Balaam’s First Message From God
1Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 2Balak did just as Balaam said. The two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I’ll go and try to find out what the Lord wants me to do. Maybe he’ll come and meet with me. Then I’ll tell you what he says to me.” So Balaam went off to a bare hilltop.
4God met with him there. Balaam said, “I’ve prepared seven altars. On each altar I’ve offered a bull and a ram.”
5The Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth. The Lord said, “Go back to Balak. Give him my message.”
6So Balaam went back to him. He found Balak standing beside his offering. All the Moabite officials were with him. 7Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Balak brought me from the land of Aram.
The king of Moab sent for me from the mountains in the east.
‘Come,’ he said. ‘Put a curse on Jacob’s people for me.
Come. Speak against Israel.’
8But how can I put a curse on
people God hasn’t cursed?
How can I speak against
people the Lord hasn’t spoken against?
9I see them from the rocky peaks.
I view them from the hills.
I see a group of people who live by themselves.
They don’t consider themselves to be one of the nations.
10Jacob’s people are like the dust of the earth.
Can dust be counted?
Who can count even a fourth of the Israelites?
Let me die as godly people die.
Let my death be like theirs!”
11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to put a curse on my enemies! But all you have done is give them a blessing!”
12He answered, “I have to speak only the words the Lord puts in my mouth.”
Balaam’s Second Message From God
13Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place. You can see the Israelites from there. You won’t see all of them. You will only see the outer edges of their camp. From there, put a curse on them for me.” 14So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim. It was on the highest slopes of Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I’ll meet with the Lord over there.”
16The Lord met with Balaam. He put a message in Balaam’s mouth. The Lord said, “Go back to Balak. Give him my message.”
17So Balaam went to Balak. He found him standing beside his offering. The Moabite officials were with him. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Balak, rise up and listen.
Son of Zippor, hear me.
19God isn’t a mere human. He can’t lie.
He isn’t a human being. He doesn’t change his mind.
He speaks, and then he acts.
He makes a promise, and then he keeps it.
20He has commanded me to bless Israel.
He has given them his blessing. And I can’t change it.
21“I don’t see any trouble coming on the people of Jacob.
I don’t see any suffering in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them.
The shout of the King is among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt.
They are as strong as a wild ox.
23There isn’t any magic that can hurt the people of Jacob.
No one can use magic words to harm Israel.
Here is what will be said about the people of Jacob.
Here is what will be said about Israel.
People will say, ‘See what God has done!’
24The Israelites are going to wake up like a female lion.
They are going to get up like a male lion.
They are like a lion that won’t rest
until it eats what it has caught.
They are like a lion that won’t rest
until it drinks the blood of what it has killed.”
25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t put a curse on them at all! And don’t give them a blessing at all!”
26Balaam answered, “Didn’t I tell you that I must do only what the Lord says?”
Balaam’s Third Message From God
27Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come. Let me take you to another place. Perhaps God will be pleased to let you put a curse on the Israelites for me from there.” 28Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor. It looks out over a dry and empty land.
29Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 30Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Ujumbe Wa Kwanza Wa Balaamu
123:1 Hes 22:40Balaamu akasema, “Nijengee hapa madhabahu saba, mnitayarishie mafahali saba na kondoo dume saba.” 2Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyosema; hao wawili kila mmoja wao akatoa fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.
323:3 Kum 18:18; Yer 1:9Kisha Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Kaa hapa kando ya sadaka yako wakati mimi ninakwenda kando. Huenda Bwana atakuja kukutana nami. Lolote atakalonifunulia, nitakuambia.” Basi akaenda hata mahali peupe palipoinuka.
423:4 Mwa 25:24-26; Kut 22:21; 23:9; Kum 10:19Mungu akakutana naye, kisha Balaamu akasema, “Nimekwisha kutengeneza madhabahu saba, na juu ya kila madhabahu nimetoa sadaka ya fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja.”
523:5 Kut 4:12, 15; Isa 59:21; Hes 22:20; Mit 21:30; Isa 47:12Bwana akaweka ujumbe katika kinywa cha Balaamu na kusema, “Rudi kwa Balaki umpe ujumbe huu.”
623:6 Law 20:24; 1Fal 8:53; Efe 2:14Basi Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki, akamkuta amesimama kando ya sadaka yake akiwa na wakuu wote wa Moabu. 723:7 Hes 22:5, 6; 24:3-21; Yos 24:9; 2Sam 23:1; 2Fal 5:1; Mwa 24:10; Neh 13:2; Law 15:16; Hes 5:2, 3; 1Kor 5:11, 13Ndipo Balaamu akasema ujumbe wake:
“Balaki amenileta kutoka Aramu,
mfalme wa Moabu kutoka milima ya mashariki.
Akasema, ‘Njoo, unilaanie Yakobo;
njoo unishutumie Israeli.’
823:8 Hes 22:12; Isa 43:13; Yos 24:10; Neh 13:2Nitawezaje kuwalaani,
hao ambao Mungu hajawalaani?
Nitawezaje kuwashutumu
hao ambao Bwana hakuwashutumu?
923:9 Hes 22:41; Kut 33:16; Kum 32:8Kutoka vilele vya miamba ninawaona,
kutoka mahali palipoinuka ninawatazama.
Ninaliona taifa ambalo wanaishi peke yao,
nao hawahesabiwi kama mojawapo ya mataifa.
1023:10 Mwa 13:16; Za 16:3; 116:15Ni nani awezaye kuhesabu mavumbi ya Yakobo,
au kuhesabu robo ya Israeli?
Mimi na nife kifo cha mtu mwenye haki,
na mwisho wangu na uwe kama wao!”
11Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Ni nini ulichonitendea? Nimekuleta ulaani adui zangu, lakini wewe badala yake umewabariki!”
12Balaamu akajibu, “Je, hainipasi kusema kile Bwana anachoweka katika kinywa changu?”
Ujumbe Wa Pili Wa Balaamu
13Ndipo Balaki akamwambia, “Twende pamoja mahali pengine ambapo unaweza kuwaona; utawaona baadhi tu wala si wote. Nawe kutoka huko, unilaanie hao.” 1423:14 Isa 1:10-11; Hos 12:11Basi akampeleka kwenye shamba la Sofimu, juu ya kilele cha Mlima Pisga. Pale akajenga madhabahu saba na kutoa sadaka ya fahali na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.
15Balaamu akamwambia Balaki, “Kaa hapa kando ya sadaka yako wakati ninapokwenda kuonana na Mungu kule.”
16Bwana akakutana na Balaamu, akaweka ujumbe katika kinywa chake akasema, “Rudi kwa Balaki umpe ujumbe huu.”
1723:17 1Sam 3:17Basi Balaamu akarudi kwa Balaki, akamkuta amesimama kando ya sadaka yake, akiwa na wakuu wa Moabu. Balaki akamuuliza, “Je, Bwana amesema nini?”
1823:18 Amu 3:20Ndipo Balaamu akasema ujumbe wake:
“Balaki, inuka na usikilize,
nisikie mimi, wewe mwana wa Sipori.
1923:19 1Sam 15:29Mungu si mtu, hata aseme uongo,
wala yeye si mwanadamu, hata ajute.
Je, anasema, kisha asitende?
Je, anaahidi, asitimize?
20Nimepokea agizo kubariki;
amebariki, nami siwezi kubadilisha.
21“Haijaonekana bahati mbaya katika Yakobo,
wala taabu katika Israeli.
Bwana, Mungu wao yu pamoja nao,
nayo sauti kuu ya Mfalme imo katikati yao.
22Mungu aliwatoa kutoka Misri;
wao wana nguvu za nyati.
23Hakuna uchawi dhidi ya Yakobo,
wala hakuna uaguzi dhidi ya Israeli.
Sasa itasemwa kuhusu Yakobo
na Israeli, ‘Tazama yale Mungu aliyotenda!’
24Taifa lainuka kama simba jike;
linajiinua kama simba
ambaye hatulii mpaka amalize kurarua mawindo yake
na kunywa damu ya mawindo yake.”
25Kisha Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Usiwalaani kabisa, wala usiwabariki kabisa!”
26Balaamu akajibu, “Je, sikukuambia ni lazima nifanye lolote analosema Bwana?”
Ujumbe Wa Tatu Wa Balaamu
27Basi Balaki akamwambia Balaamu, “Njoo, nikupeleke mahali pengine. Huenda itampendeza Mungu kukuruhusu unilaanie hao watu kutoka mahali hapo.” 28Balaki akamchukua Balaamu juu ya Mlima Peori, unaotazamana na nyika.
29Balaamu akasema, “Nijengee hapa madhabahu saba, uandae mafahali saba na kondoo dume saba kwa ajili yangu.” 30Balaki akafanya kama Balaamu alivyosema, kisha akatoa sadaka ya fahali mmoja na kondoo dume mmoja juu ya kila madhabahu.
