Ọnụọgụgụ 23
1 Belam sịrị, “Wuoro m ebe ịchụ aja asaa nʼebe a. Kwadokwaara m oke ehi asaa na ebule asaa.”
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
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 that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] 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.
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,
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 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.”
5 Nʼoge a, Onyenwe anyị tinyere Belam ozi nʼọnụ sị ya, “Laghachi gaa zie Balak ozi a.”
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Mgbe Belam lọghachiri ọ hụrụ ya ka o guzoro nʼakụkụ ihe aja ya ndị ahụ, ya na ndịisi Moab niile.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
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.
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!’
8 M ga-esi aṅaa bụọ onye Chineke na-abụghị ọnụ ọnụ? M ga-esi aṅaa kọchaa onye Onyenwe anyị na-akọchaghị?
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]
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.
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.
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 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.”
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, “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)!”
12 Ma Belam zaghachiri sị ya, “Ọ bụghị ihe Onyenwe anyị tinyere m nʼọnụ ka m ga-ekwu?”
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
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 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.”
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 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.
15 Belam sịrị Balak, “Guzoro nʼebe a nʼakụkụ ihe aja gị, ebe mụ onwe m ga-ezute ya nʼofe nke ọzọ.”
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Ma Onyenwe anyị zutere Belam gwa ya ihe ọ ga-ekwu sị ya, “Laghachikwuru Balak zie ya ozi a.”
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.”
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 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?”
18 Ma Belam zaghachiri sị ya: “Bilie ọtọ Balak, nụrụ ozi. Ṅaa ntị nʼokwu m, gị nwa Zipoa.
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
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 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.
20 Chineke enyela m iwu sị m gọzie ha. Ọ gọziela ha, a pụghịkwa ịgbanwe ya!
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
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.
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].
22 Chineke kpọpụtara ha site nʼIjipt. Ha dị ike dịka ehi ọhịa.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as 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.’
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!’
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!”
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.”
25 Mgbe ahụ, Balak sịrị Belam, “Abụla ha ọnụ ma ọlị, ma ọ bụkwanụ gọzie ha ma ọlị.”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Ma Belam zaghachiri, “Ọ bụ na m agwaghị gị, ihe ọbụla nke Onyenwe anyị ga-ekwu ka m ga-eme?”
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to 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.”
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.”
28 Ya mere, Balak duuru Belam gaa nʼelu ugwu Peoa nke na-elegide ọzara ahụ anya.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
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.”
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
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 what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
