!’
24 Bona bathu ibaba, banomadzuka se shumbakadzi.
Kakale tjomuka se shumbalume,
Aitoizela isazandabula phuka ikaja,
Kudzina ing'wa malopa e zwayabulaya.”
25 Ndizo Bhalaki kadwa Bhalamu kati, “Se walamba tjose kulonga bhiso mu Iziraela, usitongo ikombolela tjose.” 26 Koga Bhalamu kadabila Bhalaki eti, “Apa andizokubudza kose Yahwe kwabakati ndithame kene?”
Kulebesambeli kwa Bhalamu kwe butatu
27 Bhalaki kadwa Bhalamu kati, “Ngatiyende, ngwenu ndowokuyisa ntome. Pamwe kowoshathisa Ndzimu kuti undilongele bhiso kudwa ikweno.” 28 Ipapo Bhalaki kayisa Bhalamu pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Peori kwaungalingila tjilambanyika pasi. 29 Bhalamu kadwa Bhalaki kati, “Undibakile zwibeso zwili kutendeka ipapa, ube undizhisila mikong'wana ili kutendeka ne nyundo dzili kutendeka.” 30 Ngono Bhalaki kathama sekwa adwiwa ndi Bhalamu, kayisa tjibhayilo tje nkong'wana ne tje nyundo mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjimwe ne tjimwe.
1 He said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and bring me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 Balak did as he was told, and he and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I go to see whether or not the Lord will meet me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went alone to the top of a hill, 4 and God met him. Balaam said to him, “I have built the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each.”
5 The Lord told Balaam what to say and sent him back to Balak to give him his message. 6 So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering with all the leaders of Moab.
7 Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Balak king of Moab has brought me
From Syria, from the eastern mountains.
‘Come speak for me,’ he said.
‘Put a curse on the people of Israel.’
8 How can I curse what God has not cursed,
Or speak of doom when the Lord has not?
9 From the high rocks I can see them;
I can watch them from the hills.
They are a nation that lives alone;
They know they are blessed more than other nations.
10 The descendants of Israel are like the dust—
There are too many of them to be counted.
Let me end my days like one of God's people;
Let me die in peace like the righteous.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you have done is bless them.”
12 He answered, “I can say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
Balaam's Second Prophecy
13 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place from which you can see only some of the Israelites. Curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Mount Pisgah. There also he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each of them.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, and I will meet God over there.”
16 The Lord met Balaam, told him what to say, and sent him back to Balak to give him his message. 17 So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering, with the leaders of Moab. Balak asked what the Lord had said, 18 and Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Come, Balak son of Zippor,
And listen to what I have to say.
19 God is not like people, who lie;
He is not a human who changes his mind.
Whatever he promises, he does;
He speaks, and it is done.
20 I have been instructed to bless,
And when God blesses, I cannot call it back.
21 I foresee that Israel's future
Will bring her no misfortune or trouble.
The Lord their God is with them;
They proclaim that he is their king.
22 God has brought them out of Egypt;
He fights for them like a wild ox.
23 There is no magic charm, no witchcraft,
That can be used against the nation of Israel.
Now people will say about Israel,
‘Look what God has done!’
24 The nation of Israel is like a mighty lion:
It doesn't rest until it has torn and devoured,
Until it has drunk the blood of those it has killed.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “You refuse to curse the people of Israel, but at least don't bless them!”
26 Balaam answered, “Didn't I tell you that I had to do everything that the Lord told me?”
Balaam's Third Prophecy
27 Balak said, “Come with me, and I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will be willing to let you curse them for me from there.” 28 So he took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor overlooking the desert. 29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars for me here and bring me seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did as he was told, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.