Okubala 23
1 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Nkolera wano ebyoto musanvu, era onfunire ne sseddume z’ente musanvu, n’endiga ennume musanvu.”
Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
2 Balaki n’akola nga Balamu bwe yamugamba; bombi Balaki ne Balamu ne bawaayo ente emu n’endiga ennume emu ku buli kyoto.
Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Beera wano awali ekiweebwayo kyo nze njire nga nzirako wabbali. Oboolyawo nga Mukama anajja n’ansisinkana. Buli kyonna ky’anambikkulira nnaakikutegeeza.” N’alaga waggulu ku lusozi awatali bimera.
Balaam said to Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I go and see if perhaps the Lord will come and meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I'll share with you.” Then Balaam left to climb up a rocky crag.
4 Katonda n’asisinkana Balamu; Balamu n’amugamba nti, “Nteeseteese ebyoto musanvu, era ku buli kyoto mpeereddeko ente ya sseddume emu n’endiga ennume emu.”
God met with him there, and Balaam said. “I have built seven altars and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 Mukama Katonda n’assa ebigambo mu kamwa ka Balamu n’amugamba nti, “Ddayo eri Balaki omutuuseeko obubaka buno.”
The Lord gave Balaam a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
6 N’addayo gye yali, n’amusanga ng’ayimiridde awali ekiweebwayo kye, n’abakungu bonna aba Mowaabu.
So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.
7 Balamu n’alagula nti, “Balaki ye yanzigya mu Alamu, kabaka wa Mowaabu yanzigya mu nsozi z’ebuvanjuba. N’aŋŋamba nti, ‘Jjangu onkolimiririre Yakobo; jjangu oboole Isirayiri.’
This is the declaration that Balaam gave: “Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the east. He said, ‘Come and curse Jacob for me! Come and condemn Israel!’
8 Nnyinza okukolimira abo Katonda batakolimidde? Nnyinza okuboola abo Mukama Katonda baatabodde?
But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned?
9 Mbalaba okuva ku ntikko ez’enjazi mbalengera nga nsinziira ku nsozi. Ndaba abantu abeeyawuddeko abateerowooza kuba ng’erimu ku mawanga.
For I'm looking down on them from the top of rocky crags; I'm watching them from the hills. I see a people who live on their own, different from the other nations.
10 Ani ayinza okubala enfuufu ya Yakobo, oba okubala ekitundu ekyokuna ekya Isirayiri? Leka nfe okufa okw’omutuukirivu, n’enkomerero yange ebeere ng’eyaabwe!”
Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites? I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”
11 Balaki n’agamba Balamu nti, “Onkoze ki kino? Nakuyita kujja kukolimira balabe bange, naye obw’edda bwonna obadde obasabira mukisa!”
Then Balak complained to Balaam, “What on earth have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! All you have done is bless them!”
12 N’addamu nti, “Tekiŋŋwanidde kwogera ekyo Mukama Katonda ky’atadde mu kamwa kange?”
But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”
13 Balaki n’amugamba nti, “Jjangu tugende mu kifo ekirala w’onoolabira abaana ba Isirayiri; ojja kulabako kitundu butundu so si bonna. Kale nno sinziira awo obankolimiririre.”
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. But you'll only see a part of their camp—you won't see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”
14 N’amutwala mu nnimiro ya Zofimu, ku ntikko ya Pisuga, n’azimbira eyo ebyoto musanvu n’awaayo sseddume w’ente emu n’endiga ennume emu ku buli kyoto.
He took him to the field of Zophim at the top of Mount Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Beera wano awali ebiweebwayo byo, nze ŋŋende musisinkane wali.”
Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”
16 Mukama Katonda n’asisinkana Balamu, n’ateeka obubaka mu kamwa ke, ng’agamba nti, “Ddayo eri Balaki omuwe obubaka obwo.”
The Lord met Balaam and gave him a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
17 N’addayo gy’ali n’amusanga ng’ayimiridde awali ekiweebwayo, ng’ali n’abakungu ba Mowaabu. Balaki n’amubuuza nti, “Mukama Katonda agambye ki?”
So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.
18 Bw’atyo n’alagula nti, “Golokoka, Balaki, owulirize; mpulira, mutabani wa Zipoli.
This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered: “Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 Katonda si muntu, nti ayinza okulimba, oba nti mwana wa bantu nti akyusakyusa ebigambo bye. Ayogera n’atakola? Asuubiza n’atatuukiriza?
God isn't a human being who would lie. He's not a mere mortal who changes his mind. Does he say he's going to do something but doesn't? Does he make promises he doesn't carry out?
20 Mpeereddwa ekiragiro okusaba omukisa; agabye omukisa, era siyinza kukikyusa.
Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that.
21 “Tewali kibi kirabiddwa mu Yakobo, tewali kubonaabona kulabise mu Isirayiri. Mukama Katonda waabwe ali nabo; eddoboozi lya kabaka ery’omwanguka liri wakati mu bo.
He's not expecting anything bad will happen to Jacob; he doesn't foresee any trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them; they celebrate him as their king.
22 Katonda ye yabaggya mu Misiri, balina amaanyi ng’aga sseddume ey’omu nsiko.
God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.
23 Tewali bulogo ku Yakobo, tewali bulaguzi ku Isirayiri. Kiryogerwako ku Yakobo ne ku Isirayiri nti, ‘Mulabe Katonda ky’akoze!’
No spell can be cast against Jacob; no magic can be used against Israel. People will talk about Jacob and Israel, saying, ‘What amazing things God has done for them!’
24 Abantu basituka ng’empologoma enkazi, beezuukusa ng’empologoma ensajja etaweera okutuusa ng’eridde omuyiggo gwayo n’enywa omusaayi gw’ebyo by’esse.”
Look! The Israelites go out hunting like a lioness; they chase like a lion. They don't rest until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of their dead victim.”
25 Balaki n’agamba Balamu nti, “Tobakolimira wadde okubasabira omukisa n’akamu!”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”
26 Balamu n’addamu nti, “Saakutegeezezza nti kinsaanidde okukola ekyo kyonna Mukama Katonda ky’anaagamba?”
But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”
27 Balaki n’agamba Balamu nti, “Jjangu, nkutwale mu kifo ekirala, oboolyawo Katonda anakkiriza obankoliimiririre ng’osinziira awo.”
“Please come with me and I will take you somewhere else,” Balak said. “Maybe God would let you curse them for me from there.”
28 Balaki n’atwala Balamu ku ntikko y’olusozi Peoli, olwolekedde eddungu.
Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.
29 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Nzimbira wano ebyoto musanvu, era onfunireyo wano ente za sseddume musanvu n’endiga ennume musanvu.”
Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
30 Balaki n’akola nga Balamu bwe yamusaba, n’awaayo sseddume y’ente emu n’endiga ennume emu ku buli kyoto.
Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
