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].”
Balaam ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Si afɔremuka ason wɔ ha, na siesie anantwinini ason ne adwennini ason ma me.”
2 So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
Balak yɛɛ sɛnea Balaam kae no, na wɔn baanu no de nantwinini ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔremuka no biara so afɔre.
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,
Afei Balaam ka kyerɛɛ Balak se, “Tena wʼafɔre no ho na merekɔ nkyɛn. Ebia na Awurade bɛba abehyia me, na nea ɔbɛda no adi akyerɛ me biara no mɛka akyerɛ wo.” Enti, ɔforo kɔɔ sorosoro baabi a ɛhɔ yɛ petee.
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.”
Ɛhɔ na Onyankopɔn hyiaa no ma ɔkae se, “Masiesie afɔremuka ason, na mede nantwinini ne odwennini abɔ afɔre wɔ biara so.”
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
Awurade de asɛm hyɛɛ Balaam anom se, “San kɔ Balak nkyɛn na kɔka asɛm yi kyerɛ no.”
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
Ɔsan bae no ɔbɛtoo no sɛ ɔne Moab mpanyimfo no nyinaa gyinagyina afɔre no ho.
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!’
Na Balaam hyɛɛ ne nkɔm: “Balak soma bɛfrɛɛ me fii Aram, Moabhene frɛɛ me fii apuei fam nkoko so. Ɔkae se, ‘Bra bɛdome Yakob ma me; bra bɛka mmususɛm gu Israel so.’
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]
Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi adome wɔn a Onyankopɔn nnome ɛ? Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi aka mmususɛm agu wɔn a Awurade mmuu wɔn fɔ so?
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.
Mihu wɔn fi ɔbotan atifi; mehwɛ wɔn fi nkoko so. Mihu nnipa a wɔatew wɔn ho a wommu wɔn ho sɛ wɔyɛ aman no bi mu nnipa.
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.”
Hena na obetumi akan Yakob mfutuma, anaa ɔbɛkan Israelfo nkyemu anan mu baako? Ma minwu atreneefo wu, na mʼawiei nyɛ sɛ wɔn de.”
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)!”
Balak bisaa Balaam se, “Dɛn na woayɛ me yi? Mede wo baa sɛ bɛdome mʼatamfo, nanso woahyira wɔn mmom!”
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Obuae se, “So ɛnsɛ sɛ meka nea Awurade de ahyɛ mʼano no ana?”
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.”
Afei, Balak ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Bra na yɛnkɔ baabi foforo a yebehu wɔn; worenhu wɔn nyinaa, gye wɔn atenae no nkyɛn nkyɛn. Gyina hɔ na dome wɔn ma me.”
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.
Enti ɔde no kɔɔ Sofim bepɔw Pisga atifi. Osii afɔremuka ason wɔ hɔ na ɔde nantwinini ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔre afɔre wɔ afɔremuka biara so.
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
Balaam ka kyerɛɛ Balak se, “Tena wʼafɔre no ho wɔ ha na me nso merekohyia Awuradewɔ hɔ.”
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.”
Awurade hyiaa Balaam na ɔde asɛm hyɛɛ nʼanom se, “San kɔ Balak hɔ na kɔka asɛm yi kyerɛ no.”
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?”
Enti ɔsan ba bɛtoo no no sɛ ogyina nʼafɔre no ho a Moab mpanyimfo no ka ne ho. Balak bisae se, “Awurade aka dɛn?”
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Na ɔhyɛɛ ne nkɔm: “Balak, sɔre na tie; Sipor babarima tie me.
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.
Onyankopɔn nyɛ onipa na wadi atoro; Ɔnyɛ onipa na wasesa nʼadwene. Ɔka asɛm a ɔnyɛ ana? Wahyɛ bɔ bi pɛn a wanni so ana?
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
Wɔahyɛ me sɛ minhyira; wahyira, na merentumi nnan ani!
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].
“Wonhu ɔyawdi bi wɔ Yakob mu, wonhuu awerɛhowdi biara wɔ Israel mu. Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn ka wɔn ho; Ɔhene ka wɔn ho!
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Onyankopɔn yii wɔn fii Misraim; ɔte sɛ nantwi hoɔdenfo ma wɔn.
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!’
Nnome biara mmaa Yakob so ɛ, mmusu biara nni Israel so. Afei, wɔbɛka afa Yakob ne Israel ho se, ‘Hwɛ nea Onyankopɔn ayɛ!’
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.”
Nnipa no sɔre sɛ gyatabere. Wɔwosow wɔn ho sɛ gyata a onnye nʼahome de kosi sɛ ɔbɛtetew nea wakyere no no nam pasaa na ɔnom nea wakyere no no mogya.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
Na Balak ka kyerɛɛ Balaam se, “Sɛ worennome wɔn a, ɛno de nhyira wɔn koraa.”
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
Balaam buaa no se, “Manka ankyerɛ wo se nea Awurade bɛka biara na mɛyɛ ana?”
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.”
Afei, Balak ka kyerɛɛ Balaam se, “Bra mma memfa wo nkɔ baabi foforo. Ebia, ɛhɔ bɛyɛ anisɔ ama Onyankopɔn sɛ wubegyina hɔ adome wɔn.”
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
Na Balak faa Balaam de no kɔɔ bepɔw Peor a ani kyerɛ nweatam no atifi pɛɛ no so.
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Bio, Balaam kae se, “Si afɔremuka ason na siesie anantwinini ason ne adwennini ason ma me.”
30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
Balak yɛɛ nea Balaam kae no, enti ɔde nantwinini ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔre wɔ afɔremuka no biara so.
