Tauanga 23
1 Na, a mea a Paraama ki a Paraka, Hanga etahi aata maku kia whitu, kia rite mai hoki maku he puru kia whitu, he hipi toa hoki kia whitu.
Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
2 Na rite tonu t Paraka i mea ai ki nga mea i korerotia e Paraama: a whakaekea ana e Paraka raua ko Paraama he puru, he hipi, ki tetahi aata, ki tetahi aata.
Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 Na ka mea a Paraama ki a Paraka, E tu ki te taha o tau tahunga tinana, a ka haere ahau: tera pea a Ihowa e tupono mai ki ahau: a me korero atu e ahau ki a koe te kupu e whakakitea mai e ia ki ahau. Na ka haere ia ki tetahi puke hamore.
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 Na ka tupono a Ihowa ki a Paraama: a ka mea ia ki a ia, Kua oti i ahau nga aata e whitu, kua whakaekea ano hoki he puru, he hipi, ki tenei aata, ki tenei aata.
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 Na ka homai e Ihowa he kupu ki te waha o Paraama, ka mea, Hoki atu ki a Paraka, a kia penei tau ki atu.
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 A ka hoki atu ia ki a ia, na, i te taha ia o tana tahunga tinana e tu ana, ratou ko nga rangatira katoa o Moapa.
So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.
7 Na ka ara tana ki pepeha, ka mea, Na Paraka kingi o Moapa ahau i arahi mai i Arame, i nga maunga o te rawhiti, i mea, Haere mai hei kaikanga maku mo Hakopa, haere mai hoki hei whakatara ki a Iharaira.
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 Me aha e kanga ai ahau i ta te Atua i kore ai e kanga? me aha hoki e whakatara ai ahau ki ta Ihowa kihai i whakatara?
But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned?
9 Tenei hoki ahau kei te tihi o nga kamaka e titiro atu ana ki a ia, e kite atu ana i a ia i runga i nga pukepuke: nana, he iwi noho ko ia anake, e kore ano hoki e taua i roto i nga tauiwi.
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 Ma wai e tatau te puehu o Hakopa, e titiro ranei te maha o te whakawha o Iharaira? Hei te mate o te hunga tika he matenga moku, kia rite hoki toku whakamutunga ki tona!
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 Na ka mea a Paraka, ki a Paraama, He aha tau e mea nei ki ahau? i tikina atu koe e ahau hei kanga i oku hoariri, na, kua manaakitia rawatia ratou e koe.
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 Na ka whakautua e ia, ka mea, Kaua ranei ahau e mahara ki te whakapuaki i te kupu e homai e Ihowa ki toku waha?
But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”
13 Na ka mea a Paraka ki a ia, Tena, haere mai taua ki tetahi wahi ke atu, e kite ai koe i a ratou: ko to ratou pito tau e kite ai; e kore hoki koe e kite i a ratou katoa: a hei reira puaki ai i a koe taku kanga mo ratou.
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 Na ka kawea ia e ia ki te mara o Topimi, ki te tihi o Pihika, a hanga ana e ia e whitu nga aata, whakaekea atu ana hoki e ia he puru, he hipi, ki tenei aata, ki tenei aata.
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 Na ka mea ia ki a Paraka, E tu ki konei ki te taha o tau tahunga tinana, ka whakatau ahau ki ko, ki a Ihowa.
Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”
16 Na ka tupono a Ihowa ki a Paraama, ka homai e ia he kupu ki tona waha, ka mea, Hoki atu ki a Paraka, kia penei hoki tau ki atu.
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 A ka haere atu ia ki a ia, na, e tu ana ia e te taha o tanga tahunga tinana, ratou ko nga rangatira o Moapa. A ka mea a Paraka ki a ia, I pehea mai te kupu a Ihowa?
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 Na ka ara tana ki pepeha, ka mea, Whakatika, e Paraka, whakarongo mai; kia whai taringa mai ki ahau, e te tama a Tiporo:
This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered: “Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 Ehara te Atua i te tangata e teka ai; i te tama ranei a te tangata e puta ke ai ona whakaaro. Tera ranei ia e korero, a kore ake e mahi? e puaki ranei tana kupu, a kahore e mana?
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 Nana, kua riro mai i ahau te kupu manaaki; kua oti hoki i a ia te kupu manaaki; a e kore e taea e ahau te whakaputa ke.
Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that.
21 Kahore i tirohia e ia he kino i a Hakopa, kahore ano hoki i kitea he tutu i a Iharaira: kei a ia a Ihowa, tona Atua, kei roto hoki i a ratou te hamama a te kingi.
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 Na Ihowa ratou i whakaputa mai i Ihipa; kei te te unikanga tona kaha.
God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.
23 He pono kahore he makutu mo Hakopa, kahore ano hoki he whaiwhaia mo Iharaira: hei tenei wa ano ka korerotia a Hakopa, ae ra, a Iharaira, ano te mahi a te Atua!
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 Nana, ka whakatika te iwi ano he raiona katua, ka ara ake ano hoki ano he raiona: e kore e takoto, kia kainga ra ano te tupapaku, kia inumia hoki nga toto o te parekura.
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 Na ka mea a Paraka ki a Paraama, Kaua rawa e kanga i a ratou, kaua rawa ranei e manaaki i a ratou.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”
26 Na ka whakautua e Paraama, ka mea ki a Paraka, Kahore ianei ahau i korero ki a koe, i mea, Ko nga mea katoa e korero mai ai a Ihowa, ko tena taku e mea ai?
But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”
27 Na ka mea a Paraka ki a Paraama, Tena, me kawe koe e ahau ki tetahi atu wahi; tera pea e pai te Atua kia whakapuakina e koe i reira taku kanga mo ratou.
“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 Katahi ka kawea a Paraama e Paraka ki te tihi o Peoro, e titiro iho ana ki te koraha.
Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.
29 A ka mea a Paraama ki a Paraka, hanga he aata maku ki konei kia whitu, kia rite hoki maku ki konei he puru kia whitu, he hipi toa kia whitu.
Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
30 A rite tonu ta Paraka i mea ai ki nga mea i korerotia e Paraama, a whakaekea ana e ia he puru, he hipi, ki runga ki tenei aata, ki tenei aata.
Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
