Hesabu 23
1 Balaamu akamwabia Balaki, “Jenga madhabahu saba kwa ajili yangu na uandae mafahari saba na kondoo dume saba.”
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
2 Kwa hiyo Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyoomba. Kisha Balaki na Balaamu wakatoa sadaka ya fahari mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja kwa kila madhabahu.
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken. And Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 Ndipo Balaamu alipomwamiba Balaki, “Simama kwenye sadaka yako ya kuteketezwa na mimi nitaenda. Labda BWANA atakuja kukutana na mimi. Chochote atakachoniambia nitakuambia.” Kwa hiyo akaenda juu ya mlima usiokuwa na miti.
And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.
4 Wakati bado akiwa juu ya mlima. Mungu akakutana naye, na Balaamu akamwambia, “Nimejenga madhabahu saba, na nimetoa sadaka ya fahari na kondoo dume kwa kila madhabahu.”
And God met Balaam, and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
5 BWANA akaweka ujumbe kwenye kinywa cha Baalamu akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie.”
And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shall speak.
6 Kwa hiyo Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki aliyekuwa amesimama karibu na sadaka yake ya kuteketezwa, na viongozi wote wa Moabu walikuwa pamoja naye.
And he returned to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the rulers of Moab.
7 Ndipo Balaamu alipoanza kunena unabii wake akisema, “Balaki amenileta kutoka Aramu, Mfalme wa Moabu kutoka katika milima ya mashariki, 'Njoo, nilaanie Yakobo kwa ajili yangu,' alisema, 'Njoo umtie unajisi Israeli,'
And he took up his oracle, and said, From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.
8 Nawezaje kuwalaani wale ambao Mungu hajawalaani? Nawezaje kuwapinga wale ambao Mungu hawapingi?
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah has not defied?
9 Kwa kuwa kutoka juu ya miamba Ninamwona; kutoka kwenye milima ninamtazama. Kuna watu wanaoishi pekee yao na hawajioni wenyewe kama ni taifa la kawaida.
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Nani awezaye kuyahesabu mavumbi ya Yakobo au kuhesabu hata robo ya Israeli? Naomba nife kifo cha mtu mwenye haki, na mwisho wa maisha yangu uwe kama wake!”
Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11 Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Umenifanyia nini? Nilikuleta ili uwalaani maadui wangu, lakini ona, umewabariki,”
And Balak said to Balaam, What have thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou have blessed them altogether.
12 Balaamu akajibu akasema, “Kwa nini nisiwe mwangalifu kusema kile ambacho BWANA anaweka kinywani mwangu?”
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah puts in my mouth?
13 Basi Balaki akamwambia, “Hebu uje nami kwenye eneo jingine ili uwaone. Utakaowaona ni wale wa karibu tu, huwezi kuwaona wote. Huko sasa unaweza kunilaania hawa watu.”
And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from where thou may see them. Thou shall see but the outmost part of them, and shall not see them all, and curse them for me from there.
14 Kwa hiyo akampeleka Balaamu kwenye shamba la Zofimu, lililo juu ya Mlima Pisiga, na kule akajenga madhabau zingine saba. Akatoa sadaka ya fahari mmoja na kondoo dume kwa kila madhabahu.
And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 Kisha Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Simama hapa karibu na sadaka zako, wakati mimi naenda kukutana na BWANA kule.”
And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.
16 Kwa hiyo BWANA akakutana na Balaamu na kumwekea ujumbe kinywani mwake. Alimwambia, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie huu ujumbe toka kwangu.”
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall thou speak.
17 Balaamu akamrudia, na tazama, alikuwa amesimama karibu na sadaka zake za kuteketezwa, na vionigozi wa Moabu walikuwa pamoja naye. Balaki akamwuliza, “BWANA amekwambiaje?”
And he came to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the rulers of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has Jehovah spoken?
18 Balaamu akaanza kutoa unabii. Akasema, “Inuka, Balaki na usikilize. Nisikilize mimi wewe mwana wa Zippori.
And he took up his oracle, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear. Hearken to me, thou son of Zippor.
19 Mungu siyo mtu, kwamba umdanganye, au mwanadamu awezaye kubadili mawazo. Je, alishawahi kuahidi kitu pasipo kukitekeleza? Je, alishawahi kusema kuwa atafanya kitu bila kufanya kama alivyosema?
God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
20 Tazama, Mimi nimeamriwa kuwabariki. Mungu ametoa baraka, nami siwezi kuibadilisha.
Behold, I have received to bless. And he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 Hajawahi kuona magumu katika Yakobo au tabu katika Israeli. BWANA Mungu wao yuko pamoja nao, na kelele za wafalme wao ziko pamoja nao.
He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Jehovah his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 Mungu aliwatoa Misri kwa nguvu kama za nyati.
God brings them forth out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
23 Hakuna uganga utakaofanikiwa dhidi ya Yakobo, na hakuna uchawi utakaomwumiza Israeli. Badala yake, itasemwa juu ya Yakobo na Israeli, 'Tazama kile ambacho Mungu amefanya!'
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!
24 Tazama, watu wanainuka kama simba jike, kama vile simba ainukavyo na kuvamia. Halali chini mpaka ale windo lake na kunywa damu ya windo lake,”
Behold, the people rise up as a lioness, and as a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.
25 Kisha Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Kamwe usiwalaani wala kuwabariki.”
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26 Lakini Balaamu akamjibu Balaki, “Sijakuambia kuwa nitasema yote ambayo BWANA ananiambia kusema?
But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaks, that I must do?
27 Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Njoo sasa, Nami nitakupeleka mahali pengine. Labda kule itampendeza Mungu kunilaania hawa hawa watu.”
And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take thee to another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou may curse them for me from there.
28 Kwa hiyo Balaki akampeleka Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, ambao unalitazama chini lile jangwa,
And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down upon the desert.
29 Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Nijengee madhabahu saba hapa na uniandalie mafahari saba na kondoo duume saba.
And Balaam said to Balak, Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30 “Kwa hiyo Balaki akafanya kama alivyoambiwa; akatoa sadaka ya fahari na kondoo mume kwenye kila madhabahu.
And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
