Números 22
1 Y movieron los hijos de Israel, y asentaron en los campos de Moab, de esta parte del Jordán de Jericó.
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 Y vio Balac, hijo de Sefor, todo lo que Israel había hecho al Amorreo.
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 Y Moab temió mucho a causa del pueblo que era mucho, y angustióse Moab a causa de los hijos de Israel.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 Y dijo Moab a los ancianos de Madián: Ahora lamerá esta compañía todos nuestros al derredores, como lame el buey la grama del campo. Y Balac, hijo de Sefor, era entonces rey de Moab.
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 Y envió mensajeros a Balaam hijo de Beor, a Petor, que era junto al río, en la tierra de los hijos de su pueblo, para que le llamasen, diciendo: Un pueblo ha salido de Egipto, y, he aquí, cubre la haz de la tierra, y habita delante de mí:
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 Ruégote pues ven ahora, maldíceme a este pueblo, porque es más fuerte que yo: quizá podré yo herirle, y echarle de la tierra: que yo sé que el que tú bendijeres, será bendito, y el que tú maldijeres será maldito.
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 Y fueron los ancianos de Moab, y los ancianos de Madián, con las encantaciones en su mano; y llegaron a Balaam, y dijéronle las palabras de Balac.
[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 Y él les dijo: Reposád aquí esta noche, y yo os recitaré las palabras, como Jehová me hablare. Así los príncipes de Moab se quedaron con Balaam.
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 Y vino Dios a Balaam, y díjole: ¿Quién son estos varones que están contigo?
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Y Balaam respondió a Dios: Balac hijo de Sefor rey de Moab ha enviado a mí, diciendo:
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 He aquí, este pueblo, que ha salido de Egipto, cubre la haz de la tierra: ven pues ahora, y maldícemelo: quizá podré pelear con él, y echarlo.
‘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 Entonces Dios dijo a Balaam: No vayas con ellos, ni maldigas al pueblo; porque es bendito.
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Así Balaam se levantó por la mañana, y dijo a los príncipes de Balac: Volvéos a vuestra tierra, porque Jehová no me quiere dejar ir con vosotros.
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 Y los príncipes de Moab se levantaron, y vinieron a Balac, y dijeron: Balaam no quiso venir con nosotros.
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Y tornó Balac a enviar otra vez más príncipes, y más honrados que estos.
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 Los cuales vinieron a Balaam, y dijéronle: Así dice Balac hijo de Sefor: Ruégote que no dejes de venir a mí;
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 Porque honrando te honraré mucho, y todo lo que me dijeres, haré: ven pues ahora, maldíceme a este pueblo.
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 Y Balaam respondió y dijo a los siervos de Balac: Aunque Balac me diese su casa llena de plata y oro, no puedo traspasar la palabra de Jehová mi Dios, para hacer cosa chica ni grande.
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 Por tanto ruégoos ahora que reposéis aquí esta noche, para que yo sepa que me vuelve a decir Jehová.
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 Y vino Dios a Balaam de noche, y díjole: Si vinieron a llamarte estos varones, levántate y vé con ellos; empero harás lo que yo te dijere.
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 Así Balaam se levantó por la mañana, y cinchó su asna, y fue con los príncipes de Moab.
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 Y el furor de Dios se encendió, porque él iba: y el ángel de Jehová se puso en el camino por su adversario; y él iba cabalgando sobre su asna, y dos mozos suyos con él.
[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 Y el asna vio al ángel de Jehová que estaba en el camino con su espada desnuda en su mano; y apartóse el asna del camino, e iba por el campo: e hirió Balaam al asna para hacerla volver al camino.
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 Y el ángel de Jehová se puso en una senda de viñas, vallado de una parte y vallado de otra.
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 Y viendo el asna al ángel de Jehová apretóse a la pared, y apretó con la pared el pie de Balaam: y él volvió a herirla.
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 Y el ángel de Jehová volvió a pasar, y púsose en una angostura donde no había camino para apartar, ni a diestra, ni a siniestra.
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 Y el asna viendo al ángel de Jehová, echóse debajo de Balaam, y Balaam se enojó, e hirió al asna con el palo.
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 Entonces Jehová abrió la boca al asna, la cual dijo a Balaam: ¿Qué te he hecho, que me has herido estas tres veces?
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 Y Balaam respondió al asna: Porque has escarnecido de mí: ojalá tuviera espada en mi mano, que ahora te matara.
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 Y el asna dijo a Balaam: ¿No soy yo tu asna? sobre mí has andado desde que has sido hasta este día, ¿he acostumbrado a hacerlo así contigo? Y él respondió: No.
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 Entonces Jehová desatapó los ojos a Balaam, y vio al ángel de Jehová, que estaba en el camino, y tenía su espada desnuda en su mano: entonces él se abajó e inclinó su cabeza y postróse sobre su rostro.
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 Y el ángel de Jehová le dijo: ¿Por qué has herido tu asna estas tres veces? He aquí, yo he salido por estorbador, por eso ella se apartó del camino delante de mí:
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 Que el asna me ha visto, y se ha apartado de delante de mí estas tres veces: y si no se hubiera apartado de delante de mí, yo también ahora te matara a ti, y a ella dejara viva.
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 Entonces Balaam dijo al ángel de Jehová: Yo he pecado, que no sabía que tú te ponías delante de mí en el camino: mas ahora, si te parece mal, yo me volveré.
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 Y el ángel de Jehová dijo a Balaam: Vé con estos varones, empero la palabra que yo te dijere, esa hablarás. Así Balaam fue con los príncipes de Balac.
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 Y oyendo Balac que Balaam venía, salió a recebirle a la ciudad de Moab, que estaba junto al término de Arnón, que es al cabo de los confines.
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 Y Balac dijo a Balaam: ¿No envié yo a ti a llamarte: por qué no has venido a mí? ¿No puedo yo honrarte?
[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 Y Balaam respondió a Balac: He aquí, yo he venido a ti: ¿más podré ahora hablar alguna cosa? La palabra que Dios pusiere en mi boca, esa hablaré.
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 Y fue Balaam con Balac, y vinieron a la ciudad de Hucot.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Y Balac hizo matar bueyes y ovejas, y envió a Balaam, y a los príncipes que estaban con él.
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 Y el día siguiente Balac tomo a Balaam, e hízole subir a los altos de Baal, y desde allí vio el cabo del pueblo.
[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.
