Mose 4 22
1 Israelviwo zɔ mɔ azɔ yi Moab tagba, eye woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo le Yeriko kasa.
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 Azɔ la, Balak, Zipɔr ƒe viŋutsu kpɔ nu si Israelviwo wɔ Amoritɔwo,
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 eye vɔvɔ̃ ɖo Moab, elabena ameawo sɔ gbɔ ŋutɔ. Nyateƒe, dzidzi ƒo Moab le Israelviwo ŋu.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 Wowɔ takpekpe kple Midiantɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo enumake. Wogblɔ be, “Ameha gã sia aɖu mí abe ale si nyitsu ɖua gbe ene.” Ale Balak, Zipɔr ƒe vi, ame si nye Moab fia ɣe ma ɣi la,
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 ɖo amewo ɖa be woayɔ Balaam, Beor ƒe viŋutsu, ame si nɔ Petor, afi si te ɖe tɔsisi la ŋu vɛ. Balak gblɔ be, “Dukɔ aɖe tso Egipte; wotsyɔ anyigba ŋkume, eye wole teƒe aɖe si te ɖe ŋunye.
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 Azɔ la, va nàƒo fi ade ame siawo, elabena wosẽ akpa na mí. Ekema, ɖewohĩ, mate ŋu aɖu wo dzi, eye manya wo dzoe le anyigba la dzi. Elabena menya be ame siwo nèyrana la kpɔa yayra, eye ame siwo nèƒoa fi dena la kpɔa fiƒode.”
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 Ame siwo wòdɔ ɖo ɖe Balaam gbɔ la woe nye, Moabtɔwo kple Midiantɔwo ƒe ametsitsiwo. Wotsɔ ga ɖe asi yi na Balaam, eye woɖe nu si Balak di be wòawɔ na ye la me nɛ nyuie.
[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 Balaam gblɔ na wo be, “Mitsi afi sia dɔ. Etsɔ ŋdi la, magblɔ nu sia nu si Yehowa agblɔ nam be magblɔ la na mi.” Ale wotsi afi ma dɔ.
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 Le zã me la, Mawu va Balaam gbɔ, eye wòbiae be, “Ame kawoe nye ame siawo?”
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Balaam ɖo eŋu na Mawu be, “Wotso Balak, Moab fia gbɔ.
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 Fia la gblɔ be, ameha gã aɖe tso Egipte va ɖo yeƒe anyigba ƒe liƒo dzi, eye wòdi be mayi enumake aɖaƒo fi ade wo na ye, ale be yeate ŋu awɔ aʋa kpli wo, aɖu wo dzi.”
‘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 Mawu gblɔ na Balaam be, “Mègayi ɖaƒo fi de wo o, elabena meyra wo xoxo!”
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Esi ŋu ke la, Balaam gblɔ na Balak ƒe ameawo be, “Mitrɔ dzo! Yehowa meɖe mɔ nam be mawɔ nu si miaƒe fia di be mawɔ o.”
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 Ale Fia Balak ƒe ame dɔdɔwo trɔ dzo, Balaam medze wo yome o.
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Esi woka nya la ta na Balak la, egadɔ amewo ɖe Balaam. Eƒe ame dɔdɔwo sɔ gbɔ azɔ, eye wonye ame ŋkutawo wu ame dɔdɔ gbãtɔwo.
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 Woyi Balaam gbɔ, eye wogblɔ nɛ be, “Esiae nye nya si Balak, Zipɔr ƒe viŋutsu gblɔ, ‘Mègana naneke naxe mɔ na wò be màva gbɔnye o,
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 elabena maxe fe na wò nyuie, eye mawɔ nu sia nu si nàgblɔ nam be mawɔ. Va, nàƒo fi ade ame siawo nam.’”
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 Ke Balaam ɖo eŋu be, “Ne Balak tsɔ fiasã si klosalo kple sika yɔ gɔ̃ hã anam la, nyemate ŋu awɔ naneke si atsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa, nye Mawu ƒe gbeɖeɖe ŋu o.
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 Mitsi afi sia dɔ ale be makpɔe ɖa be Yehowa agatsɔ nane akpe ɖe nya si wògblɔ nam zi gbãtɔ la ŋu mahã.”
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 Le zã me la, Mawu gblɔ na Balaam be, “Fɔ, nàyi kple ame siawo, ke kpɔ nyuie be, nàgblɔ nu si magblɔ na wò be nàgblɔ la ko.”
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 Ale le ŋdi la, Balaam lia eƒe tedzi dzi, eye wòdze ameawo yome.
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 Ke Mawu do dɔmedzoe ŋutɔ esi Balaam yina, eye Yehowa ƒe dɔla tsi tsitre ɖe mɔa dzi be yeatsi tsitre ɖe eŋu. Ke Balaam nɔ eƒe tedzi dzi, eye eƒe subɔla eve nɔ eŋu.
[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 Esi tedzi la kpɔ Yehowa ƒe dɔla wòtsi tsitre ɖe mɔa dzi, eye yi le esi la, edzo le mɔa dzi yi gbe me. Balaam ƒoe be wòatrɔ ayi mɔ la dzi.
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 Azɔ la, mawudɔla la tsi tsitre ɖe afi si mɔ la to waingble eve ƒe glikpɔwo dome le.
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 Esi tedzi la kpɔe wònɔ tsitre ɖe afi ma la, edze nɛ to glikpɔ ɖeka ŋu tututu, eye wòna Balaam ƒe afɔwo lili ɖe glikpɔ la ŋu. Ale Balaam gaƒoe.
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 Mawudɔla la gayi ɖatsi tsitre ɖe teƒe aɖe, afi si mɔa xaxa le ale gbegbe be tedzi la magate ŋu ato exa kura o.
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 Ale tedzi la tsyɔ akɔ anyi ɖe mɔ la dzi. Balaam do dɔmedzoe vevie, eye wòƒo tedzi la kple eƒe atikplɔ.
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 Tete Yehowa na be tedzi la nate ŋu aƒo nu. Tedzi la bia Balaam be, “Nu ka mewɔ si na be nàƒom zi etɔ̃?”
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 do ɣli ɖe tedzi la ta be, “Elabena èdo lãm! Ɖe yi aɖe anɔ asinye hafi; anye ne mawu wò.”
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 Tedzi la gabiae be, “Ɖe mewɔ nu sia tɔgbi aɖe kpɔ le nye agbenɔnɔ blibo mea?” Balaam ɖo eŋu be, “Ao.”
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 Tete Yehowa ʋu Balaam ƒe ŋkuwo. Ekpɔ mawudɔla la wòtsi tsitre ɖe mɔa dzi, eye wòlé yi ɖe asi. Enumake Balaam mlɔ anyigba le mawudɔla la ŋkume.
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 Mawudɔla la bia Balaam be, “Nu ka ta nèƒo wò tedzi la zi etɔ̃? Meva be mana màgawɔ nu si nèdi be yeawɔ o, elabena èɖo ta tsɔtsrɔ̃ me.
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 Wò tedzi la kpɔm zi etɔ̃, eye wòte ɖa le gbɔnye zi etɔ̃. Ne menye ɖe wòdze nam o la, anye ne mewu wò xoxo, ke mana eya natsi agbe.”
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 ʋu eme na mawudɔla la be, “Mewɔ nu vɔ̃. Nyemenya be ènɔ afi ma o. Ne mèdi be magayi nye mɔzɔzɔ la dzi o la, matrɔ ayi aƒe.”
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 Mawudɔla la gblɔ nɛ be, “Yi kple ameawo, gake nàgblɔ nu si meɖo na wò be nàgblɔ la ko.” Ale Balaam yi kple Balak ƒe ameawo.
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 Esi Fia Balak se be Balaam gbɔna la, edzo le eƒe fiadu la me, eye wòyi be yeakpee le Arnon tɔsisi la gbɔ le eƒe anyigba ƒe liƒo dzi.
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 Balak bia Balaam be, “Nu ka ta nètsi anyi wòdidi alea hafi nèva ɖo? Medo ŋugbe na wò be made bubu gã ŋuwò. Ɖe mèxɔe se oa?”
[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 ɖo eŋu na Balak be, “Meva, gake ŋusẽ mele asinye be magblɔ nya aɖeke o, negbe esi Mawu ɖo nam be magblɔ la ko, eye eya koe nye nya si magblɔ.”
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 Balaam kple Balak dze fia la yome yi Kiriat Huzot.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Fia Balak tsɔ nyitsuwo kple alẽwo sa vɔe le afi ma, eye wòtsɔ lãwo na ame dɔdɔwo kple Balaam hena woawo hã ƒe vɔsawo.
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 Esi ŋu ke ŋdi la, Fia Balak kplɔ Balaam yi Bamɔt Baal to la dzi, afi si Balaam ate ŋu akpɔ Israelviwo wogbagba ɖe anyigba la me le eŋkume le.
[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.
