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 sɛ, “Si afɔrebukyia nson wɔ ha, na siesie anantwie mma nson ne nnwennini nson fa wɔn bɔ afɔdeɛ.”
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 tiee Balaam asɛm no, enti ɔde nantwie ba ne odwennini ba bɔɔ afɔrebukyia nson no biara so afɔdeɛ.
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 ɔhene no sɛ, “Sɔre gyina wo ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ no ho na mɛhwɛ sɛ Awurade bɛhyia me, na asɛm a ɔbɛka akyerɛ me no nso, mɛka akyerɛ wo.” Enti, ɔforo kɔɔ apampam baabi.
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. Balaam ka kyerɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Masiesie afɔrebukyia nson. Mabɔ afɔrebukyia no biara so nantwie ba ne odwennini ba afɔdeɛ.”
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
Afei, Awurade de nkra maa Balaam sɛ ɔnkɔka nkyerɛ ɔhene Balak.
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
Ɛberɛ a Balaam sane baeɛ no, na ɔhene no ne ahenemma a wɔfiri Moab no gyina ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ 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!’
Nkɔmhyɛ a Balaam de maaeɛ no nie: “Ɔhene Balak soma bɛfrɛɛ me firii Aram. Moabhene frɛɛ me firii apueeɛ fam nkokoɔ so. Ɔkaa sɛ, ‘Bra bɛdome Yakob ma me! Bra bɛka mmusuo a ɛbɛba Israelfoɔ 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 madome wɔn a Onyankopɔn nnomee wɔn? Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi abu wɔn fɔ, nnipa a Awurade mmuu wɔn fɔ?
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.
Mehunu wɔn firi abotan atifi; mehwɛ wɔn firi nkokoɔ so. Mehunu nnipa a wɔte wɔn ho ase, a wɔayi wɔn afiri amanaman mu.
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.”
Hwan na ɔbɛtumi akan Yakob asefoɔ, wɔdɔɔso sɛ mfuturo? Hwan na ɔbɛtumi akan Israelfoɔ nkyɛmu ɛnan mu baako? Ma menwu sɛ ɔteneneeni; na mawieɛ nyɛ sɛ wɔn deɛ.”
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)!”
Ɔhene Balak bisaa Balaam sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na woayɛ me yi? Mede wo baa sɛ bɛdome mʼatamfoɔ, nanso woahyira wɔn!”
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Nanso, Balaam buaa sɛ, “Metumi aka biribi a Awurade nkaa sɛ menka anaa?”
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 sɛ, “Bra na yɛnkɔ baabi foforɔ. Yɛduru hɔ a, wobɛhunu ɔman Israel fa bi wɔ hɔ. Dome wɔn a wobɛhu wɔn wɔ hɔ no nyinaa.”
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.
Ɔhene Balak faa Balaam de no kɔɔ Sofim bepɔ Pisga atifi. Ɔsii afɔrebukyia nson wɔ hɔ. Ɛnna ɔde nantwie ba ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔrebukyia biara so afɔdeɛ.
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
Afei, Balaam ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no sɛ, “Gyina wo ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ no ho wɔ ha na me nso merekɔhyia Awurade.”
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 ɔkaa asɛm a ɔnkɔka kyerɛɛ 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, ɔsane baa baabi a ɔhene no ne Moab ahenemma no wɔ a wɔgyina wɔn ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ no ho. Ɔhene no de ahopere bisaa sɛ, “Awurade aka sɛn?”
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Nkɔmhyɛ a Balaam de maaeɛ no nie: “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 nnyɛ onipa na wadi atorɔ; Ɔnyɛ onipa na wasesa nʼadwene. Wakasa a wanyɛ anaa? Wahyɛ bɔ bi pɛn a wanni so anaa?
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
Wɔhyɛɛ me sɛ menhyira; wahyira, na merentumi nnane no!
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].
“Menhunu amanehunu bi a ɛbɛba Yakob so. Ɔhaw biara nni hɔ mma Israel! Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn ka wɔn ho. Ɔne wɔn ɔhene!
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Onyankopɔn ayi wɔn afiri Misraim; ɔte sɛ nantwie hoɔdenfoɔ 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 renka Yakob, abayisɛm biara nni tumi wɔ Israel so. Na wɔbɛka wɔ Yakob ho sɛ, ‘Hwɛ anwanwadeɛ a Onyankopɔn ayɛ ama Israel!’
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.”
Saa nnipa yi sɔre sɛ gyataburu. Wɔgyina hɔ sɛ gyata hoɔdenfoɔ. Ɔnnye nʼahome kɔsi sɛ ɔbɛwe nʼahaboa awie na wanom ne mogya nyinaa!”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Balaam sɛ, “Sɛ worennome wɔn a, ɛnneɛ nhyira wɔn.”
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
Nanso Balaam buaa no sɛ, “Manka ankyerɛ wo sɛ asɛm a Awurade bɛka akyerɛ me sɛ menka no na mɛka?”
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, ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Balaam sɛ, “Mede wo bɛkɔ baabi foforɔ. Ebia, ɛhɔ bɛyɛ anisɔ ama Onyankopɔn sɛ wobɛgyina 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.
Enti, ɔhene Balak faa Balaam de no kɔɔ bepɔ Peor a ani kyerɛ anweatam no atifi pɛɛ so.
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Bio, Balaam ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no sɛ ɔnsi afɔrebukyia nson na ɔnsiesie nantwie mma nson ne nnwennini mma nson mma afɔrebɔ.
30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
Ɔhene no yɛɛ deɛ Balaam kaeɛ no, enti ɔde nantwie ba ne odwennini ba bɔɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ afɔrebukyia nson no biara so.
