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 Balak, “Build seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

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 as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every 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, “Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” So he went away to a hilltop with no trees.

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.

While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, “I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one.”

5 Yawe atiaki maloba na monoko ya Balami mpe alobaki: — Zonga epai ya Balaki mpe yebisa ye maloba oyo.

Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”

6 Bongo Balami azongaki epai ya Balaki mpe akutaki ye atelemi pembeni ya mbeka na ye, elongo na bakambi nyonso ya Moabi.

So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.

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.

Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.'

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?

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?

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.

For from the top of the rocks I see him; from the hills I look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation.

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 dust of Jacob or number even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's end be like his!”

11 Balaki alobaki na Balami: — Likambo nini osali ngai? Nabengisaki yo mpo ete olakela banguna na ngai mabe; kasi tala, opamboli bango koleka.

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”

12 Balami azongisaki: — Boni, naloba te maloba oyo Yawe atie na monoko na ngai?

Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

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.

So Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them 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 he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram 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 Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

16 Yawe akutanaki na Balami, atiaki maloba na monoko na ye mpe alobaki: — Zonga epai ya Balaki mpe yebisa ye maloba oyo.

So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my 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?

Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh said?”

18 Bongo Balami akomaki koloba maloba oyo: « Balaki, telema mpe yoka! Mwana mobali ya Tsipori, yoka ngai malamu!

Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

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 man, that he should lie, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out?

20 Nazwaki nde mokumba ya kopambola. Asila kopambola, mpe ngai nakokoka kobongola te.

Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.

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.

He has seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them.

22 Nzambe abimisaki bango na Ejipito; bazalaka makasi lokola mpakasa.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of 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! ›

There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has done!'

24 Bato oyo batelemi lokola nkosi ya mwasi; epemaka te soki epasoli te mosuni na yango mpe emeli te makila ya nyama oyo ekangi. »

Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed.”

25 Bongo Balaki alobaki na Balami: — Ezala soki okoki te kolakela bango mabe, kasi kopambola bango te.

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”

26 Balami azongiselaki Balaki: — Nayebisaki yo te ete nakosala kaka makambo oyo Yawe akoloba na ngai?

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”

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.

So Balak replied to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me.”

28 Balaki amemaki Balami na likolo ya ngomba Peori, esika oyo emonisaka esobe mobimba.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

29 Balami alobaki na Balaki: — Tongela ngai bitumbelo sambo mpe bongisela ngai bangombe ya mibali mpe bameme ya mibali sambo.

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

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 as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.