Ndari 23
1 Nake Balamu akĩĩra Balaki atĩrĩ, “Njakĩra igongona mũgwanja haha, na ũhaarĩrie ndegwa mũgwanja na ndũrũme mũgwanja.”
And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
2 Balaki agĩĩka o ũrĩa Balamu oigĩte, na igũrũ rĩa o kĩgongona-inĩ makarutĩra igongona rĩa ndegwa ĩmwe na ndũrũme ĩmwe.
And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar.
3 Ningĩ Balamu akĩĩra Balaki atĩrĩ, “Wee ikara haha hakuhĩ na iruta rĩaku nyambe thiĩ keheri-inĩ. Hihi Jehova nĩegũũka acemanie na niĩ. Ũndũ ũrĩa wothe ekũnguũrĩria nĩngũkwĩra.” Nake agĩthiĩ handũ hatheri hatũũgĩru.
And Balaam said to Balak: “Stand for a little while next to your holocaust, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet with me. And whatever he will command, I shall speak to you.”
4 Ngai agĩcemania nake hau, nake Balamu akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩhaarĩirie igongona mũgwanja, na o kĩgongona-inĩ ngaruta ndegwa ĩmwe na ndũrũme ĩmwe.”
And after he had quickly departed, God met with him. And Balaam, speaking to him, said: “I have set up seven altars, and I have placed a calf and a ram on each.”
5 Nake Jehova agĩĩkĩra ndũmĩrĩri yake kanua ka Balamu, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Cooka kũrĩ Balaki ũmũhe ndũmĩrĩri ĩno.”
Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.”
6 Tondũ ũcio Balamu agĩcooka kũrĩ Balaki, akĩmũkora arũngiĩ hakuhĩ na igongona rĩake, marĩ hamwe na anene othe a Moabi.
Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites.
7 Nake Balamu akĩaria ndũmĩrĩri yake, akiuga atĩrĩ: “Balaki andehithĩtie kuuma bũrũri wa Aramu, mũthamaki wa Moabi akanduta kuuma irĩma-inĩ cia mwena wa irathĩro. Akoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ũka ũnumĩre Jakubu; ũka ũthitange Isiraeli.’
And taking up his parable, he said: “Balak, king of the Moabites, has led me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘and curse Jacob. Hurry and condemn Israel.’
8 Ndaakĩhota atĩa kũruma arĩa Ngai atarumĩte? Ndaakĩhota atĩa gũthitanga arĩa Jehova atathitangĩte?
How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn?
9 Kuuma tũcũmbĩrĩ twa ndwaro cia mahiga nĩndĩramoona, kuuma kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru nĩndĩramoona. Ndĩrona andũ matũũraga meikarĩtie, nao matiĩtaraga atĩ o nĩ amwe a ndũrĩrĩ.
I will look upon him from the tops of the stones, and I will consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and they shall not be counted among the nations.
10 Nũũ ũngĩhota gũtara rũkũngũ rwa Jakubu, kana atare gĩcunjĩ kĩa inya kĩa Isiraeli? Rekei ngue gĩkuũ kĩa arĩa athingu, na marigĩrĩrio makwa-rĩ, marotuĩka ta mao!”
Who can number the dust that is Jacob, and who can know the number of the stock of Israel? May my soul die a just death, and may my end be like theirs.”
11 Balaki akĩũria Balamu atĩrĩ, “Wanjĩka atĩa? Ngũrehire ũnumĩre thũ ciakwa, no ndũrĩ ũreka ũndũ o tiga kũmarathima!”
And Balak said to Balaam: “What is this that you are doing? I called for you, in order to curse my enemies, and to the contrary, you bless them.”
12 Balamu akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Githĩ ndiagĩrĩirwo njarie o kĩrĩa Jehova ekĩrĩte kanua-inĩ gakwa?”
He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?”
13 Ningĩ Balaki akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka tũthiĩ nawe handũ hangĩ harĩa ũkũmoona; ũkũmoona o gĩcunjĩ kĩmwe kĩao, no ti othe hamwe. Na ũrĩ hau ũnumĩre andũ acio.”
Therefore, Balak said: “Come with me to another place, from where you may see a portion of Israel, though you cannot see them all. Curse them from there.”
14 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩmũtwara gĩthaka-inĩ gĩa Zofimu, gacũmbĩrĩ ga Kĩrĩma kĩa Pisiga, naho hau agĩaka igongona mũgwanja, na o kĩgongona-inĩ agĩthĩnjĩra ndegwa ĩmwe na ndũrũme ĩmwe.
And when he had led him to a lofty place, on the top of mount Pisgah, Balaam built seven altars, and placing upon each a calf and a ram,
15 Balamu akĩĩra Balaki atĩrĩ, “Wee ikara haha hakuhĩ na iruta rĩaku nyambe thiĩ ngacemanie nake haarĩa.”
he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.”
16 Jehova agĩcemania na Balamu, agĩĩkĩra ndũmĩrĩri kanua gake, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Cooka kũrĩ Balaki ũmũhe ndũmĩrĩri ĩno.”
And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said, “Return to Balak, and you shall say this to him.”
17 Tondũ ũcio Balamu agĩcooka kũrĩ Balaki na akĩmũkora arũngiĩ hakuhĩ na iruta rĩake, marĩ hamwe na anene a Moabi. Balaki akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Jehova oiga atĩa?”
Returning, he found him standing next to his holocaust, and the leaders of the Moabites were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18 Balamu agĩcooka akĩaria ndũmĩrĩri yake, akiuga atĩrĩ: “Arahũka, wee Balaki na ũigue; Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wa Ziporu.
But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you son of Zippor.
19 Ngai ti mũndũ, atĩ nĩguo aheenanie, o na ti mũrũ wa mũndũ, atĩ nĩguo ericũkwo. No oige ũndũ na ndawĩĩke? No eranĩre ũndũ na ndaũhingie?
God is not like a man, so that he would lie, nor is he like a son of man, so that he would be changed. Therefore, having spoken, will he not act? Has he ever spoken, and not fulfilled?
20 Niĩ njathĩtwo ndathimane; nake arathimanĩte-rĩ, ndingĩhota kũgarũra ũndũ ũcio.
I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing.
21 “Gũtirĩ mũtino wonekete harĩ Jakubu, gũtirĩ ihooru rĩonetwo thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli. Jehova Ngai wao arĩ hamwe nao; kayũ ka mũthamaki karĩ thĩinĩ wao.
There is no idol in Jacob; neither is there a false image to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the resound of royal victory is in him.
22 Ngai nĩamarutire bũrũri wa Misiri; marĩ na hinya o ta ndegwa ya gĩthaka.
God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros.
23 Gũtirĩ ũrogi ũngĩũraga Jakubu, gũtirĩ ũragũri ũngĩthũkia Isiraeli. Rĩu ha ũhoro wa Jakubu na wa Isiraeli kũrĩĩranagwo atĩrĩ, ‘Ta kĩonei ũrĩa Ngai ekĩte!’
There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor any divination in Israel. In their times, it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought.
24 Andũ acio maarahũkaga ta mũrũũthi wa nga; mookagĩra ta mũrũũthi wa njamba, ũrĩa ũtangĩhurũka ũtarĩĩte kĩrĩa ũnyiitĩte, na ũkanyua thakame ya kĩrĩa ũragĩte.”
Behold, the people will rise up like a lioness, and lie down like a lion. But they will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
25 Ningĩ Balaki akĩĩra Balamu atĩrĩ, “Ndũkamarume o na atĩa, na ndũkamarathime o na atĩa!”
And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.”
26 Balamu akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Githĩ ndiakwĩrire no nginya njĩke ũrĩa wothe Jehova oigĩte?”
And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would do?”
27 Ningĩ Balaki akĩĩra Balamu atĩrĩ, “Ũka tũthiĩ ngũtware handũ hangĩ. Hihi Ngai no agwĩtĩkĩrie ũnumĩre andũ aya ũrĩ hau.”
And Balak said to him: “Come and I will lead you to another place. If perhaps it may please God, then you may curse them from there.”
28 Balaki akĩoya Balamu akĩmũtwara kĩrĩma igũrũ kĩa Peoru, kũngʼethera Werũ ũrĩa ũtarĩ kĩndũ.
And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness,
29 Nake Balamu akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Njakĩra igongona mũgwanja haha, na ũhaarĩrie ndegwa mũgwanja na ndũrũme mũgwanja.”
Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
30 Balaki agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Balamu oigĩte, na o kĩgongona-inĩ agĩthĩnjĩra ndegwa ĩmwe na ndũrũme ĩmwe.
Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram.
