Nomery 23
1 Ary hoy Balama tamin’ i Balaka: Manorena alitara fito eto ho ahy, ka manamboara vantotr’ ombilahy fito sy ondrilahy fito.
Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 Dia narahin’ i Balaka izay efa nolazain’ i Balama; ary Balaka sy Balama nanatitra vantotr’ ombilahy sy ondrilahy iray avy teo ambonin’ ny isan’ alitara.
So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar.
3 Dia hoy Balama tamin’ i Balaka: Mitoera eto anilan’ ny fanatitra doranao, fa izaho kosa handeha; angamba ho avy hihaona amiko Jehovah; ary izay hasehony amiko dia hambarako aminao. Ary lasa nankany amin’ ny tendrombohitra anankiray mangadihady izy.
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 Ary Andriamanitra dia nihaona tamin’ i Balama; ary hoy Balama taminy: Ny alitara fito dia efa namboariko, ary efa nanatitra vantotr’ ombilahy sy ondrilahy iray avy teo ambonin’ ny isan’ alitara aho.
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 Ary Jehovah nanisy teny teo am-bavan’ i Balama ka nanao hoe: Miverena any amin’ i Balaka, ary izany no holazainao.
Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”
6 Dia niverina tany amin’ i Balaka izy, ary, indreo, teo anilan’ ny fanatitra dorany izy sy ireo andriandahin’ i Moaba rehetra.
So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.
7 Dia nanao oha-teny Balama ka nilaza hoe: Balaka nampaka ahy avy tany Arama, Ny mpanjakan’ i Moaba nampaka ahy avy tany amin’ ny tendrombohitra atsinanana: Avia, ka ozòny ho ahy Jakoba; ary mankanesa atỳ, ka sahatoy ny Isiraely.
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 Hataoko ahoana no fanozona izay tsy nozonin’ Andriamanitra? Ary hataoko ahoana no fisahato izay tsy nosahatoin’ i Jehovah?
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?
9 Fa eto an-tampon’ ny vatolampy no ahitako azy, ary eto amin’ ny havoana no itazanako azy; indro, firenena mitoka-monina izy, ary tsy hatao ho isan’ ny jentilisa.
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 Iza no mahisa ny vovok’ i Jakoba, na ny isan’ ny ampahefatry ny Isiraely? Aoka ho tahaka ny fahafatesan’ ny olo-marina ny fahafatesako, ary aoka ny hiafarako ho tahaka ny azy!
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 Dia hoy Balaka tamin’ i Balama: Ahoana izao nataonao tamiko izao? Hanozona ny fahavaloko no nangalako anao, kanjo nitso-drano dia nitso-drano azy kosa ianao.
Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”
12 Dia namaly izy ka nanao hoe: Tsy hotandremako va ny hilaza izay ataon’ i Jehovah eto am-bavako?
Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”
13 Dia hoy Balaka taminy: Andeha mba hiaraka amiko ho any amin’ ny tany hafa izay hahitanao azy; kanefa ny sisiny ihany no ho hitanao eo, fa tsy ho hitanao avokoa izy rehetra; ka ozòny ho ahy ao izy.
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 Dia nitondra azy tao an-tsaha Zofima izy, tao an-tampon’ i Pisga; ary nanorina alitara fito izy ka nanatitra vantotr’ ombilahy sy ondrilahy iray avy teo ambonin’ ny isan’ alitara.
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 Dia hoy izy tamin’ i Balaka: Mitoera eto anilan’ ny fanatitra doranao, fa izaho hankerỳ hihaona amin’ i Jehovah.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”
16 Ary Jehovah nihaona tamin’ i Balama, dia nanisy teny teo am-bavany ka nanao hoe: Miverena mankeo amin’ i Balaka ary izany no holazainao.
So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.”
17 Ary nony tonga tany aminy izy, dia, indreo, teo anilan’ ny fanatitra dorany izy sy ireo andriandahin’ i Moaba izay teo aminy. Dia hoy Balaka taminy: Ahoana no nolazain’ i Jehovah?
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 Dia nanao oha-teny Balama ka nilaza hoe: Mitsangàna, ry Balaka, ka mandrenesa; Atongilano amiko ny sofinao, ry zanak’ i Zipora;
Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you son of Zippor.
19 Andriamanitra tsy mba olona ka handainga, na zanak’ olombelona ka hanenina; moa efa nilaza va Izy, ka tsy hefainy? na efa niteny va Izy, ka tsy hotoviny?
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 Indro, ny hitahy no efa azoko; ary efa nitahy Izy, ka tsy mahova izany aho.
Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.
21 Tsy mijery faharatsiana eo amin’ i Jakoba Izy. Ary tsy mahita fahoriana eo amin’ ny Isiraely; Jehovah Andriamaniny no nomba azy, Ary hoby fanao amin’ andriana no re eo aminy.
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 Nentin’ Andriamanitra nivoaka avy tany Egypta izy, ary manan-kery toy ny ombimanga,
God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a wild ox.
23 Fa tsy misy fisikidianana eo amin’ i Jakoba, ary tsy misy fankatovana eo amin’ Isiraely. Fa amin’ ny fotoana no hilazana amin’ i Jakoba sy Isiraely izay efa nataon’ i Jehovah.
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 Indro, firenena mitsangana toy ny liom-bavy sy miarina toy ny liona; tsy handry izy mandra-pihinany toha sy mandra-pisotrony ny ran’ ny voavono.
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 Dia hoy Balaka tamin’ i Balama: Aza manozona na mitso-drano azy akory
Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”
26 Fa namaly kosa Balama ka nanao tamin’ i Balaka hoe; Tsy efa nilaza taminao va aho ka nanao hoe: Izay rehetra holazain’ i Jehovah, izany no hataoko?
But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”
27 Dia hoy Balaka tamin’ i Balama: Andeha ho entiko any amin’ izay tany hafa ianao; angamba ho sitrak’ Andriamanitra ny hanozonanao azy any ho ahy.
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 Ary Balama dia nentin’ i Balaka ho ao an-tampon’ i Peora, izay manatrika ny efitra.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.
29 Dia hoy Balama tamin’ i Balaka: Manorena alitara fito eto ho ahy, ka manamboara vantotr’ ombilahy fito sy ondrilahy fito.
Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”
30 Ary Balaka dia nanao araka izay efa nolazain’ i Balama ka nanatitra vantotr’ ombilahy, sy ondrilahy iray avy teo ambonin’ ny isan’ alitara.
So Balak did as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
