Mga Bilang 23

1 Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Gumawa ka ng pitong altar dito para sa akin at maglaan ka ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa.

Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”

2 Kaya ginawa ni Balak ayon sa hiniling ni Balaam. Pagkatapos, naghandog si Balak at Balaam ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat altar.

So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.

3 Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Tumayo ka malapit sa handog na susunugin at pupunta ako. Marahil darating si Yahweh upang makipagkita sa akin. Anuman ang ipapakita niya sa akin sasabihin ko sa iyo.”Kaya umalis siya patungo sa isang burol na walang mga puno.

Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,

4 Nakipagkita ang Diyos sa kaniya, at sinabi ni Balaam sa kaniya, “Gumawa ako ng pitong altar, at nag-alay ako ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat isa”.

and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”

5 Naglagay ng isang mensahe si Yahweh sa bibig ni Balaam at sinabi, “Bumalik ka kay Balak at magsalita ka sa kaniya.”

Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”

6 Kaya bumalik si Balaam kay Balak, na nakatayo sa tabi ng kaniyang handog na susunugin, at lahat ng mga pinuno ng Moab na kasama niya.

When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].

7 At nagsimulang sabihin ni Balaam ang kaniyang propesiya at sinabi, “Dinala ako ni Balak mula sa Aram. Ang hari ng Moab mula sa mga bundok sa silangan. 'Halika, isumpa mo si Jacob para sa akin,' sinabi niya. 'Halika, labanan mo ang Israel.'

This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’

8 Paano ko isusumpa ang mga taong hindi isinumpa ng Diyos? Paano ko lalabanan ang mga hindi nilabanan ni Yahweh?

But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]

9 Sapagkat nakikita ko siya mula sa tuktok ng mga bato; mula sa mga burol tinitingnan ko siya. Tingnan mo, may mga taong naninirahang mag-isa at hindi itinuturing ang kanilang sarili bilang isang karaniwang bansa.

I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.

10 Sino ang makakapagbilang sa alikabok ni Jacob o makakapagbilang kahit na ang ikaapat lamang ng Israel? Hayaan akong akong mamatay sa kamatayan ng isang matuwid na tao, at hayaang maging katulad niya ang wakas ng aking buhay!”

(Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”

11 Sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Anong ginawa mo sa akin? Dinala kita upang isumpa ang aking mga kalaban, ngunit tingnan mo, pinagpala mo sila.”

Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”

12 Sumagot si Balaam at sinabi, “Hindi ba dapat akong maging maingat na sabihin lamang kung ano ang inilagay ni Yahweh sa aking bibig?”

But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”

13 Kaya sinabi ni Balak sa kaniya, “Pakiusap sumama ka sa akin sa isang lugar kung saan makikita mo sila. Makikita mo lamang ang pinakamalapit sa kanila, hindi silang lahat. Doon isusumpa mo sila para sa akin.”

Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”

14 Kaya dinala niya si Balaam sa bukid ng Zopim, sa tuktok ng Bundok Pisga, at gumawa ng pito pang altar. Naghandog siya ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat altar.

So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.

15 Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Tumayo ka rito sa tabi ng iyong handog na susunugin, habang nakikipagkita ako kay Yahweh doon.”

Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”

16 Kaya nakipagkita si Yahweh kay Balaam at inilagay ang isang mensahe sa kaniyang bibig. Sinabi niya, “Bumalik ka kay Balak at ibigay mo sa kaniya ang aking mensahe.”

So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”

17 Bumalik si Balaam sa kaniya, at masdam, nakatayo siya sa tabi ng kaniyang handog na susunugin, at kasama niya ang mga pinuno ng Moab. At sinabi ni Balak sa kaniya, “Ano ang sinabi ni Yahweh?”

So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”

18 Sinimulan ni Balaam ang kaniyang propesiya. Sinabi niya, “Tumayo ka, Balak, at dinggin mo. Makinig ka sa akin, ikaw na anak ni Zippor.

Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!

19 Hindi isang tao ang Diyos, na kailangan niyang magsinungaling, o isang tao, na kailangang magbago ang kaniyang isip. Nangako ba siya ng anumang bagay na hindi ito ginagawa? Nagsabi ba siyang gagawin niya ang isang bagay na hindi niya ito tinutupad?

God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.

20 Tingnan mo, inutusan ako upang magpala. Binigyan ako ng Diyos ng isang biyaya, at hindi ko kayang baliktarin ito.

He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.

21 Wala siyang nakikitang paghihirap kay Jacob o kaguluhan sa Israel. Kasama nila si Yahweh na kanilang Diyos, at sumisigaw sapagkat kasama nila ang kanilang hari.

Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].

22 Inilabas sila ng Diyos mula sa Ihipto nang may lakas katulad ng isang mabangis na kapong baka.

God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.

23 Walang kulam ang tatalab laban kay Jacob, at walang panghuhula ang makakapinsala sa Israel. Sa halip, dapat itong sabihin tungkol kay Jacob at kay Israel, 'Tingnan mo kung ano ang ginawa ng Diyos!'

When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’

24 Tingnan mo, tumayo ang mga tao katulad ng isang babaeng leon, gaya ng isang leong lumabas at sumalakay. Hindi siya humihiga hanggang sa makain niya ang kaniyang biktima at inumin ang dugo ng kaniyang napatay.”

They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”

25 Pagkatapos sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Huwag mo silang isumpa o pagpalain.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”

26 Ngunit sumagot si Balaam at sinabi kay Balak, “Hindi ko ba sinabi sa iyo na dapat kong sabihin ang lahat ng sinabi ni Yahweh na sasabihin ko?”

But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”

27 Kaya sumagot si Balak kay Balaam, “Pumarito ka ngayon, dadalhin kita sa ibang lugar. Marahil makakalugod ito sa Diyos para isumpa mo sila roon para sa akin.”

Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”

28 Kaya dinala ni Balak si Balaam sa tuktok ng Bundok Peor, na natatanawan ang ilang sa ibaba.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.

29 Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Magtayo ka para sa akin ng pitong altar dito at maghanda ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa.”

Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”

30 Kaya ginawa ni Balak ayon sa sinabi ni Balaam; nag-alay siya ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat altar.

So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.