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 By now Balaam knew that the Lord wanted him to bless the people of Israel, so he did not go to look for omens, as he had done before. He turned toward the desert 2 and saw the people of Israel camped tribe by tribe. The spirit of God took control of him, 3 and he uttered this prophecy:
“The message of Balaam son of Beor,
The words of the man who can see clearly,
4 Who can hear what God is saying.
With staring eyes I see in a trance
A vision from Almighty God.
5 The tents of Israel are beautiful,
6 Like long rows of palms
Or gardens beside a river,
Like aloes planted by the Lord
Or cedars beside the water.
7 They will have abundant rainfall
And plant their seed in well-watered fields.
Their king shall be greater than Agag,
And his rule shall be extended far and wide.
8 God brought them out of Egypt;
He fights for them like a wild ox.
They devour their enemies,
Crush their bones, smash their arrows.
9 The nation is like a mighty lion;
When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it.
Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed,
And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.”
10 Balak clenched his fists in anger and said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but three times now you have blessed them instead. 11 Now get on home! I promised to reward you, but the Lord has kept you from getting the reward.”
12 Balaam answered, “I told the messengers you sent to me that 13 even if you gave me all the silver and gold in your palace, I could not disobey the command of the Lord by doing anything of myself. I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
Balaam's Final Prophecies
14 Balaam said to Balak, “Now I am going back to my own people, but before I go, I am warning you what the people of Israel will do to your people in the future.” 15 Then he uttered this prophecy:
“The message of Balaam son of Beor,
The words of the man who can see clearly,
16 Who can hear what God is saying
And receive the knowledge that comes from the Most High.
With staring eyes I see in a trance
A vision from Almighty God.
17 I look into the future,
And I see the nation of Israel.
A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation.
Like a comet he will come from Israel.
He will strike the leaders of Moab
And beat down all the people of Seth.
18 He will conquer his enemies in Edom
And make their land his property,
While Israel continues victorious.
19 The nation of Israel will trample them down
And wipe out the last survivors.”
20 Then in his vision Balaam saw the Amalekites and uttered this prophecy:
“Amalek was the most powerful nation of all,
But at the end it will perish forever.”
21 In his vision he saw the Kenites, and uttered this prophecy:
“The place where you live is secure,
Safe as a nest set high on a cliff,
22 But you Kenites will be destroyed
When Assyria takes you captive.”
23 Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Who are these people gathering in the north?
24 Invaders will sail from Cyprus;
They will conquer Assyria and Eber,
But they, in turn, will perish forever.”
25 Then Balaam got ready and went back home, and Balak went on his way.