Numeri 22
1 Ipapo vaIsraeri vakafamba vachienda kumapani eMoabhu vakadzika misasa yavo vakatevedza Jorodhani nechemhiri kweJeriko.
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 Zvino Bharaki mwanakomana waZipori akaona zvose zvakanga zvaitwa navaIsraeri kuvaAmori,
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 Moabhu akatya nokuti pakanga pane vanhu vazhinji. Zvirokwazvo, Moabhu yakazara nokudedera nokuda kwavaIsraeri.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 VaMoabhu vakati kuvakuru veMidhiani, “Vanhu vazhinji ava vachananzva zvinhu zvose zvakatipoteredza, semombe inonanzva sora romusango.” Saka Bharaki mwanakomana waZipori, uyo akanga ari Mambo weMoabhu panguva iyoyo,
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 akatuma nhume kundodana Bharamu mwanakomana waBheori, uyo akanga ari paPetori, pedyo noRwizi, munyika yaakaberekerwa. Bharaki akati: “Vanhu vakabva kuIjipiti, vakazadza nyika yose, uye vagara pedyo neni.
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 Zvino, uya utuke vanhu ava, nokuti simba ravo iguru kwazvo kwandiri. Zvichida ipapo ndingagona kuvakunda ndikavadzinga vabude munyika ino. Nokuti ndinoziva kuti avo vaunoropafadza vanoropafadzwa, uye vaunotuka vanotukwa.”
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 Vakuru veMoabhu neveMidhiani vakabva, vakatora mari yokuripa kuvuka. Vakati vasvika kuna Bharamu vakamuudza zvakanga zvarehwa naBharaki.
[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 Bharamu akati kwavari, “Chivatai pano, ndichauya nemhinduro yandichapiwa naJehovha.” Saka machinda eMoabhu akagara naye.
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 Mwari akauya kuna Bharamu akamubvunza akati, “Vanhu vaunavo ndivanaaniko?”
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Bharamu akati kuna Mwari, “Bharaki mwanakomana waZipori, mambo weMoabhu, akanditumira nhume idzi achiti, ‘Vanhu vakabuda kubva kuIjipiti vakazadza nyika yose.
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 Zvino uya unditukire vanhu ava. Zvichida izvozvi ndingagona kurwa navo ndikavadzingira kure.’”
‘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 Asi Mwari akati kuna Bharamu, “Usaenda navo. Haufaniri kutuka vanhu avo, nokuti vakaropafadzwa.”
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Fume mangwana, Bharamu akamuka akati kumachinda aBharaki, “Dzokerai kunyika yokwenyu, nokuti Jehovha aramba kuti ndiende nemi.”
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 Saka machinda eMoabhu akadzokera kuna Bharaki akati, “Bharamu akaramba kuuya nesu.”
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Ipapo Bharaki akatumazve mamwe machinda, akawanda chose uye aikudzwa kupinda vokutanga.
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 Vakasvika kuna Bharamu vakati: “Zvanzi naBharaki mwanakomana waZipori: Usatendera chimwe chinhu kukukonesa kuuya kwandiri,
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 nokuti ndichakupa mubayiro wakanaka kwazvo uye ndichaita zvose zvaunoreva. Uya unditukire vanhu ava.”
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 Asi Bharamu akavapindura akati, “Kunyange dai Bharaki akandipa muzinda wake uzere nesirivha negoridhe, handingagoni kuita chimwe chinhu chikuru kana chiduku kuti tiite zvinodarika murayiro waJehovha Mwari wangu.
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 Zvino chivatai pano manheru ano sezvakaita vamwe, ini ndichanzwa kana Jehovha ane zvimwe zvaangandiudza.”
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 Usiku ihwohwo Mwari akauya kuna Bharamu akati kwaari, “Sezvo vanhu ava vauya kuzokudana, enda hako navo, asi uite chete zvandinokuudza.”
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 Bharamu akamuka mangwanani, akaisa chigaro pambongoro yake akaenda namachinda eMoabhu.
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 Asi Mwari akamutsamwira zvikuru paakaenda, uye mutumwa waJehovha akamira munzira kuti amukonese. Bharamu akanga akatasva mbongoro yake, uye varanda vake vaviri vaiva naye.
[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 Mbongoro yakati ichiona mutumwa waJehovha amire munzira ane munondo wakavhomorwa muruoko rwake, yakabuda munzira ikapinda mumunda. Bharamu akairova kuti idzokere munzira.
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 Ipapo mutumwa waJehovha akamira pakamanikana pakati peminda miviri yemizambiringa, paiva namasvingo kumativi ose.
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 Mbongoro yakati ichiona mutumwa waJehovha, yakazvimanikidzira kurusvingo ikatsimbirira rutsoka rwaBharamu parwuri. Saka akapamhazve kuirova.
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 Ipapo mutumwa waJehovha akapfuurira mberi akandomira panzvimbo yakamanikana pakanga pasina mukana wokutendeukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe.
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 Mbongoro yakati ichiona mutumwa waJehovha, yakavata pasi paBharamu, iye akatsamwa zvikuru akairova netsvimbo yake.
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 Ipapo Jehovha akashamisa muromo wembongoro, ikati kuna Bharamu, “Ndaiteiko kwamuri zvaita kuti mundirove katatu kose aka?”
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 Bharamu akapindura mbongoro akati, “Wandiita benzi iwe! Dai ndanga ndiine munondo muruoko rwangu ndingadai ndakuuraya izvozvi.”
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 Mbongoro yakati kuna Bharamu, “Ko, handisi mbongoro yenyu, yamunogara muchitasva kusvikira zuva rino here? Ko, ndinogara ndichikuitirai zvakadai here?” Iye akati, “Kwete.”
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 Ipapo Jehovha akasvinudza meso aBharamu, iye akaona mutumwa waJehovha amire munzira ane munondo wake wakavhomorwa. Saka akakotama akawira pasi nechiso chake.
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 Mutumwa waJehovha akamubvunza achiti, “Warovereiko mbongoro yako rutatu rwose urwu? Ini ndauya pano kuzokudzivisa nokuti nzira yako haina kururama kwandiri.
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 Mbongoro yandiona ikatsauka ichibva pandiri katatu aka kose. Dai isina kutsauka, zvirokwazvo ndingadai ndakuuraya izvozvi, asi iyo ndairaramisa.”
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 Bharamu akati kumutumwa waJehovha, “Ndatadza. Handina kuziva kuti manga mumire munzira kuti mundidzivise. Zvino kana musingafari, ndodzokera hangu.”
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 Mutumwa waJehovha akati kuna Bharamu, “Chienda hako navarume ava, asi utaure zvandinokuudza zvoga.” Saka Bharamu akaenda namachinda aBharaki.
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 Bharaki akati anzwa kuti Bharamu akanga achiuya, akabuda kuti andosangana naye paguta ravaMoabhu pamuganhu weAnoni, kumagumo kwenyika yake.
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 Bharaki akati kuna Bharamu, “Handina kukudana nokukurumidza here? Seiko usina kuuya kwandiri? Ini handigoni kukupa mubayiro here?”
[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 Bharamu akapindura akati, “Zvakanaka, zvino ndauya kwauri. Asi ndingataura zvose zvose here? Ndinofanira kungotaura chete zvinenge zvaiswa mumuromo mangu naMwari.”
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 Ipapo Bharamu akaenda naBharaki kuKiriati Huzoti.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Bharaki akabayira mombe namakwai, akapa zvimwe kuna Bharamu namachinda akanga anaye.
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 Fume mangwana, Bharaki akatora Bharamu akakwidza naye kuBhamoti Bhaari, uye ikoko akaona chikamu chavanhu.
[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.
