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 seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls 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.

So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

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.

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” So he went away to a hilltop with no trees.

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.”

While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, “I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one.”

5 BWANA akaweka ujumbe kwenye kinywa cha Baalamu akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie.”

Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”

6 Kwa hiyo Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki aliyekuwa amesimama karibu na sadaka yake ya kuteketezwa, na viongozi wote wa Moabu walikuwa pamoja naye.

So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.

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,'

Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.'

8 Nawezaje kuwalaani wale ambao Mungu hajawalaani? Nawezaje kuwapinga wale ambao Mungu hawapingi?

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?

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 look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation.

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 even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's 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 brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”

12 Balaamu akajibu akasema, “Kwa nini nisiwe mwangalifu kusema kile ambacho BWANA anaweka kinywani mwangu?”

Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh 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.”

So Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them 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.

So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Kisha Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Simama hapa karibu na sadaka zako, wakati mimi naenda kukutana na BWANA kule.”

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

16 Kwa hiyo BWANA akakutana na Balaamu na kumwekea ujumbe kinywani mwake. Alimwambia, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie huu ujumbe toka kwangu.”

So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.”

17 Balaamu akamrudia, na tazama, alikuwa amesimama karibu na sadaka zake za kuteketezwa, na vionigozi wa Moabu walikuwa pamoja naye. Balaki akamwuliza, “BWANA amekwambiaje?”

Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh said?”

18 Balaamu akaanza kutoa unabii. Akasema, “Inuka, Balaki na usikilize. Nisikilize mimi wewe mwana wa Zippori.

Balaam began his prophecy. He 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, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out?

20 Tazama, Mimi nimeamriwa kuwabariki. Mungu ametoa baraka, nami siwezi kuibadilisha.

Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, 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 seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them.

22 Mungu aliwatoa Misri kwa nguvu kama za nyati.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a 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!'

There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has 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,”

Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed.”

25 Kisha Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Kamwe usiwalaani wala kuwabariki.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or 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 you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”

27 Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Njoo sasa, Nami nitakupeleka mahali pengine. Labda kule itampendeza Mungu kunilaania hawa hawa watu.”

So Balak replied to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me.”

28 Kwa hiyo Balaki akampeleka Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, ambao unalitazama chini lile jangwa,

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

29 Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Nijengee madhabahu saba hapa na uniandalie mafahari saba na kondoo duume saba.

Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

30 “Kwa hiyo Balaki akafanya kama alivyoambiwa; akatoa sadaka ya fahari na kondoo mume kwenye kila madhabahu.

So Balak did as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.