Lampahnah 22
1 Te phoeiah Israel ca rhoek te cet uh tih Jerikho kah Jordan rhalvangan phai, Moab kolken ah rhaeh uh.
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 loh Amori taengah a saii boeih te Zippor capa Balak loh a hmuh.
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 Israel he khaw muep a ping dongah Moab khaw pilnam mikhmuh ah bakuep. Israel ca rhoek kah mikhmuh ah Moab a mueipuel.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 Te dongah Moab loh Midian kah a hamca rhoek taengah, “Vaito loh khohmuen kah baelhing a laem bangla mamih kaepvai kah a cungkuem he hlangping loh a laem uh pawn ni,” a ti nah. Te vaeng tue ah Moab kah manghai tah Zippor capa Balak ni.
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 Te dongah a pilnam paca rhoek kah khohmuen tuiva kaep kah Pethor Beor capa Balaam taengah puencawn a tueih. Anih te a khue tih, “Egypt lamkah aka thoeng pilnam he, diklai hman te a khuk tih kai imdan la kho a sak he.
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 Te dongah halo lamtah he pilnam he kai lakah tah a tlung oeh dongah kai yueng la thaephoei thil mai laeh. Anih ngawn ham neh khohmuen lamloh anih ka haek thai khaming. Yoethen na paek hlang te a yoethen tih thae na phoei thil te tah thaephoei a yook te ka ming,” a ti nah.
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 Te dongah Moab kah a hamca neh Midian kah a hamca rhoek khaw, amih kut khuikah bihma rhoek khaw cet uh. Balaam taengla a pha uh vaengah a taengah Balak ol te a thui uh.
[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 Te vaengah amih te, “Hlaem at khaw pahoi rhaeh uh lamtah BOEIPA loh kai taengah a thui bangla nangmih taengah ol kam mael bitni,” a ti nah. Te dongah Moab mangpa rhoek tah Balaam taengah om uh.
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 Te vaengah Pathen loh Balaam te a paan tih, “Na taengkah rhoek he u hlang nim?” a ti nah.
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Balaam loh Pathen taengah, “Moab manghai Zippor capa Balak loh kai taengla han tueih.
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 Egypt lamkah aka pawk pilnam loh diklai hman a khuk coeng ke. Te dongah halo anih te kai yueng la tap laeh. Anih tloek ham neh anih haek ham a coeng khaming,” a ti nah.
‘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 Pathen loh Balaam te, “Amih taengah cet boeh, pilnam te a yoethen coeng tih thaephoei boeh,” a ti nah.
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Te dongah Balaam te mincang ah thoo tih Balak kah mangpa rhoek te, “Nangmih taengah kai caeh sak ham khaw BOEIPA loh a aal dongah namah kho la cet uh laeh,” a ti nah.
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 Te dongah Moab mangpa rhoek tah thoo uh tih Balak taengla pawk uh. Te vaengah, “Balaam loh kaimih taengah lo ham a aal,” a ti nah.
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Tedae Balak loh amih lakah a yet ngai neh aka lalh ngai mangpa rhoek te a koei tih koep a tueih.
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 Balaam taengla a pawk uh vaengah amah te, “Zippor capa Balak loh, 'Kai taengla na lo ham te uelh boeh.
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 te muep kan thangpom rhoe kan thangpom vetih kai taengah na thui boeih te ka ngai bitni. Te dongah halo lamtah he pilnam he kai yueng la tap mai,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
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 Tedae Balaam loh a doo tih Balak kah sal taengah, “Kai he Balak loh a im kah a bae la cak neh sui m'pae cakhaw Ka Pathen BOEIPA kah olka tah ka poe ham a coeng moenih, a yit a len khaw ngai ham ni.
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 Te dongah nangmih khaw he ah he hlaem at om uh mai laeh. Te daengah ni BOEIPA loh kai taengah thui hamla mebang a thap khaw ka ming eh?,” a ti nah.
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 Khoyin ah tah Pathen te Balaam taengla cet tih amah te, “Nang te khue ham hlang rhoek ha pawk atah thoo lamtah amih neh cet. Tedae nang taengah kan thui ol mah ngai,” a ti nah.
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 te mincang ah thoo tih a laak te a khih tih Moab mangpa rhoek taengla cet.
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 Tedae anih a caeh dongah Pathen thintoek te sai. Te dongah BOEIPA puencawn tah anih te longpueng ah khingkhoekkung bangla a pai pah. Te vaengah amah te a laak dongah ngol tih a taengah a tueihyoeih rhoi om.
[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 Te vaengah BOEIPA kah puencawn tah longpuei ah pai tih a kut dongah a cunghang a yueh te laak loh a hmuh. Te dongah laak te long lamloh hooi uh tih lohma la cet. Te dongah longpuei la mael sak ham Balaam lohlaak te a taam.
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 Tedae BOEIPA kah puencawn te misurdum kah longcaek ah a pai pah. He ah khaw vongtung, ke ah khaw vongtung a om pah.
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 Laak loh BOEIPA kah puencawn te a hmuh vaengah pangbueng te a nen tih Balaam kho te pangbueng dongah a nen thil. Te dongah laak a taam te a khoep.
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 Tedae BOEIPA kah puencawn loh koep a kan tih banvoei bantang la mael ham la longpuei aka om pawh hmuen ah a caek la pai.
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 Laak loh BOEIPA kah puencawn te a hmuh vaengah Balaam dangah a kol pah. Te vaengah Balaam thintoek te sai tih laak te conghol neh a taam.
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 Te vaengah BOEIPA loh laak kah aka te a ong pah tih Balaam te, “Nang taengah balae ka saii tih kai thik thum nan boh,” a ti nah.
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 loh laak te, “Kai he nan poelyoe dongah he, ka kut ah cunghang om vetih nang kang ngawn laeh mako,” a ti nah.
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 Laak loh Balaam te, “Kai he nang kah laak moenih a? Kai soah he tahae khohnin due koep na ngol, he he nang taengah saii ham ka hmaiben khaw ka hmaiben nim?,” a ti vaengah, “Pawh,” a ti nah.
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 Te vaengah BOEIPA loh Balaam mik te a phen pah. Te dongah a kut ah a cunghang a pom tih longpuei ah aka pai BOEIPA kah puencawn te a hmuh. Te daengah buluk tih a thintoek neh bakop.
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 BOEIPA kah puencawn loh anih te, “Balae tih na laak te thik thum na boh, ka hmai ah longpuei a mueng dongah kai he khingkhoekkung la ka pawk.
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 Laak loh kai m'hmuh dongah ka mikhmuh lamloh voei thum a rhael. Ka mikhmuh lamloh rhael pawt koinih nang te khaw kang ngawn pawn vetih anih bueng ka hing sak khaming.
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 loh BOEIPA kah puencawn taengah, “Longpuei ah kai mah ham na pai te ka ming pawt dongah ka tholh coeng. Na mik ah a thae oeh atah kai he ka mael voithum mael pawn ni,” a ti nah.
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 BOEIPA kah puencawn loh Balaam te, “Hlang rhoek neh cet lamtah nang taengah ka thui ol te mah thui,” a ti nah. Te dongah Balaam khaw Balak kah mangpa rhoek taengah cet.
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 halo te Balak loh a yaak van neh khorhi khobawt, Arnon khorhi kah Moab khopuei ah anih te doe hamla cet.
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 Te vaengah Balak loh Balaam te, “Nang te khue ham nang taengah kan tueih rhoe kan tueih moenih a? Balae tih kai taengla na lo pawh, nang thangpom ham ka coeng tang moenih a?” a ti nah.
[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 loh Balak te, “Nang taengla ka pawk coeng he, ol pakhat khaw thui ham ka coeng khaw ka coeng venim? Pathen loh ka ka dongah a khueh te ka thui eh?,” a ti nah.
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 Te phoeiah Balaam te Balak taengah cet tih Kirjathhuzoth la pawk rhoi.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Te vaengah Balak loh saelhung neh boiva khaw a ngawn tih Balaam taeng neh amah taengkah mangpa rhoek taengah a thak.
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 Mincang a pha vaengah Balak loh Balaam te a loh tih Bamothbaal la a khuen. Te vaengah pilnam a bawtnah lamloh pahoi tueng.
[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.
