Numbers 23
1 Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelami kia Pelaki, “Fokotuʻu moʻoku ʻi heni ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻe fitu, pea teuteu mai ʻi heni ʻae fanga pulu ʻe fitu, mo e sipitangata ʻe fitu.”
2 So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
Pea naʻe fai ʻe Pelaki ʻo hangē ko e lea ʻa Pelami; pea naʻe feilaulau ʻaki ʻe Pelaki mo Pelami ha pulu mo e sipitangata ʻi he feilaulauʻanga taki taha.
3 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,
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelami kia Pelaki, “Tuʻu ke ofi ki hoʻo feilaulau tutu, ka teu ʻalu: heiʻilo ʻe hāʻele mai ʻa Sihova ke ma fetaulaki mo au, pea ko ia te ne fakahā kiate au te u tala kiate koe.” Pea naʻe ʻalu ia ki he potu māʻolunga.
4 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.”
Pea naʻe fetaulaki ʻae ʻOtua mo Pelami: pea naʻa ne pehē kiate ia, “Kuo u teuteu ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻe fitu, pea kuo u feilaulau ʻaki ai taki taha ʻae pulu mo e sipitangata.”
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
Pea naʻe tuku ʻe Sihova ʻae lea ki he ngutu ʻo Pelami, ʻo ne pehē, “Ke ke foki kia Pelaki, mo ke pehē kiate ia.”
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
Pea naʻa ne foki kiate ia, pea vakai, naʻe tuʻu ia ʻi heʻene feilaulau tutu, ʻa ia, pea mo e houʻeiki kotoa pē ʻo Moape.
7 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!’
Pea naʻa ne fai atu ʻa ʻene lea fakatātā, ʻo pehē, “Ko Pelaki ko e tuʻi ʻo Moape kuo ne ʻomi au mei ʻElami, mei he ngaahi moʻunga ʻo hahake, ʻo ne pehē, ‘Haʻu, ke ke fakamalaʻiaʻi maʻaku ʻa Sēkope, pea ke tukitalaʻi ʻa ʻIsileli.’
8 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]
“Te u fakamalaʻiaʻi fēfē, ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻikai fakamalaʻia ʻe he ʻOtua? Pea te u tukitalaʻi fēfē, ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻikai tukitalaʻi ʻe he ʻOtua?
9 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.
He ʻoku ou mamata kiate ia mei he tumutumu ʻoe ngaahi maka, pea ʻoku ou sio kiate ia mei he moʻunga: vakai, ʻe nofo kehe ʻae kakai, ʻe ʻikai lau ia fakataha mo e ngaahi puleʻanga.
10 (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.”
Ko hai te ne faʻa lau ʻae efu ʻo Sēkope, mo e lau ʻa hono vahe fā ʻo ʻIsileli? Tuku ke u mate au ʻi he mate ʻae māʻoniʻoni, pea tatau hoku ikuʻanga mo hono ikuʻanga.”
11 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)!”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelaki kia Pelami, “Ko e hā kuo ke fai kiate au? Ne u ʻomi ko e ke ke tukitalaʻi hoku ngaahi fili, pea tā ʻoku ke tāpuakiʻi ʻakinautolu.”
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Pea naʻe lea ia ʻo pehē, “ʻIkai ʻoku totonu ʻeku tokanga ke lea ʻaki ʻaia kuo ʻai ʻe Sihova ki hoku ngutu?”
13 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.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelaki kiate ia, “ʻOku ou kole atu kiate koe, Haʻu, ke ta ō ki ha potu kehe, pea te ke mamata mei ai kiate kinautolu: te ke mamata pe ki heʻenau mui nofo, ka ʻe ʻikai te ke mamata kiate kinautolu kotoa pē: pea te ke tukitalaʻi ʻakinautolu mei ai maʻaku.”
14 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.
Pea naʻa ne ʻomi ia ki he ngoue ʻo Sofimi, ki he tumutumu ʻo Pisika, pea naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻe fitu, pea naʻe feilaulau ʻaki ʻi ai taki taha ʻae pulu mo e sipitangata.
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
Pea naʻa ne pehē kia Pelaki, “Tuʻu ke ofi ki hoʻo feilaulau tutu, lolotonga ʻa ʻeku ʻalu ki he potu na ke ma fetaulaki.”
16 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.”
Pea naʻe fetaulaki ʻa Sihova mo Pelami, pea naʻe tuku ʻe ia ʻae lea ki hono ngutu, ʻo pehē, “Ke ke toe ʻalu kia Pelaki, mo ke lea pehē.”
17 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?”
Pea ʻi heʻene haʻu ia kiate ia, vakai, naʻe tuʻu ia ʻi heʻene feilaulau tutu, fakataha mo e houʻeiki ʻo Moape. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelaki kiate ia,
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Pea naʻa ne fai atu ʻa ʻene lea fakatātā, ʻo pehē, “Pelaki, tuʻu hake ʻo fanongo; tokanga mai kiate au, ʻa koe ko e foha ʻo Sipoa:
19 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.
ʻOku ʻikai ko ha tangata ʻae ʻOtua, ke loi ia; pe ko e foha ʻoe tangata, koeʻuhi ke fakatomala ia: kuo ne folofola, pea ʻikai ʻe fai ʻe ia ki ai? Pea kuo lea ia, pea ʻikai ʻe fakamoʻoni ia ki ai?
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
Vakai, ne u maʻu ʻae fekau ke tāpuaki: pea kuo ne fakamonūʻiaʻi; pea ʻe ʻikai te u faʻa fakakehe ia.
21 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].
Naʻe ʻikai te ne ʻafioʻi ha angahala ʻia Sēkope, pea naʻe ʻikai te ne ʻafioʻi ha angatuʻu ʻia ʻIsileli: ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻa Sihova ko hono ʻOtua, pea ʻoku ʻiate kinautolu ʻae mavava ki he tuʻi.
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Naʻe ʻomi ʻakinautolu ʻe he ʻOtua mei ʻIsipite; ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻae mālohi ʻoe ʻiunikoni.
23 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!’
Ko e moʻoni ʻoku ʻikai ha tukitala kia Sēkope, pea ʻoku ʻikai ha fakasausau kia ʻIsileli: pea ko e lea ʻe fai ʻi he kuonga ni ʻia Sēkope mo ʻIsileli, ‘Vakai ki he meʻa kuo fai ʻe he ʻOtua!’
24 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.”
Vakai, ʻe tuʻu hake ʻae kakai ʻo hangē ko e laione lahi, pea ʻe hiki hake ia ʻo hangē ko e laione mui: ʻe ʻikai toe tokoto ia kaeʻoua ke ne kai ʻae koloa, pea inu ʻae toto ʻoe tāmateʻi.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelaki kia Pelami, “ʻOua ʻaupito naʻa ke fakamalaʻia ʻakinautolu, pea ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa ke tāpuaki ʻakinautolu.”
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
Ka naʻe lea ʻa Pelami kia Pelaki ʻo pehē, “ʻIkai naʻaku tala kiate koe, ʻo pehē, Ko e lea kotoa pē kuo folofolaʻaki mai ʻe Sihova ko ia pe te u fai?”
27 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.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelaki kia Pelami, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, haʻu, ke u ʻave ko e ki ha potu kehe; heiʻilo ʻe lelei ki he ʻOtua ke ke fakamalaʻiaʻi ʻakinautolu mei ai maʻaku.”
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
Pea naʻe ʻomi ʻe Pelaki ʻa Pelami ki he tumutumu ʻo Peoli, ʻaia ʻoku hanga atu ki Sesimoni.
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelami kia Pelaki, “Fokotuʻu maʻaku ʻi heni ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻe fitu, pea teuteu maʻaku ʻi heni ʻae fanga pulu ʻe fitu, mo e sipitangata ʻe fitu.”
30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
Pea naʻe fai ʻe Pelaki ʻo hangē ko e lea ʻa Pelami, pea naʻe feilaulau ʻaki ʻi ai taki taha ʻae pulu mo e sipitangata.
