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.
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a 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.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
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.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 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, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
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 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 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.
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 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.
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
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.
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 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 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 Na ka ara tana ki pepeha, ka mea, Whakatika, e Paraka, whakarongo mai; kia whai taringa mai ki ahau, e te tama a Tiporo:
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
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 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 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.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot 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.
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 Na Ihowa ratou i whakaputa mai i Ihipa; kei te te unikanga tona kaha.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild 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!
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 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.
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 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 will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
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, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
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.
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 Katahi ka kawea a Paraama e Paraka ki te tihi o Peoro, e titiro iho ana ki te koraha.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
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 again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a 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.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
