Numeri 23
1 Bharamu akati, “Ndivakirei aritari nomwe pano, mugondigadzirira hando nomwe namakondobwe manomwe.”
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Bharaki akaita sezvakataurwa naBharamu, uye vose vari vaviri vakabayira hando negondobwe paaritari imwe neimwe.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Ipapo Bharamu akati kuna Bharaki, “Gara pano parutivi pechipiriso chako, ini ndimbotsaukira parutivi apa. Zvichida Jehovha angauya kuzosangana neni. Zvose zvaanondiratidza, ndichazokuudza.” Ipapo akabva akaenda pakakwirira, pakanga pasina chinhu.
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 Mwari akasangana naye, Bharamu akati, “Ndagadzira aritari nomwe uye paaritari imwe neimwe ndabayira hando negondobwe.”
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 Jehovha akaisa shoko mumuromo waBharamu akati, “Dzokera kuna Bharaki utaure kwaari shoko iri.”
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Saka akadzokera kwaari akamuwana amire parutivi rwechipiriso chake, ana machinda ose eMoabhu.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
7 Ipapo Bharamu akataura chirevo chake akati: “Bharaki akanditora kubva kuAramu, iye mambo weMoabhu kubva kumakomo okumabvazuva. Akati, ‘Uya unditukirewo Jakobho; uya, utsoropodze Israeri.’
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 Ndingatuka seiko avo vasina kutukwa naMwari? Ndingatsoropodza seiko avo vasina kutsoropodzwa naJehovha?
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 Ndiri pamusoro pamatombo, ndinovaona, ndiri pakakwirira, ndinovaona. Ndinoona vanhu vanogara vari voga uye havazviverengi pakati pendudzi.
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 Ndianiko angaverenga guruva raJakobho kana kuverenga chikamu chechina chaIsraeri? Regai ndife rufu rwowakarurama, uye kuguma kwangu ngakuve sokwavo!”
(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 Bharaki akati kuna Bharamu, “Waiteiko kwandiri? Ndakakutora kuti uzotuka vavengi vangu, asi hauna chinhu chawaita asi kutovaropafadza!”
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 Iye akapindura akati, “Ko, handifaniri kuti nditaure zvaiswa mumuromo mangu naJehovha here?”
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Ipapo Bharaki akati kwaari, “Uya uende neni kune imwe nzvimbo yaunogona kuvaona; uchangoona chikamu chavo asi kwete vose. Uye uri ipapo ugonditukira vanhu ava.”
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 Saka akamutora akaenda naye kumunda waZofimi pamusoro pePisiga, uye akavaka aritari nomwe ipapo akabayira hando negondobwe paaritari imwe neimwe.
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 Bharamu akati kuna Bharaki, “Gara pano iwe parutivi rwechipiriso chako ini ndichindosangana naye uko.”
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Jehovha akasangana naBharamu akaisa shoko mumuromo make akati, “Dzokera kuna Bharaki undotaura mashoko aya.”
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 Saka akadzokera kwaari akamuwana amire parutivi rwechipiriso chake, ana machinda eMoabhu. Bharaki akamubvunza akati, “Jehovha ati kudiniko?”
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 Ipapo akataura chirevo chake akati: “Simuka, Bharaki, uye uteerere; ndinzwe, iwe mwanakomana waZipori.
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Mwari haasi munhu, kuti angareva nhema, uye mwanakomana womunhu kuti ashandure pfungwa dzake. Ko, anotaura akasazviita here? Anovimbisa akasazadzisa here?
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 Ndakagamuchira murayiro wokuti ndiropafadze; iye aropafadza, uye ini handigoni kuzvishandura.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 “Haana kuona chakaipa kuna Jakobho, hapana chakashata chakaonekwa muIsraeri. Jehovha Mwari wavo anavo; kudanidzira kwaMambo kuri pakati pavo.
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 Mwari akavabudisa muIjipiti; vane simba renyati.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Hapana unʼanga hungarwa naJakobho, hapana kuvuka kunorwa naIsraeri. Zvino zvichanzi pamusoro paJakobho, napamusoro paIsraeri, ‘Tarirai zvaitwa naMwari!’
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 Vanhu vanosimuka seshumba hadzi; vanozvisimudza seshumba isingazorori kusvikira yadya chayauraya uye igonwa ropa rezvayabata.”
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 Ipapo Bharaki akati kuna Bharamu, “Usatombovatuka kana kuvaropafadza napaduku!”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Asi Bharamu akapindura akati, “Handina kukuudza here kuti ndinofanira kuita zvose zvinotaurwa naJehovha?”
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Ipapo Bharaki akati kuna Bharamu, “Uya, ndiende newe kune imwe nzvimbo. Zvimwe Mwari achafara nazvo kuti unditukire vanhu ava ikoko.”
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 Saka Bharaki akatora Bharamu akakwira naye pamusoro pePeori pakatarisana nerenje.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Bharamu akati, “Ndivakire aritari nomwe pano, ugogadzira hando nomwe namakondobwe manomwe.”
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Bharaki akaita sezvakanga zvataurwa naBharamu, akabayira hando negondobwe paaritari imwe neimwe.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
