Okubala 23
1 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Nkolera wano ebyoto musanvu, era onfunire ne sseddume z’ente musanvu, n’endiga ennume musanvu.”
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Balaki n’akola nga Balamu bwe yamugamba; bombi Balaki ne Balamu ne bawaayo ente emu n’endiga ennume emu ku buli kyoto.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] 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.
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 Katonda n’asisinkana Balamu; Balamu n’amugamba nti, “Nteeseteese ebyoto musanvu, era ku buli kyoto mpeereddeko ente ya sseddume emu n’endiga ennume emu.”
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 Mukama Katonda n’assa ebigambo mu kamwa ka Balamu n’amugamba nti, “Ddayo eri Balaki omutuuseeko obubaka buno.”
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 N’addayo gye yali, n’amusanga ng’ayimiridde awali ekiweebwayo kye, n’abakungu bonna aba Mowaabu.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
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 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 Nnyinza okukolimira abo Katonda batakolimidde? Nnyinza okuboola abo Mukama Katonda baatabodde?
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 Mbalaba okuva ku ntikko ez’enjazi mbalengera nga nsinziira ku nsozi. Ndaba abantu abeeyawuddeko abateerowooza kuba ng’erimu ku mawanga.
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 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 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 n’agamba Balamu nti, “Onkoze ki kino? Nakuyita kujja kukolimira balabe bange, naye obw’edda bwonna obadde obasabira mukisa!”
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 N’addamu nti, “Tekiŋŋwanidde kwogera ekyo Mukama Katonda ky’atadde mu kamwa kange?”
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
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 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 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.
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 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Beera wano awali ebiweebwayo byo, nze ŋŋende musisinkane wali.”
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Mukama Katonda n’asisinkana Balamu, n’ateeka obubaka mu kamwa ke, ng’agamba nti, “Ddayo eri Balaki omuwe obubaka obwo.”
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 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 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 Bw’atyo n’alagula nti, “Golokoka, Balaki, owulirize; mpulira, mutabani wa Zipoli.
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Katonda si muntu, nti ayinza okulimba, oba nti mwana wa bantu nti akyusakyusa ebigambo bye. Ayogera n’atakola? Asuubiza n’atatuukiriza?
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 Mpeereddwa ekiragiro okusaba omukisa; agabye omukisa, era siyinza kukikyusa.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot 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.
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 Katonda ye yabaggya mu Misiri, balina amaanyi ng’aga sseddume ey’omu nsiko.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Tewali bulogo ku Yakobo, tewali bulaguzi ku Isirayiri. Kiryogerwako ku Yakobo ne ku Isirayiri nti, ‘Mulabe Katonda ky’akoze!’
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 Abantu basituka ng’empologoma enkazi, beezuukusa ng’empologoma ensajja etaweera okutuusa ng’eridde omuyiggo gwayo n’enywa omusaayi gw’ebyo by’esse.”
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 Balaki n’agamba Balamu nti, “Tobakolimira wadde okubasabira omukisa n’akamu!”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Balamu n’addamu nti, “Saakutegeezezza nti kinsaanidde okukola ekyo kyonna Mukama Katonda ky’anaagamba?”
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Balaki n’agamba Balamu nti, “Jjangu, nkutwale mu kifo ekirala, oboolyawo Katonda anakkiriza obankoliimiririre ng’osinziira awo.”
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 n’atwala Balamu ku ntikko y’olusozi Peoli, olwolekedde eddungu.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Balamu n’agamba Balaki nti, “Nzimbira wano ebyoto musanvu, era onfunireyo wano ente za sseddume musanvu n’endiga ennume musanvu.”
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Balaki n’akola nga Balamu bwe yamusaba, n’awaayo sseddume y’ente emu n’endiga ennume emu ku buli kyoto.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
