Mitango 23
1 Balami alobaki na Balaki: « Tongela ngai bitumbelo sambo awa mpe bongisela ngai bangombe ya mibali mpe bameme ya mibali sambo. »
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Balaki asalaki ndenge Balami alobaki, mpe bango mibale babonzaki bangombe ya mibali mpe bameme ya mibali wana na etumbelo moko na moko.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Alobaki na Balaki: « Telema awa, pembeni ya mbeka na yo, bongo ngai napusani mwa mosika. Tango mosusu Yawe akoya kokutana na ngai, bongo nakoyebisa yo makambo nyonso oyo akolakisa ngai. » Balami akendeki likolo ya ngomba moko ya mokuse mpe ezanga matiti.
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 Nzambe akutanaki na Balami, mpe Balami alobaki: — Nabongisaki bitumbelo sambo; mpe na etumbelo moko na moko, nasili kobonza ngombe ya mobali mpe meme ya mobali moko.
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 Yawe atiaki maloba na monoko ya Balami mpe alobaki: — Zonga epai ya Balaki mpe yebisa ye maloba oyo.
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Bongo Balami azongaki epai ya Balaki mpe akutaki ye atelemi pembeni ya mbeka na ye, elongo na bakambi nyonso ya Moabi.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
7 Boye, Balami akomaki koloba maloba oyo: « Balaki abengisaki ngai wuta na Arami, mokonzi ya Moabi abengisaki ngai wuta na bangomba ya este. Alobaki: ‹ Yaka, lakela Jakobi mabe mpo na ngai; yaka, loba mabe mpo na Isalaele.
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 Ndenge nini nakoki solo kolakela mabe bato oyo Nzambe alakela mabe te? Ndenge nini nakoki solo koloba mabe mpo na bato oyo Yawe alobela mabe te?
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 Tala, wuta na likolo ya mabanga, nazali komona bango; wuta na likolo ya bangomba, nazali kotala bango. Tala, nazali komona bato moko bavanda bango moko, bazali komitanga na molongo ya bikolo te.
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 Nani akoki kotanga putulu ya Jakobi to kotanga motango ya bakitani ya Isalaele? Tika ete nakufa kufa ya bato ya sembo, mpe tika ete suka na ngai ezala lokola ya bango! › »
(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 Balaki alobaki na Balami: — Likambo nini osali ngai? Nabengisaki yo mpo ete olakela banguna na ngai mabe; kasi tala, opamboli bango koleka.
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 Balami azongisaki: — Boni, naloba te maloba oyo Yawe atie na monoko na ngai?
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Balaki alobaki na Balami: — Yaka elongo na ngai esika mosusu, epai okoki komona bango; okomona bango nyonso te, kasi kaka ndambo. Mpe wuta na esika yango, lakela bango mabe mpo na ngai.
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 Boye, Balaki amemaki Balami na elanga ya Tsofimi, na songe ya ngomba Pisiga, mpe atongaki kuna bitumbelo sambo mpe abonzaki bangombe ya mibali mpe bameme ya mibali wana na etumbelo moko na moko.
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 Balami alobaki na Balaki: — Telema awa, pembeni ya mbeka na yo, wana ngai nakopusana mwa mosika mpo na kokutana na ye.
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Yawe akutanaki na Balami, atiaki maloba na monoko na ye mpe alobaki: — Zonga epai ya Balaki mpe yebisa ye maloba oyo.
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 Bongo, Balami azongaki epai ya Balaki mpe akutaki ye atelemi pembeni ya mbeka na ye, elongo na bakambi nyonso ya Moabi. Balaki atunaki ye: — Yawe alobi nini?
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 Bongo Balami akomaki koloba maloba oyo: « Balaki, telema mpe yoka! Mwana mobali ya Tsipori, yoka ngai malamu!
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Nzambe azali moto te mpo ete akosa, azali mpe mwana ya moto te mpo ete akoka kobongola makanisi na Ye. Boni, akoki solo koloba mpe kosala eloko moko te? Akoki solo kopesa elaka mpe kokokisa yango te?
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 Nazwaki nde mokumba ya kopambola. Asila kopambola, mpe ngai nakokoka kobongola te.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 Amonaka mbeba moko te epai ya Jakobi, amonaka minyoko te kati na Isalaele. Yawe, Nzambe na bango, azali elongo na bango; koganga ya mokonzi ezalaka kati na bango.
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 Nzambe abimisaki bango na Ejipito; bazalaka makasi lokola mpakasa.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Elakeli mabe moko te ekoki kozwa Jakobi, mpe kindoki ezali na nguya te likolo ya Isalaele. Bakoloba sik’oyo mpo na Jakobi mpe Isalaele: ‹ Tala makambo oyo Nzambe asali! ›
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 Bato oyo batelemi lokola nkosi ya mwasi; epemaka te soki epasoli te mosuni na yango mpe emeli te makila ya nyama oyo ekangi. »
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 Bongo Balaki alobaki na Balami: — Ezala soki okoki te kolakela bango mabe, kasi kopambola bango te.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Balami azongiselaki Balaki: — Nayebisaki yo te ete nakosala kaka makambo oyo Yawe akoloba na ngai?
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Balaki alobaki na Balami: — Yaka, tika ete namema yo esika mosusu! Tango mosusu Nzambe akosepela ete olakela bango mabe mpo na ngai wuta na esika yango.
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 Balaki amemaki Balami na likolo ya ngomba Peori, esika oyo emonisaka esobe mobimba.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Balami alobaki na Balaki: — Tongela ngai bitumbelo sambo mpe bongisela ngai bangombe ya mibali mpe bameme ya mibali sambo.
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Balaki asalaki ndenge Balami alobaki, mpe abonzaki ngombe moko ya mobali mpe meme moko ya mobali na etumbelo moko na moko.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
