Numbers 23
1 Balaamu wí fún Balaki pé, “Kọ́ pẹpẹ méje fún mi níbí, kí o sì mú akọ màlúù méje àti àgbò méje wá fún mi.”
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Balaki ṣe bí Balaamu ti sọ, àwọn méjèèjì fi akọ màlúù kọ̀ọ̀kan àti àgbò kọ̀ọ̀kan rú ẹbọ lórí pẹpẹ kọ̀ọ̀kan.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Nígbà náà Balaamu sọ fún Balaki pé, “Dúró ti ẹbọ sísun rẹ kí èmi sì lọ sí ẹ̀gbẹ́ kan. Bóyá Olúwa yóò farahàn mí. Ohunkóhun tí ó bá fihàn mí, èmi yóò wí fún ọ.” Nígbà náà ó sì lọ sí ibi gíga.
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 Ọlọ́run sì pàdé rẹ̀, Balaamu sì sọ pé, “Mo tí ṣe pẹpẹ méje, lórí pẹpẹ kọ̀ọ̀kan mo ti fi akọ màlúù àti àgbò kọ̀ọ̀kan rú ẹbọ.”
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 Olúwa sì fi ọ̀rọ̀ sí ẹnu Balaamu ó wí pé, “Padà sí ọ̀dọ̀ Balaki kí o sì jẹ́ iṣẹ́ yìí fún un.”
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Ó sì padà sí ọ̀dọ̀ rẹ̀ ó sì ba tí ó dúró ti ẹbọ sísun rẹ̀, pẹ̀lú gbogbo àwọn ìjòyè Moabu.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
7 Nígbà náà ni Balaamu sọ ọ̀rọ̀-ìjìnlẹ̀ jáde wí pé, “Balaki mú mi láti Aramu wá, ọba Moabu láti òkè ìlà-oòrùn wá Ó wí pé, ‘Wá fi Jakọbu bú fún mi; wá, kí o sì jẹ́rìí sí Israẹli.’
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 Báwo ní èmi ó ṣe fi bú àwọn tí Ọlọ́run kò fi bú? Báwo ni èmi ó ṣe bá wọn wí àwọn tí Olúwa kò bá wí?
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 Láti ṣóńṣó ibi gíga orí àpáta ni mo ti rí wọn, láti orí ibi gíga ni mo ti ń wò wọ́n. Mo rí àwọn ènìyàn tí ń gbé lọ́tọ̀ wọn kò sì ka ará wọn kún ara àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè.
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 Ta ni ó lè ka eruku Jakọbu tàbí ka ìdámẹ́rin Israẹli? Jẹ́ kí èmi kú ikú olódodo, kí ìgbẹ̀yìn mi kí ó dà bí tirẹ̀!”
(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 Balaki sọ fún Balaamu pé, “Kí lo ṣe fún mi? Mo gbé ọ wá láti fi àwọn ọ̀tá mi bú, ṣùgbọ́n o kò ṣe nǹkan kan, ṣùgbọ́n o bùkún wọn!”
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 Ó sì dáhùn wí pé, “Ṣé kí n má sọ nǹkan tí Olúwa fi sí mi lẹ́nu?”
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Nígbà náà Balaki sọ fún un pé, “Wá pẹ̀lú mi sí ibòmíràn tí o ti lè rí wọn; wà á rí díẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n kì í ṣe gbogbo wọn. Láti ibẹ̀, wá fi wọ́n bú fún mi.”
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 Ó sì lọ sí pápá Sofimu ní orí òkè Pisga, ó sì kọ́ pẹpẹ méje síbẹ̀ ó sì fi akọ màlúù àti àgbò kọ̀ọ̀kan rú ẹbọ lórí pẹpẹ kọ̀ọ̀kan.
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 Balaamu ṣo fún Balaki pé, “Dúró níbí ti ẹbọ sísun rẹ nígbà tí mo bá lọ pàdé rẹ̀ níbẹ̀.”
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Olúwa pàdé Balaamu ó sì fi ọ̀rọ̀ sí ní ẹnu wí pé, “Padà lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ Balaki kí o sì jíṣẹ́ fún un.”
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 Nígbà náà ó lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ rẹ̀ ó sì bá à tí ó dúró ti ẹbọ sísun rẹ̀ pẹ̀lú àwọn ìjòyè Moabu. Balaki sì béèrè lọ́wọ́ rẹ̀ pé, “Kí ni Olúwa wí?”
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 Nígbà náà ó bẹ̀rẹ̀ ọ̀rọ̀ sísọ, “Dìde, Balaki; kí o sì gbọ́ mi ọmọ Sippori.
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Ọlọ́run kì í ṣe ènìyàn, tí yóò fi purọ́, tàbí ọmọ ènìyàn, tí ó lè yí ọkàn rẹ̀ padà. Ǹjẹ́ ó sọ̀rọ̀ kí ó má ṣe é? Ǹjẹ́ ó ti ṣèlérí kí ó má mu un ṣẹ?
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 Èmi gba àṣẹ láti bùkún; Ó sì ti bùkún, èmi kò sì lè yípadà.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 “Kò rí ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ kankan nínú Jakọbu, kò sì rí búburú kankan nínú Israẹli. Olúwa Ọlọ́run wọn sì wà pẹ̀lú wọn. Ìhó ọba sì wà pẹ̀lú wọn.
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 Ọlọ́run mú wọn jáde láti Ejibiti wá, wọ́n ní agbára màlúù ẹhànnà.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Kò ní àfọ̀ṣẹ sí Jakọbu, tàbí àfọ̀ṣẹ sí àwọn Israẹli. Nísinsin yìí a ó sọ nípa ti Jakọbu àti Israẹli, ‘Wo ohun tí Ọlọ́run ti ṣe!’
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 Àwọn ènìyàn náà yóò dìde bí abo kìnnìún; wọ́n yóò sì gbé ara wọn sókè bí i kìnnìún òun kì yóò sì dùbúlẹ̀ títí yóò fi jẹ ohun ọdẹ títí yóò sì fi mu nínú ẹ̀jẹ̀ ohun pípa.”
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 Nígbà náà ni Balaki wí fún Balaamu pé, “O kò kúkú fi wọ́n bú, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni o kò súre fún wọn rárá!”
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Balaamu dáhùn ó sì wí fún Balaki pé, “Ǹjẹ́ èmi kò ha ti wí fún ọ pé, gbogbo èyí tí Olúwa bá sọ, òun ni èmi yóò ṣe?”
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Nígbà náà Balaki sọ fún Balaamu pé, “Wá jẹ́ kí èmi kí ó mú ọ lọ sí ibòmíràn bóyá yóò tẹ́ Ọlọ́run lọ́rùn kí ó fi wọ́n bú láti ibẹ̀ lọ.”
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 Balaki gbé Balaamu wá sí orí òkè Peori, tí ó kọjú sí aginjù.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Balaamu sì wí fún Balaki pé, “Mọ pẹpẹ méje fún mi níbí kí o sì pèsè akọ màlúù àti àgbò fún mi.”
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Balaki sì ṣe bí Balaamu ti sọ fún un, ó sì gbé akọ màlúù kan àti àgbò lórí pẹpẹ kọ̀ọ̀kan.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
