Ọnụọgụgụ 23

1 Belam sịrị, “Wuoro m ebe ịchụ aja asaa nʼebe a. Kwadokwaara m oke ehi asaa na ebule asaa.”

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

2 Balak mezuru dịka Belam gwara ya. Ha abụọ gburu otu oke ehi na otu nwa ebule nʼebe ịchụ aja asaa ahụ nʼotu na otu.

So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Mgbe ahụ, Belam gwara Balak sị, “Guzoro nʼebe a nʼakụkụ aja gị ka m gaa nʼihu chọpụta ma eleghị anya Onyenwe anyị ga-ezute m. Aga m agwa gị ihe ọbụla o kpughere m.” Ya mere, Belam rigooro nʼebe ọhịa na-adịghị.

“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,

4 Chineke zutere ya nʼebe ahụ. Belam gwara ya sị, “Edoziela m ebe ịchụ aja asaa, gbukwaa otu oke ehi na otu ebule nʼelu ha niile nʼotu na otu.”

and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

5 Nʼoge a, Onyenwe anyị tinyere Belam ozi nʼọnụ sị ya, “Laghachi gaa zie Balak ozi a.”

Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

6 Mgbe Belam lọghachiri ọ hụrụ ya ka o guzoro nʼakụkụ ihe aja ya ndị ahụ, ya na ndịisi Moab niile.

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

7 Nke a bụ ozi Belam ziri: “Balak esitela nʼobodo Aram kpọta m. Eze Moab esitela nʼọwụwa anyanwụ nke ugwu ahụ kpọta m. Ọ sịrị m, bịa bụọrọ m Jekọb ọnụ bịa kwutọọ Izrel.

And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’

8 M ga-esi aṅaa bụọ onye Chineke na-abụghị ọnụ ọnụ? M ga-esi aṅaa kọchaa onye Onyenwe anyị na-akọchaghị?

How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?

9 Esitela m nʼelu nkume ndị a hụ ha. Elegidere m ha anya site nʼugwu ahụ, hụ na ha bụ ndị biri onwe ha, ndị dị iche site nʼetiti mba niile ọzọ.

For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.

10 Onye pụrụ ịgụta ole uzuzu Jekọb dị? Maọbụ gụta ole otu ụzọ nʼime nkewa anọ nke Izrel dị. Ọ ga-atọ m ụtọ ịnwụ ụdị ọnwụ ndị na-eme ezi omume. Ka ọgwụgwụ ndụ m bụrụ ihe nwere ike iyi nke ha!”

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”

11 Balak sịrị Belam, “Gịnị bụ ihe a i mere m? Akpọtara m gị ka ị bụọrọ m ndị iro m ọnụ, ma ugbu a, ọ dịghị ihe ọzọ i mere karịa naanị ịgọzi ha!”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”

12 Ma Belam zaghachiri sị ya, “Ọ bụghị ihe Onyenwe anyị tinyere m nʼọnụ ka m ga-ekwu?”

But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

13 Mgbe ahụ, Balak sịrị ya, “Soro m bịa nʼebe ọzọ ebe ị ga-ahụ ha; ọ bụ naanị nsọtụ ọmụma ụlọ ikwu ha ka ị ga-ahụ, ị gaghị ahụ ha niile. Site nʼebe ahụ bụọrọ m ha ọnụ.”

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

14 Ya mere, eze Balak duuru Belam gaa nʼọhịa Zofim, nʼelu ugwu Pisga, wuo ebe ịchụ aja asaa nʼebe ahụ. O jikwa otu oke ehi, otu oke ehi, na otu ebule, otu ebule, chụọ aja nʼebe ịchụ aja ndị ahụ.

So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Belam sịrị Balak, “Guzoro nʼebe a nʼakụkụ ihe aja gị, ebe mụ onwe m ga-ezute ya nʼofe nke ọzọ.”

Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

16 Ma Onyenwe anyị zutere Belam gwa ya ihe ọ ga-ekwu sị ya, “Laghachikwuru Balak zie ya ozi a.”

And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”

17 Ya mere, ọ lọghachiri azụ nʼebe ahụ Balak na ụmụ eze Moab guzoro nʼakụkụ ihe aja ha. Balak jụrụ ya sị, “Gịnị ka Onyenwe anyị sịrị?”

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.

18 Ma Belam zaghachiri sị ya: “Bilie ọtọ Balak, nụrụ ozi. Ṅaa ntị nʼokwu m, gị nwa Zipoa.

Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.

19 Chineke agaghị agha ụgha, nʼihi na ọ bụghị mmadụ. Ọ gaghị agbanwe obi ya, nʼihi na ọ bụghị nwa mmadụ. O kwuola okwu, ma ghara ime ihe o kwuru? O kwela nkwa ma ghara imezu nkwa o kwere?

God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

20 Chineke enyela m iwu sị m gọzie ha. Ọ gọziela ha, a pụghịkwa ịgbanwe ya!

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

21 “O nweghị ajọ ihe nke ahụrụ nʼime Jekọb, ahụghịkwa mwute ọbụla nʼIzrel. Onyenwe anyị Chineke ha nọnyeere ha. Iti mkpu nke Eze dịkwa nʼetiti ha.

He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

22 Chineke kpọpụtara ha site nʼIjipt. Ha dị ike dịka ehi ọhịa.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

23 Ọ dịghị mgbaasị ga-emegide ha. Ọ dịkwaghị ịgba afa a pụrụ iji megide Izrel. Nʼihi na ugbu a, ihe dị otu a ka a ga-ekwu banyere Jekọb na Izrel. ‘Lee, ihe Chineke mere ha.’

For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

24 Ha na-ebili ọtọ dịka nne ọdụm, ha na-enugharị onwe ha dịka ọdụm, nke na-adịghị edina ala tutu o richaa ihe o gburu, ma ṅụọkwa ọbara ihe ahụ o tigburu!”

Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

25 Mgbe ahụ, Balak sịrị Belam, “Abụla ha ọnụ ma ọlị, ma ọ bụkwanụ gọzie ha ma ọlị.”

Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 Ma Belam zaghachiri, “Ọ bụ na m agwaghị gị, ihe ọbụla nke Onyenwe anyị ga-ekwu ka m ga-eme?”

But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”

27 Mgbe ahụ, Balak sịrị Belam, “Bịa, aga m akpọrọ gị gaa nʼebe ọzọ. Eleghị anya ọ ga-amasị Chineke ka i si nʼebe ahụ bụọrọ m ha ọnụ.”

“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

28 Ya mere, Balak duuru Belam gaa nʼelu ugwu Peoa nke na-elegide ọzara ahụ anya.

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

29 Belam gwara Balak okwu sị ya, “Wuoro m ebe ịchụ aja asaa ọzọ. Doziekwa ụmụ oke ehi asaa na ebule asaa e ji achụ aja.”

Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

30 Balak mere dịka Belam gwara ya. O ji otu oke ehi na otu ebule chụọ aja nʼebe ịchụ aja ahụ nʼotu na otu.

So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.