Hesabu 23
1 Balaamu akamwabia Balaki, “Jenga madhabahu saba kwa ajili yangu na uandae mafahari saba na kondoo dume saba.”
Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
2 Kwa hiyo Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyoomba. Kisha Balaki na Balaamu wakatoa sadaka ya fahari mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja kwa kila madhabahu.
Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull 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.
Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” 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.”
God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”
5 BWANA akaweka ujumbe kwenye kinywa cha Baalamu akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie.”
The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you 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.
He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes 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,'
He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. 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? How shall I defy whom the LORD 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. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed 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 count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!”
11 Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Umenifanyia nini? Nilikuleta ili uwalaani maadui wangu, lakini ona, umewabariki,”
Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
12 Balaamu akajibu akasema, “Kwa nini nisiwe mwangalifu kusema kile ambacho BWANA anaweka kinywani mwangu?”
He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD 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.”
Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”
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.
He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
15 Kisha Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Simama hapa karibu na sadaka zako, wakati mimi naenda kukutana na BWANA kule.”
He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”
16 Kwa hiyo BWANA akakutana na Balaamu na kumwekea ujumbe kinywani mwake. Alimwambia, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie huu ujumbe toka kwangu.”
The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”
17 Balaamu akamrudia, na tazama, alikuwa amesimama karibu na sadaka zake za kuteketezwa, na vionigozi wa Moabu walikuwa pamoja naye. Balaki akamwuliza, “BWANA amekwambiaje?”
He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
18 Balaamu akaanza kutoa unabii. Akasema, “Inuka, Balaki na usikilize. Nisikilize mimi wewe mwana wa Zippori.
He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you 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, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he will not do it? Or has he spoken, and he will not make it good?
20 Tazama, Mimi nimeamriwa kuwabariki. Mungu ametoa baraka, nami siwezi kuibadilisha.
Behold, I have received a command to bless. 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 seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.
22 Mungu aliwatoa Misri kwa nguvu kama za nyati.
God brings them 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 done!’
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, a people rises up as a lioness. 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.”
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 Balak, “Did not I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
27 Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Njoo sasa, Nami nitakupeleka mahali pengine. Labda kule itampendeza Mungu kunilaania hawa hawa watu.”
Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”
28 Kwa hiyo Balaki akampeleka Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, ambao unalitazama chini lile jangwa,
Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.
29 Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Nijengee madhabahu saba hapa na uniandalie mafahari saba na kondoo duume saba.
Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
30 “Kwa hiyo Balaki akafanya kama alivyoambiwa; akatoa sadaka ya fahari na kondoo mume kwenye kila madhabahu.
Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
