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 oxen 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 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.
And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: perhaps the LORD will come to meet me: and whatever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
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 seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bull and a ram.
5 BWANA akaweka ujumbe kwenye kinywa cha Baalamu akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie.”
And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shalt 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 stood by his burnt sacrifice, 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,'
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, 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 hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath 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, the people shall dwell 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, and the number of 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 hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast 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 the LORD hath put 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 which thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and from there 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.
And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered 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.”
And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16 Kwa hiyo BWANA akakutana na Balaamu na kumwekea ujumbe kinywani mwake. Alimwambia, “Rudi kwa Balaki ukamwambie huu ujumbe toka kwangu.”
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus.
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 when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the LORD spoken?
18 Balaamu akaanza kutoa unabii. Akasema, “Inuka, Balaki na usikilize. Nisikilize mimi wewe mwana wa Zippori.
And he took up his parable, and said, Rise, 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: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Tazama, Mimi nimeamriwa kuwabariki. Mungu ametoa baraka, nami siwezi kuibadilisha.
Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath 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 hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 Mungu aliwatoa Misri kwa nguvu kama za nyati.
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
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 against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath 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 shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he shall eat of the prey, and drink 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 the LORD speaketh, 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, I pray thee, I will bring thee to another place; perhaps it will please God that thou mayest from there curse them for me.
28 Kwa hiyo Balaki akampeleka Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, ambao unalitazama chini lile jangwa,
And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29 Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Nijengee madhabahu saba hapa na uniandalie mafahari saba na kondoo duume saba.
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls 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 a bull and a ram on every altar.
