Nambar 22
1 To pacoengah Israel kaminawk loe Moab azawn ah caeh o moe, Moab prae azawn, Jordan vapui taeng, Jeriko vangpui maeto bangah atai o.
Then the Israelis traveled west to the area of Moab that was in the valley of the Jordan [River], across the river from Jericho [city].
2 Israel kaminawk mah Amor kami nuiah sak o ih hmuen to, Zippor capa Balak mah hnuk boih.
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 Israel kaminawk loe pop o parai pongah, Moab kaminawk mah nihcae to paroeai zit o.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 Moab kaminawk mah Midian kacoehtanawk khaeah, Maitaw tae mah palai hoiah taw ih qam takoih boih baktih toengah, haeah amkhueng kaminawk mah aicae taengah kaom hmuennawk to caa o boih tih boeh, tiah a naa o. To nathuem ah Zippor capa Balak to Moab siangpahrang ah oh.
So the king of Moab [went to] the leaders of the Midian people-group and said to them, “This huge group [of Israelis] will (wipe out/destroy) everything around them, like an ox devours grass!” Balak was the king of Moab.
5 Ammon prae thungah kalong vapui taengah kaom, Pethor vangpui ih kami, Beor capa Baalam to kawk hanah laicaehnawk to patoeh. Balak mah, Izip prae hoi angzo acaeng maeto loe, prae koimongah ka taengah atai o boeh.
He sent messengers to [a prophet named] Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor [town], near the [Euphrates] River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come [to help him]: “A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. [It looks like] they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us.
6 To pongah vaihi angzo ah, hae kaminawk loe kai pongah thacak o, to pongah kai hanah nihcae to tangoeng paeh; to tiah na sak nahaeloe nihcae ka tuk naah, prae thung hoiah ka haek thai khoe doeh om tih; nang mah tahamhoihaih na paek ih kaminawk loe tahamhoihaih a hnuk o moe, na tangoeng ih kaminawk loe tangoeng ah oh o, tiah ka panoek, tiah a naa.
Because they are very powerful/numerous, [we are afraid of them. So] please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land [where they are now living]. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”
7 Moab hoi Midian kacoehtanawk loe tahmaa mah thuih ih lok to atho paek hanah, tangqum to sin o moe, a caeh o; Balaam khaeah a phak o naah, Balak mah thuih ih lok to anih khaeah thuih pae o.
[Balak’s messengers, who were] leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would [come and] curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
8 Balaam mah nihcae khaeah, Vaiduem loe haeah cam o raeh; Angraeng mah paek ih lok to kang thuih o han hmang, tiah a naa. To pongah Moab ukkung angraengnawk loe to ah Balaam hoi nawnto oh o.
Balaam said, “Stay here tonight. [Tomorrow morning] I will tell you whatever Yahweh tells me that I should say to you.” So the leaders from Moab stayed there that night.
9 Balaam khaeah Sithaw angzoh moe, Nang khaeah kaom kaminawk loe kawbaktih kaminawk maw? tiah a dueng.
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Balaam mah Sithaw khaeah, Zippor capa, Moab siangpahrang Balak mah hae kaminawk hae kai khaeah ang patoeh,
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 khenah, Izip prae hoi angzo kaminawk loe, prae koimongah oh o boeh; to pongah vaihi angzo ah loe, hae kaminawk hae kai hanah tangoeng pae ah; to tih nahaeloe hae kaminawk hae ka tuh pazawk ueloe, ka haek thai khoe doeh om tih, tiah ang thuih o, tiah a naa.
‘A huge group of people has come from Egypt, and they have spread all over this area. Please come immediately to curse them. Then I may be able to defeat them and expel them [from this area].’”
12 Toe Sithaw mah Balaam khaeah, Nihcae hnukah caeh hmah; to kaminawk loe tahamhoih kami ah oh o pongah, tangoeng hmah, tiah a naa.
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Balaam loe khawnbang khawnthaw ah angthawk moe, Balak ih toksah angraengnawk khaeah, Nangmacae prae ah amlaem o lai ah, Angraeng mah nangcae hnukah na bangsak ai, tiah a naa.
The next morning, Balaam got up and told Balak’s men, “Go back home. [But go by yourselves, because] Yahweh is not allowing me to go with you.”
14 To pongah Moab ukkung angraengnawk loe Balak khaeah amlaem o let moe, anih khaeah, Balaam loe kaicae hnukah bang hanah angmak khruek, tiah a naa o.
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 To naah Balak mah hmaloe ah patoeh ih ukkungnawk pongah kapop, ahmin kamthang kue kalah ukkung angraengnawk to laicaeh ah patoeh let.
But Balak sent another [group of] leaders to Balaam. It was a group that was larger and they were more important [than the men in the first group].
16 Nihcae Balaam khaeah angzoh o moe, anih khaeah, Zippor capa Balak mah, Kai khae angzoh han ai ah, tih mah doeh pakaa hmah nasoe;
They went to Balaam and told him this: “This is what King Balak says: ‘Please do not allow anything to hinder you from coming here.
17 nang to kasang ah kang pakoeh moe, na thuih ih hmuen to kang sak pae boih han; to pongah angzo ah loe, hae kaminawk hae kai hanah na tangoeng paeh, tiah a thuih, tiah a naa o.
I will pay you (a lot of money/very well) [if you come], and I will do anything that you ask me to do. Just come and curse these [Israeli] people for me!’”
18 Toe Balaam mah, Balak ih tamnanawk khaeah, Balak mah sui, sum kanglung hoi koimongah kaom angmah ih siangpahrang im to na paek langlacadoeh, zetta ah maw, to tih ai boeh loe pop parai ah maw, ka Angraeng mah paek ih lok pong kamtlai ah tidoeh ka sah mak ai.
But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not do anything to disobey Yahweh, (my God/the God whom I [worship]).
19 To pongah nangcae doeh, Vaiduem loe haeah cam o raeh; Angraeng mah timaw na thui vop tih, tito tahngai rae si, tiah a naa.
But stay here one more night, like the other messengers did, and I will find out if Yahweh has anything more to say to me.”
20 To naduem ah Sithaw Balaam khaeah caeh moe, anih khaeah, Kai nang kawk hanah kaminawk angzo o nahaeloe, angthawk ah loe, nihcae hoi nawnto caeh ah; toe kang thuih ih lok khue ni na sak han oh, tiah a naa.
That night God appeared to Balaam again and said to him, “These men have come to request that you go back with them, so you may go with them, but do only what I tell you [to do]!”
21 Balaam loe khawnbang khawnthaw ah angthawk, laa hrang nuiah anghnut moe, Moab ukkung angraengnawk hoi nawnto a caeh.
So the next morning, Balaam put a saddle on his donkey and he departed [with two of his servants] along with the men from Moab.
22 Nihcae hoi nawnto a caeh pongah, Sithaw palungphui; nihcae to pakaa hanah Angraeng ih van kami to loklam ah angdoet khoep. Balaam loe angmah ih laa hrang nuiah angthueng moe, a tamna hnetto hoi nawnto a caeh.
[Even though God had given Balaam permission to go, he was still angry]. So he sent one of his angels to Balaam. This angel stood in the road to block Balaam’s path. As Balaam and the two servants were riding on their donkeys,
23 Angraeng ih van kami loe a ban ah sumsen to sin moe, loklam ah angdoet khoep, tiah laa hrang mah hnuk naah, hrang loe loklam amkhraeng moe, lawk bangah caeh ving; to loklam ah a caeh let thai hanah, Balaam mah laa hrang to boh.
Balaam’s donkey saw the angel. The angel was standing in the road and was holding a sword in his hand, [but Balaam did not see him]. Balaam’s donkey turned off the road into a field. So Balaam struck the donkey and forced it to go back onto the road.
24 Misur takha salak ih loklam ah a caeh naah, Angraeng ih van kami to angdoet moe, hae bangah doeh ho bangah doeh sipae thungh pae khoep.
Then the angel stood in a place where the road was very narrow, between two vineyards, with walls on each side of the road.
25 Laa hrang mah Angraeng ih van kami to hnuk let naah, sipae to a daeng hmop moe, Balaam ih khok daeng pae ngawng; to naah Balaam mah hrang to boh let bae.
When the donkey saw the angel standing there, it walked very close to the wall [to try to get past the angel]. As a result, it bashed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam struck the donkey again.
26 To pacoengah Angraeng ih van kami loe hmabang ah caeh moe, banqoi bantang angqoi han kaom ai tamcaek loklam ah angdoet pae khoep.
Then the angel went further along the road and stood at a place that was extremely narrow, with the result that the donkey could not get past at all.
27 Laa hrang mah Angraeng ih van kami to hnuk let naah, Balaam tlim ah tabok pae; to naah Balaam palungphui moe, cunghet hoiah laa hrang to boh let.
This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down [on the ground] with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam became extremely angry, and he struck the donkey again with his walking stick.
28 To naah Angraeng mah laa hrang ih pakha to paongh pae, hrang mah Balaam khaeah, Kawbang maw kang naa moe, kai vai thumto nang boh? tiah a naa.
Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak! It said to Balaam, “What bad thing have I done to you that caused you to strike me three times?”
29 Balaam mah laa hrang khaeah, Kai hae tiah doeh nang sah ai; ka ban ah sumsen om nahaeloe, vaihi roe kang hum han boeh, tiah a naa.
Balaam shouted, “I struck you because you have caused me to appear to be foolish! If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 To naah laa hrang mah Balaam khaeah, Kai loe nang mah vaihni ni khoek to nang thueng ih, nangmah ih laa hrang ah na ai maw ka oh? Nang khaeah hae tiah ka oh vai maw? tiah Balaam hanah a naa. To naah anih mah, Hae tiah na om vai ai, tiah a naa.
But the donkey answered, “I am your own donkey [RHQ], the one that you have always ridden! Have I ever done anything like this previously?” Balaam said, “No.”
31 Angraeng mah Balaam ih mik to amtuengsak naah, a ban ah sumsen kasin, loklam tamcaek ah kangdoe khoep, Angraeng ih van kami to anih mah hnuk; to pongah anih loe akuep tathuk moe, long ah tabok.
Then Yahweh enabled Balaam to see the angel standing on the road, holding a sword in his hand. Balaam [realized that it was an angel and] prostrated himself on the ground in front of the angel.
32 Angraeng ih van kami mah, Tipongah nangmah ih laa hrang to vai thumto na boh loe? Khenah, na caehhaih loklam loe kai hoi buenglueng tamlet ah oh, to pongah nangpakaa hanah kang zoh;
The angel asked him, ‘(Why did you strike your donkey three times?/ You should certainly not have struck the donkey three times! [RHQ] I have come to block your path because what you are planning to do is wrong.
33 laa hrang mah kai ang hnuk pongah, kai khae hoi loklam vai thumto amkhraeng ving; kai khae hoi amkhraeng ai nahaeloe, vaihi roe nang to kang hum moe, nang ih laa hrang to ka hingsak lat han, tiah a naa.
Three times your donkey saw me and turned away from me. If it had not done that, I would certainly have killed you already, but I would have allowed the donkey to live.”
34 Balaam mah Angraeng ih van kami khaeah, Ka zae moeng boeh; kai pakaa hanah loklam ah nang doet, tito ka panoek ai; to pongah vaihi na koeh ai nahaeloe, kam laem let han, tiah a naa.
Then Balaam said to the angel, “I have sinned. But I did not realize that you were standing there, trying to block my path. So if you do not want me to continue going, I will return home.”
35 Angraeng ih van kami mah Balaam khaeah, Kaminawk hoi nawnto caeh ah, toe kang thuih ih lok khue to ni na thuih han, tiah a naa. To pongah Balaam loe Balak ih toksah angraengnawk hoi nawnto caeh.
But the angel replied, “I will allow you to go with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say!” So Balaam went on with the leaders whom Balak [had sent].
36 Balaam angzoh boeh, tiah Balak mah thaih naah, anih dawt hanah, Moab prae ramri Arnon vapui taengah kaom vangpui maeto ah a caeh.
When King Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at a Moab town alongside the Arnon [River] that was at the border of his own land.
37 Balak mah Balaam khaeah, Nang kawk hanah vaihi hoi vaihi kami kang patoeh na ai maw, tikhoe hae tih khoek to na kra loe? Nang hae kasang ah kang paloep mak ai, tiah na poek maw? tiah a naa.
[When he arrived where] Balaam was, he said to him, “I sent you [RHQ] a message saying that you should come immediately [RHQ]! Why did you not come immediately? [Did you think that] I was not able to pay you a lot of money for coming?”
38 Balaam mah Balak khaeah, Khenah, vaihi nang khaeah kang zoh boeh, lok ka thui thai tih maw? Sithaw mah ka pakha thungah suek ih lok khue ni ka thuih han, tiah a naa.
Balaam replied, “I have come here now, but I am not able to say anything [that I want to]. I will say only the words that God tells me to say [MTY].”
39 To pacoengah Balaam loe Balak hoi nawnto Kirjath-Huzoth ah caeh.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Balak mah maitaw hoi tuunawk hoiah angbawnhaih to sak, to pacoengah Balaam hoi anih khaeah kaom ukkung angraengnawk hanah doeh a pat pae thoem.
There Balak killed some cattle and sheep as sacrifices, and offered [parts of the meat] to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Khawnbang ah loe Balak mah Balaam to kawk moe, Israel kaminawk patuek hanah, Baal sithaw ohhaih hmuensang ah a caeh haih.
[They slept there], and the next morning Balak took Balaam part way up [the mountain] to Bamoth-Baal [village]. From there, they could see some of the Israeli people who were down below.
