Kwan 23
1 Balaam nowacho niya, “Gerna kende abiriyo mag misango ka, kendo ikna rwedhi abiriyo kod imbe abiriyo.”
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Balak notimo kaka Balaam nowacho, kendo negichiwo rwath gi im ewi kendo ka kendo mar misango.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Eka Balaam nowacho ne Balak niya, “Bed but misango ka, ka an to alengʼora e bathe ka; nimar sa moro dipo ka Jehova Nyasaye ofwenyorena. Gimoro amora monyisa to abiro nyisi.” Eka nowuok modhi kama otingʼore gi malo motwo.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,
4 Nyasaye nofwenyore ne Balaam kendo Balaam nowachone niya, “Aseloso kende abiriyo mag misango, kendo ewi kendo ka kendo asechiwe misango mar rwath kod im.”
and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”
5 Jehova Nyasaye nomiyo Balaam ote kowachone niya, “Dog ir Balak kendo imiye wachni.”
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Omiyo nodok moyudo Balak kochungʼ but misango mane osechiwo ka en gi jodong Moab duto.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
7 Eka Balaam nohulo ote moa kuom Nyasaye kama: “Balak ruodh Moab manie piny gode man yo wuok chiengʼ nooma Aram. Nowacho ni, ‘Bi mondo ikwongʼna Jakobo; bi mondo ikwedna jo-Israel.’
This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’
8 Ere kaka anyalo kwongʼo joma Nyasaye pok okwongʼo? Ere kaka anyalo kwedo joma Jehova Nyasaye pok okwedo?
But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]
9 Anenogi ka achungʼ ewi kite mabeyo; kendo arangogi gi ewi gode. Aneno oganda modak kar kendgi ma ok oseriwore gi ogendini mamoko.
I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.
10 Ere ngʼama nyalo kwano kar romb oganda joka Jakobo machalo gi buru kata ngʼama nyalo kwano migawo mar angʼwen mar Israel? Weuru atho kaka joma kare tho, kendo mad giko mara ochal kod margi!”
(Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”
11 Balak nopenjo Balaam niya, “En angʼo ma isetimona? Ne aomi mondo ikwongʼ wasika, to onge gima isetimo makmana gwedhogi!”
Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”
12 Nodwoke niya, “Ok anyal wacho gima Jehova Nyasaye ne ok onyisa?”
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Eka Balak nowachone niya, “Bi wadhi kamoro machielo kama inyalo nenogie; ibiro mana neno moko kuomgi to ok giduto. To ka isenenogi, to ikwongʼnagi.”
Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”
14 Omiyo notere e pap mar Zofim mantiere ewi Got Pisga, kendo kanyo nogero kende mag misango abiriyo mi nochiwo misango mar rwath kod im ewi kendo ka kendo.
So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
15 Balaam nowacho ne Balak niya, “Bed but misangoni ka, ka anto adhi romo gi Nyasaye bathe kocha.”
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Jehova Nyasaye nofwenyore ne Balaam kendo nomiyo Balaam ote kowachone niya, “Dog ir Balak kendo imiye wachni.”
So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”
17 Omiyo nodok moyudo Balak kochungʼ but misangone, ka en-gi jodong Moab. Balak nopenje niya, “Angʼo mane Jehova Nyasaye owacho?”
So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”
18 Eka Balaam nohulo ote moa kuom Nyasaye kama: Aa malo, Balak, kendo ichik iti; winja, wuod Zipor.
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Nyasaye ok en dhano, mondo omi oriambi, kata ok en wuod dhano, mondo omi olok pache. Bende onyalo wuoyo to ok otim kaka owacho? Bende onyalo chiwo singo, to ok ochop singruokno?
God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.
20 Ne ayudo chik mondo achiw gweth; osegwedhogi, kendo ok anyal loko mano.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 “Onge kido magalagala moyud kuom Jakobo, kata tim moro marach moyud kuom Israel. Jehova Nyasaye ma Nyasachgi ni kodgi; teko mar Ruoth ni kodgi.
Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].
22 Nyasaye nogologi Misri; tekogi chalo gi teko jowi.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Onge tim jwok manyalo mako joka Jakobo, kendo timbe ndagla ok nyal mako Israel. Ibiro goyo ngero kuom joka Jakobo ma Israel ni, ‘Ne gima Nyasaye osetimo!’
When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’
24 Ogandani ger mana ka sibuor madhako; kendo gijuol ka sibuor madichwo, ma ok nyal nindo piny nyaka ocham gima onego momadh rembe.”
They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”
25 Eka Balak nowacho ne Balaam niya, “Kare koro kik ikwongʼ-gi kata kik igwedhgi!”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Balaam nodwoke niya, “Donge ne anyisi ni nyaka atim mana gima Jehova Nyasaye onyisa?”
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Eka Balak nowacho ne Balaam niya, “Bi wadhi kamachielo. Dibed ni biro bedo maber ne Nyasaye mondo ikwongʼnagi kanyo.”
Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”
28 Kendo Balak nokawo Balaam nyaka ewi Peor, momanyore gi kama otwo.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Balaam nowacho niya, “Gerna kende abiriyo mag misango kae, kendo ikna rwedhi abiriyo kod imbe abiriyo.”
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Balak notimo kaka Balaam nonyise kendo nochiwo misango mar rwath kod im ewi kendo ka kendo mar misango.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
