Nomipā 22
1 Pea naʻe hiki atu ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻo nofo ʻi he toafa ʻo Moape ʻi he potu mai ʻo Sioatani[ʻo ofi ]ki Seliko.
Then the Israelis traveled west to the area of Moab that was in the valley of the Jordan [River], across the river from Jericho [city].
2 Pea naʻe ʻilo ʻe Pelaki ko e foha ʻo Sipoa ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe ʻIsileli ki he kau ʻAmoli.
But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
3 Pea naʻe manavahē lahi ʻa Moape ki he kakai, koeʻuhi naʻa nau tokolahi: pea naʻe mamahi lahi ʻa Moape koeʻuhi ko e fānau ʻa ʻIsileli.
[When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
4 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Moape ki he kau mātuʻa ʻo Mitiane, “Ko eni, ʻe ʻemo hake ʻe he kakai ni ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku takatakai ʻakitautolu, ʻo hangē ʻoku ʻemo hake ʻe he pulu ʻae mohuku ʻoe ngoue.” Pea ko Pelaki ko e foha ʻo Sipoa ko e tuʻi ia ʻoe kau Moape ʻi he kuonga ko ia.
So the king of Moab [went to] the leaders of the Midian people-group and said to them, “This huge group [of Israelis] will (wipe out/destroy) everything around them, like an ox devours grass!” Balak was the king of Moab.
5 Ko ia naʻa ne fekau ai kia Pelami ko e foha ʻo Peoli ki Pitoli, ʻaia ʻoku ofi ki he vaitafe ʻoe fonua ʻoe fānau ʻa hono kakai, ke ui ia, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, kuo haʻu ha kakai mei ʻIsipite: vakai, ʻoku nau ʻufiʻufi ʻae funga fonua, pea ʻoku nau nofo ofi kiate au:
He sent messengers to [a prophet named] Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor [town], near the [Euphrates] River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come [to help him]: “A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. [It looks like] they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us.
6 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke haʻu ʻo fakamalaʻiaʻi maʻaku ʻae kakai ni, he ʻoku nau mālohi fau kiate au: pea te u vetekina nai, mo teʻia ʻakinautolu, pea te u kapusia ʻakinautolu ʻi he fonua ni: he ʻoku ou pehē, ʻoku monūʻia ia ʻoku ke fakamonūʻiaʻi, pea ʻoku malaʻia ia ʻoku ke fakamalaʻiaʻi.”
Because they are very powerful/numerous, [we are afraid of them. So] please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land [where they are now living]. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”
7 Pea ko e kau mātuʻa ʻo Moape mo e kau mātuʻa ʻo Mitiane naʻa nau ʻave ʻi honau nima ʻae totongi ʻo ʻene tukitala; pea naʻa nau haʻu kia Pelami, ʻo fakahā kiate ia ʻae lea ʻa Pelaki.
[Balak’s messengers, who were] leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would [come and] curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
8 Pea naʻa ne pehē kiate kinautolu, “Mou nofo ʻi heni ʻi he poōni, pea te u toe ʻomi ʻae lea kiate kimoutolu, ʻo hangē ko e folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au:” pea naʻe nofo mo Pelami ʻae houʻeiki ʻo Moape.
Balaam said, “Stay here tonight. [Tomorrow morning] I will tell you whatever Yahweh tells me that I should say to you.” So the leaders from Moab stayed there that night.
9 Pea naʻe hāʻele mai ʻae ʻOtua kia Pelami, mo ne pehē, “Ko e hā ʻae kau tangata ni ʻoku ʻiate koe?”
During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
10 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelami ki he ʻOtua, “Ko Pelaki ko e foha ʻo Sipoa, ko e tuʻi ʻo Moape, kuo ne fekau mai kiate au, ʻo pehē,
Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
11 ‘Vakai kuo haʻu ha kakai mei ʻIsipite, ʻoku nau ʻufiʻufi ʻae funga fonua: ko ia ke ke haʻu ʻo fakamalaʻiaʻi maʻaku ʻakinautolu; pea te u mālohi ʻapē ʻiate kinautolu, pea kapusi atu ʻakinautolu.’”
‘A huge group of people has come from Egypt, and they have spread all over this area. Please come immediately to curse them. Then I may be able to defeat them and expel them [from this area].’”
12 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kia Pelami, “ʻOua ʻaupito te ke ʻalu mo kinautolu; ʻe ʻikai te ke fakamalaʻiaʻi ʻae kakai: he ʻoku nau monūʻia.”
God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
13 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Pelami ʻi he pongipongi, pea naʻa ne pehē ki he houʻeiki meia Pelaki, “Mou ō ki homou fonua: he kuo taʻofi au ʻe Sihova ke ʻoua naʻa tau ō mo kimoutolu.”
The next morning, Balaam got up and told Balak’s men, “Go back home. [But go by yourselves, because] Yahweh is not allowing me to go with you.”
14 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻae houʻeiki ʻo Moape, ʻonau ō kia Pelaki, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku pehē ʻe Pelami, ʻe ʻikai te ne haʻu mo kimautolu.”
So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Pea naʻe toe fekau ʻe Pelaki ʻae houʻeiki kehe naʻe ongoongolelei mo tokolahi hake ʻiate kinautolu.
But Balak sent another [group of] leaders to Balaam. It was a group that was larger and they were more important [than the men in the first group].
16 Pea naʻa nau haʻu kia Pelami, ʻo pehē kiate ia, “ʻOku pehē ʻe Pelaki ko e foha ʻo Sipoa, ‘ʻOku ou kole atu kiate koe, ʻoua naʻa toe ʻai ha meʻa ke taʻofi hoʻo haʻu kiate au:
They went to Balaam and told him this: “This is what King Balak says: ‘Please do not allow anything to hinder you from coming here.
17 He te u hiki hake ko e ke ke ongoongolelei lahi, pea te u fai ʻo hangē ko hoʻo lea mai kiate au: ko ia ke ke haʻu, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ʻo fakamalaʻiaʻi maʻaku ʻae kakai ni.’”
I will pay you (a lot of money/very well) [if you come], and I will do anything that you ask me to do. Just come and curse these [Israeli] people for me!’”
18 Pea naʻe lea ʻa Pelami ki he kau talafekau ʻa Pelaki, “Kapau ʻe foaki ʻe Pelaki kiate au ʻa hono fale ʻoku pito ʻi he siliva mo e koula, ʻe ʻikai teu faʻa fakakeheʻi ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova ko hoku ʻOtua, ke fai ʻo lahi hake pe siʻi hifo.
But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not do anything to disobey Yahweh, (my God/the God whom I [worship]).
19 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou kole atu kiate kimoutolu, mou nofo foki ʻi heni ʻi he poōni, koeʻuhi ke u ʻilo pe ko e hā ʻe toe folofola mai ʻe Sihova kiate au.”
But stay here one more night, like the other messengers did, and I will find out if Yahweh has anything more to say to me.”
20 Pea naʻe hāʻele mai ʻae ʻOtua ʻi he pō kia Pelami, ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “Kapau ʻe haʻu ʻae kau tangata ke ui koe, tuʻu hake, ʻo ʻalu mo kinautolu; ka ko e lea te u lea ʻaki kiate koe, ko ia pe te ke fai.”
That night God appeared to Balaam again and said to him, “These men have come to request that you go back with them, so you may go with them, but do only what I tell you [to do]!”
21 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Pelami ʻi he pongipongi, pe naʻa ne ʻai ʻae hekaʻanga ki heʻene ʻasi, pea ʻalu mo e houʻeiki ʻo Moape.
So the next morning, Balaam put a saddle on his donkey and he departed [with two of his servants] along with the men from Moab.
22 Pea naʻe tupu ʻae houhau ʻoe ʻOtua koeʻuhi ko ʻene ʻalu: pea naʻe tuʻu ʻi he hala ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova ko e tali tau kiate ia. Pea naʻe heka ia ʻi heʻene ʻasi, pea mo ʻene ongo tamaioʻeiki mo ia.
[Even though God had given Balaam permission to go, he was still angry]. So he sent one of his angels to Balaam. This angel stood in the road to block Balaam’s path. As Balaam and the two servants were riding on their donkeys,
23 Pea naʻe mamata ʻae ʻasi ki he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova naʻe tuʻu ʻi he hala, pea mo ʻene heletā naʻe ʻi hono nima: pea naʻe afe atu ʻae ʻasi mei he hala, ʻo ʻalu ki he ngoue: pea naʻe taaʻi ʻe Pelami ʻae ʻasi, ke fakafoki ia ki he hala.
Balaam’s donkey saw the angel. The angel was standing in the road and was holding a sword in his hand, [but Balaam did not see him]. Balaam’s donkey turned off the road into a field. So Balaam struck the donkey and forced it to go back onto the road.
24 Ka naʻe tuʻu ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova, ʻi he hala ʻoe ngoue vaine, pea naʻe ai ʻae ʻā maka ʻi he potu toʻomataʻu, mo e potu toʻohema.
Then the angel stood in a place where the road was very narrow, between two vineyards, with walls on each side of the road.
25 Pea ʻi he mamata ʻae ʻasi ki he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova, naʻe ʻoho ia ki he ʻā maka, pea naʻe mamulu ʻae vaʻe ʻo Pelami ʻi he ʻā maka: pea naʻa ne toe taaʻi ia.
When the donkey saw the angel standing there, it walked very close to the wall [to try to get past the angel]. As a result, it bashed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam struck the donkey again.
26 Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova, pea naʻe tuʻu ia ʻi he potu ʻapiʻapi, pea naʻe ʻikai ʻi ai ha hala ke afe ki he nima toʻomataʻu ki he toʻohema.
Then the angel went further along the road and stood at a place that was extremely narrow, with the result that the donkey could not get past at all.
27 Pea ʻi he mamata ʻae ʻasi ki he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova, naʻe tō ia ki lalo mo Pelami: pea naʻe tupu ai ʻae ʻita ʻa Pelami, ʻo ne taaʻi ʻae ʻasi ʻaki ʻae tokotoko.
This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down [on the ground] with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam became extremely angry, and he struck the donkey again with his walking stick.
28 Pea naʻe toʻo ʻe Sihova ʻae ngutu ʻoe ʻasi, pea ne pehē ʻe ia kia Pelami, “Ko e hā kuo u fai kiate koe, kuo ke taaʻi ai au ʻo liunga tolu?”
Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak! It said to Balaam, “What bad thing have I done to you that caused you to strike me three times?”
29 Pea pehē ʻe Pelami ki he ʻasi, “Koeʻuhi kuo ke manukiʻi au: ʻamusiaange ʻeau kuo ʻi hoku nima ha heletā, he ka ne ai te u tāmateʻi koe.”
Balaam shouted, “I struck you because you have caused me to appear to be foolish! If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻasi kia Pelami, “ʻIkai ko hoʻo ʻasi au kuo ke heka ki ai talu hoʻo maʻu au ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni? He kuo u faʻa fai pehē ni kiate koe?” Pea ne pehē ʻe ia, “Naʻe ʻikai.”
But the donkey answered, “I am your own donkey [RHQ], the one that you have always ridden! Have I ever done anything like this previously?” Balaam said, “No.”
31 Pea naʻe toki fakaʻā ʻe Sihova ʻae mata ʻo Pelami, pea naʻe mamata ia ki he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova ʻoku tuʻu ʻi he hala, mo ʻene heletā kuo toʻo ʻi hono nima: pea naʻe punou ʻe ia hono ʻulu, pea foʻohifo ki hono mata.
Then Yahweh enabled Balaam to see the angel standing on the road, holding a sword in his hand. Balaam [realized that it was an angel and] prostrated himself on the ground in front of the angel.
32 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻāngelo kiate ia, “Ko e hā kuo ke taaʻi ai ʻa hoʻo ʻasi ni ʻo liunga tolu? Vakai ne u ʻalu atu ʻo taʻofi koe, koeʻuhi ʻoku kovi ho hala ʻi hoku ʻao:
The angel asked him, ‘(Why did you strike your donkey three times?/ You should certainly not have struck the donkey three times! [RHQ] I have come to block your path because what you are planning to do is wrong.
33 Pea naʻe mamata ʻae ʻasi kiate au, pea ne afe meiate au ʻo liunga tolu: ka ne ʻikai afe ia meiate au ko e moʻoni kuo u tāmateʻi foki koe, kae tuku ia ke moʻui.”
Three times your donkey saw me and turned away from me. If it had not done that, I would certainly have killed you already, but I would have allowed the donkey to live.”
34 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelami ki he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova, “Kuo u angahala au; he naʻe ʻikai te u ʻilo naʻa ke tuʻu kiate au ʻi he hala: pea ko eni, kapau ʻoku kovi kiate koe, te u toe foki au.”
Then Balaam said to the angel, “I have sinned. But I did not realize that you were standing there, trying to block my path. So if you do not want me to continue going, I will return home.”
35 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova kia Pelami, “ʻAlu mo e kau tangata: ka ko e lea pe te u lea ʻaki kiate koe, ko ia pe te ke lea ʻaki.” Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Pelami mo e houʻeiki meia Pelaki.
But the angel replied, “I will allow you to go with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say!” So Balaam went on with the leaders whom Balak [had sent].
36 Pea naʻe fanongo ʻa Pelaki kuo haʻu ʻa Pelami, pea naʻe ʻalu atu ia ʻo fakafetaulaki mo ia ki ha kolo ʻi Moape, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he matafonua ʻo ʻAlanoni, ʻi hono ngataʻanga mamaʻo atu.
When King Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at a Moab town alongside the Arnon [River] that was at the border of his own land.
37 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Pelaki kia Pelami, “ʻIkai naʻaku fekau mālohi kiate koe ʻo ui koe? Ka ko e hā naʻe ʻikai te ke haʻu ai kiate au? ʻIkai ʻoku ou mafai ke u hiki hake koe ke ke ongoongolelei?”
[When he arrived where] Balaam was, he said to him, “I sent you [RHQ] a message saying that you should come immediately [RHQ]! Why did you not come immediately? [Did you think that] I was not able to pay you a lot of money for coming?”
38 Pea pehē ʻe Pelami kia Pelaki, “Vakai, kuo u haʻu kiate koe: pea ʻoku ai ha mālohi siʻi ʻiate au ke u lea ki ha meʻa? Ka ko e folofola ʻe tuku mai ʻe he ʻOtua ki hoku ngutu, ko ia pe te u lea ʻaki.”
Balaam replied, “I have come here now, but I am not able to say anything [that I want to]. I will say only the words that God tells me to say [MTY].”
39 Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Pelami mo Pelaki, pea naʻa na hoko ki Kesa-Husoti.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
40 Pea naʻe feilaulau ʻaki ʻe Pelaki ʻae fanga pulu mo e sipi, ʻo ne tali kia Pelami, mo e houʻeiki naʻe ʻiate ia.
There Balak killed some cattle and sheep as sacrifices, and offered [parts of the meat] to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he pongipongi hake, naʻe ʻave ʻe Pelaki ʻa Pelami, ʻo ʻomi ia ki he ngaahi potu māʻolunga ʻo Peali, koeʻuhi ke ne mamata mei ai ki he ngataʻanga ʻoe kakai ʻi tuaʻā.
[They slept there], and the next morning Balak took Balaam part way up [the mountain] to Bamoth-Baal [village]. From there, they could see some of the Israeli people who were down below.
