1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. 3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance , but having his eyes open: 5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. 7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10 ¶ And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour. 12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak? 14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 ¶ And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance , but having his eyes open: 17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20 ¶ And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. 21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock. 22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. 23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! 24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. 25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
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.