Nomery 22
1 Nionjom-beo o ana’Israeleo nitobe an-tanemira’ i Moabe alafe’ Iardene tandrife Ierikò ey.
Then the Israelis traveled west to the area of Moab that was in the valley of the Jordan [River], across the river from Jericho [city].
2 Ie amy zao hene nioni’ i Balak’ ana’ i Tsipore i nanoe’ Israele amo nte-Emoreoy.
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 Aa le nirevendreveñe am’ondatio t’i Moabe kanao ninihanìha ty hamaro’e; le nanembetse i Moabe o ana’ Israeleo.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 Aa le hoe ty Moabe amo roandria’ i Midianeo, Fonga ho tselà’ i lahialeñey ze mañohoke an-tika manahake ty famelehan’ añombe o ahetse an-kivok’ ey. Mpanjaka’ o nte-Moabeo henane zay t’i Balak’ ana’ i Tsipore.
So the king of Moab [went to] the leaders of the Midian people-group and said to them, “This huge group [of Israelis] will (wipe out/destroy) everything around them, like an ox devours grass!” Balak was the king of Moab.
5 Le nampisangitrife’e mb’amy Balame ana’ i Beore e Petore añolon-tsaka’ an-tanen-te-Arame añe ty irake hikanjiy aze ami’ty hoe: Inao, nivotrake boake Mitsraime añe t’indaty; hehe t’ie manitsike ty ambone’ ty tane toy vaho mitobe marine ahiko etoa.
He sent messengers to [a prophet named] Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor [town], near the [Euphrates] River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come [to help him]: “A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. [It looks like] they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us.
6 Mb’etoa aniany koahe, ozoño ho ahy ondatio, ie manjofake te amako. Hera ho gioheko le ho soiheñe hiakatse an-tane atoy, fa apotako te soa tata o tatae’oo vaho fatran-tane o ozoñe’oo.
Because they are very powerful/numerous, [we are afraid of them. So] please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land [where they are now living]. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”
7 Aa le niavotse mb’eo o roandria’ i Moabeo naho o roandria’ i Midianeo reketse ty saram-pamorehañe am-pitàñe vaho niheo mb’amy Balame mb’eo ninday ty nisaontsia’ i Balake.
[Balak’s messengers, who were] leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would [come and] curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
8 Le hoe re tam’ iereo, mialeña atoy te anito, le hañerem-bolañ’ ama’ areo iraho, ze ho tsarae’ Iehovà amako. Aa le nialeñe amy Balame ao o roandria’ i Moabeo.
Balaam said, “Stay here tonight. [Tomorrow morning] I will tell you whatever Yahweh tells me that I should say to you.” So the leaders from Moab stayed there that night.
9 Niheo mb’amy Balame t’i Andrianañahare nanao ty hoe: Ia ondaty mitraok’ ama’oo?
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Le hoe t’i Balame aman’ Añahare, Nampañitrike ty saontsy toy amako t’i Balak’ ana’ i Tsipore:
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 Heheke ondaty hirike Mitsraime añeo: tsitsihe’ iareo ty ambone’ ty tane toy; aa le mb’etoa irehe, ozoño ho ahiko; hera hahalefeako aly vaho haronjeko añe.
‘A huge group of people has come from Egypt, and they have spread all over this area. Please come immediately to curse them. Then I may be able to defeat them and expel them [from this area].’”
12 Le hoe t’i Andrianañahare amy Balame, Tsy hindreza’o fañaveloañe; tsy hozoñe’o ondatio fa soa-tata.
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Aa le nitroatse maraiñe t’i Balame nanao ty hoe amo roandria’ i Balàkeo, Mimpolia mb’ an-tane’ areo añe, amy te nifoneñe t’Iehovà tsy nañomey ahy lily hindrezako.
The next morning, Balaam got up and told Balak’s men, “Go back home. [But go by yourselves, because] Yahweh is not allowing me to go with you.”
14 Aa le niongake o roandria’ i Moabeo nimpoly mb’ amy Balàke mb’eo, nanao ty hoe: Tsy nimete nindre ama’ay t’i Balame.
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Nañitrik’ ana-donake indraike t’i Balake, ondaty maro naho ambone’ lohàñe te amo teoo.
But Balak sent another [group of] leaders to Balaam. It was a group that was larger and they were more important [than the men in the first group].
16 Aa le niheo mb’ amy Balame mb’eo indaty rey nanao ty hoe, Hoe t’i Balak’ ana’ i Tsipore, Ko anga’o ndra inoñ’ inoñe ty hisebañe azo tsy homb’ amako mb’etoa;
They went to Balaam and told him this: “This is what King Balak says: ‘Please do not allow anything to hinder you from coming here.
17 toe ho rengèko vaho hanoeko ze saontsia’o. Aa le miambane ama’o t’ie homb’etoa hañozoñe ondatio ho ahiko.
I will pay you (a lot of money/very well) [if you come], and I will do anything that you ask me to do. Just come and curse these [Israeli] people for me!’”
18 Le hoe ty natoi’ i Balame amo mpitoro’ i Balakeo, Ndra te natolo’ i Balak’ amako ty anjomba’e pea volafoty naho volamena le tsy mete handilatse ty tsara’ Iehovà Andrianañahareko iraho hanao ndra inoñ’ inoñe ke t’ie bey he kede.
But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not do anything to disobey Yahweh, (my God/the God whom I [worship]).
19 Aa le mialeña amako etoa manahake ty nanoe’ o ila’eo haharendrehako ze tsara hatovo’ Iehovà amako.
But stay here one more night, like the other messengers did, and I will find out if Yahweh has anything more to say to me.”
20 Le niheo mb’ amy Balame amy haleñey t’i Andrianañahare nanao ty hoe ama’e, Aa naho nimb’ama’o mb’ atoy ondatio hikanjy azo, miavota naho indrezo; fe ze entañe hatoloko azo avao ty hanoe’o.
That night God appeared to Balaam again and said to him, “These men have come to request that you go back with them, so you may go with them, but do only what I tell you [to do]!”
21 Aa le nañaleñaleñe t’i Balame nanampe fitobohañe amy borìke’ey, vaho nitrao-dia amo androanavi’ i Moabeo.
So the next morning, Balaam put a saddle on his donkey and he departed [with two of his servants] along with the men from Moab.
22 Fe nampamiañe ty haviñeran’ Añahare i fañavelo’ey, vaho nijohañe hikalañe i lala’ey ty Anjeli’ Iehovà, hiatreatrea’e hoe rafelahy. Ie amy zao niningitse borìke naho nindre ama’e ty mpitoro’e roe.
[Even though God had given Balaam permission to go, he was still angry]. So he sent one of his angels to Balaam. This angel stood in the road to block Balaam’s path. As Balaam and the two servants were riding on their donkeys,
23 Nahatrea i Anjeli’ Iehovày nijohañe an-dalañe ey reketse fibara natsoak’ am-pità’e i borìkey, le nivioñe amy lalañey i borìkey nitsile mb’an-tetek’ ao, le finofo’ i Balame ty lafa hampibalik’ aze mb’amy lalañey.
Balaam’s donkey saw the angel. The angel was standing in the road and was holding a sword in his hand, [but Balaam did not see him]. Balaam’s donkey turned off the road into a field. So Balaam struck the donkey and forced it to go back onto the road.
24 Le nijohañe ami’ ty zitse añivo’ ty tanem-bahe roe ey i Anjeli’ Iehovày, ty kijoly etia naho ty kijoly etia.
Then the angel stood in a place where the road was very narrow, between two vineyards, with walls on each side of the road.
25 Ie nitrea’ i borìkey i Anjeli’ Iehovày le nioza amy rindriñey, vaho nanindry ty kitso’ i Balame amy rindriñey, aa le linafa’e indraike.
When the donkey saw the angel standing there, it walked very close to the wall [to try to get past the angel]. As a result, it bashed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam struck the donkey again.
26 Nihànkañe aolo ey amy zao i Anjeli’ Iehovày nijohañe añ’ oloñoloñe ey, le tsy eo ty hivioñañe ndra mañavana ndra mañavia.
Then the angel went further along the road and stood at a place that was extremely narrow, with the result that the donkey could not get past at all.
27 Naho nizoe’ i borìkey i Anjeli’ Iehovày le nibabok’ ambane’ i Balame eo; tsekak’ amy zao ty haboseha’ i Balame le finofo’e an-kobai’e i borìkey.
This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down [on the ground] with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam became extremely angry, and he struck the donkey again with his walking stick.
28 Aa le sinoka’ Iehovà ty vava’ i borìkey, vaho hoe re amy Balame, Ino ty nanoeko ama’o kanao linafa’o intelo aniany?
Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak! It said to Balaam, “What bad thing have I done to you that caused you to strike me three times?”
29 Le hoe t’i Balame amy borìkey, Amy t’ie nanalatse ahy, le nainako te ni-reke-pibara ty tañako henaneo hamonoako azo!
Balaam shouted, “I struck you because you have caused me to appear to be foolish! If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 Aa le hoe i borìkey amy Balame, Tsy izaho hao o borìke’oo, i niningira’o amo hene tao’o pake henaneoy? Liliko hao ty manao zao ama’o? Aiy, hoe re.
But the donkey answered, “I am your own donkey [RHQ], the one that you have always ridden! Have I ever done anything like this previously?” Balaam said, “No.”
31 Aa le nampibeahe’ Iehovà ty fihaino’ i Balame naho niisa’e nijohañe amy lalañey i anjeliy, am-pibara napontsoañe am-pità’e; le nibotreke re nibabok’ an-dahara’e.
Then Yahweh enabled Balaam to see the angel standing on the road, holding a sword in his hand. Balaam [realized that it was an angel and] prostrated himself on the ground in front of the angel.
32 Le hoe i Anjeli’ Iehovày ama’e, Inoñe ty nijerà’o i borìke’oy in-telo? Nimb’ atoy iraho am-pirafelahiañe, amy te ihe manao hajangaringaria añatrefako.
The angel asked him, ‘(Why did you strike your donkey three times?/ You should certainly not have struck the donkey three times! [RHQ] I have come to block your path because what you are planning to do is wrong.
33 Nitrea’ i borìkey iraho le nivioña’e intelo. Aa naho tsy niholiara’e le toe ho nañe-doza ama’o iraho anianikey vaho ho nengako velon-dre.
Three times your donkey saw me and turned away from me. If it had not done that, I would certainly have killed you already, but I would have allowed the donkey to live.”
34 Le hoe t’i Balame amy Anjeli’ Iehovày, Nanao hakeo iraho fa tsy napotako te nijohañe an-dalañe ey irehe hiatreatre ahy. Aa naho joy ty am-pihano’o le himpoly iraho.
Then Balaam said to the angel, “I have sinned. But I did not realize that you were standing there, trying to block my path. So if you do not want me to continue going, I will return home.”
35 Aa le hoe i Anjeli’ Iehovày amy Balame, Akia, mindreza am’ondaty reo, fe ze entañe volañeko ama’o avao ty ho taroñe’o. Aa le nañavelo nindre lia amy androanavi’ i Balàke rey t’i Balame.
But the angel replied, “I will allow you to go with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say!” So Balaam went on with the leaders whom Balak [had sent].
36 Ie jinanji’ i Balake te fa tsatoke t’i Balame le niavotse mb’e Ire-Moabe mb’amy efe-tane efera’ i Arnoney, ty efe’e lavitse ama’e mb’eo hifanalaka ama’e.
When King Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at a Moab town alongside the Arnon [River] that was at the border of his own land.
37 Le hoe t’i Balak’ amy Balame, Aa vaho tsy nimaneako hitrike naho kanjy v’iheo? Ino ty tsy nañaveloa’o mb’amako. Tsy haiko hao ty hiasy azo?
[When he arrived where] Balaam was, he said to him, “I sent you [RHQ] a message saying that you should come immediately [RHQ]! Why did you not come immediately? [Did you think that] I was not able to pay you a lot of money for coming?”
38 Le hoe t’i Balame amy Balake, Intoy fa ama’o! meteko hao ty hanao ndra inoñ’ inoñe? Tsy mahay tsy ze tsara apon’ Añahare am-bavako ao avao ty ho taroñeko.
Balaam replied, “I have come here now, but I am not able to say anything [that I want to]. I will say only the words that God tells me to say [MTY].”
39 Aa le nindre lia amy Balake t’i Balame vaho nipotìtse e Keriat-kozote eo.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Nisoroñe añombe naho añondry amy zao t’i Balake vaho nañitrifa’e t’i Balame naho o androanavy nindre ama’eo.
There Balak killed some cattle and sheep as sacrifices, and offered [parts of the meat] to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Ie amy maraiñey le nendese’ i Balake nañambone’ i Bamà-Baale t’i Balame, le eo re ro nahatalake ty indra’ ondatio.
[They slept there], and the next morning Balak took Balaam part way up [the mountain] to Bamoth-Baal [village]. From there, they could see some of the Israeli people who were down below.
