Balaam’s First Message
1Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. 7Then Balaam spoke his message:
“Balak brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’
8How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?
9From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may my final end be like theirs!”
11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
12He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Message
13Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” 14So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18Then he spoke his message:
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.
19God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
20I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21“No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery observed23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
the shout of the King is among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
23There is no divination against23:23 Or in Jacob,
no evil omens against23:23 Or in Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24The people rise like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood of its victims.”
25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”
Balaam’s Third Message
27Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.” 28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.
29Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Balaam Nkɔmhyɛ A Edi Kan
1Balaam ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Si afɔremuka ason wɔ ha, na siesie anantwinini ason ne adwennini ason ma me.” 2Balak yɛɛ sɛnea Balaam kae no, na wɔn baanu no de nantwinini ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔremuka no biara so afɔre.
3Afei Balaam ka kyerɛɛ Balak se, “Tena wʼafɔre no ho na merekɔ nkyɛn. Ebia na Awurade bɛba abehyia me, na nea ɔbɛda no adi akyerɛ me biara no mɛka akyerɛ wo.” Enti, ɔforo kɔɔ sorosoro baabi a ɛhɔ yɛ petee.
4Ɛhɔ na Onyankopɔn hyiaa no ma ɔkae se, “Masiesie afɔremuka ason, na mede nantwinini ne odwennini abɔ afɔre wɔ biara so.”
5Awurade de asɛm hyɛɛ Balaam anom se, “San kɔ Balak nkyɛn na kɔka asɛm yi kyerɛ no.”
6Ɔsan bae no ɔbɛtoo no sɛ ɔne Moab mpanyimfo no nyinaa gyinagyina afɔre no ho. 7Na Balaam hyɛɛ ne nkɔm:
“Balak soma bɛfrɛɛ me fii Aram,
Moabhene frɛɛ me fii apuei fam nkoko so.
Ɔkae se, ‘Bra bɛdome Yakob ma me;
bra bɛka mmususɛm gu Israel so.’
8Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi adome
wɔn a Onyankopɔn nnome ɛ?
Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi aka mmususɛm agu
wɔn a Awurade mmuu wɔn fɔ so?
9Mihu wɔn fi ɔbotan atifi;
mehwɛ wɔn fi nkoko so.
Mihu nnipa a wɔatew wɔn ho
a wommu wɔn ho sɛ wɔyɛ aman no bi mu nnipa.
10Hena na obetumi akan Yakob mfutuma,
anaa ɔbɛkan Israelfo nkyemu anan mu baako?
Ma minwu atreneefo wu,
na mʼawiei nyɛ sɛ wɔn de.”
11Balak bisaa Balaam se, “Dɛn na woayɛ me yi? Mede wo baa sɛ bɛdome mʼatamfo, nanso woahyira wɔn mmom!”
12Obuae se, “So ɛnsɛ sɛ meka nea Awurade de ahyɛ mʼano no ana?”
Balaam Nkɔmhyɛ A Ɛto So Abien
13Afei, Balak ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Bra na yɛnkɔ baabi foforo a yebehu wɔn; worenhu wɔn nyinaa, gye wɔn atenae no nkyɛn nkyɛn. Gyina hɔ na dome wɔn ma me.” 14Enti ɔde no kɔɔ Sofim bepɔw Pisga atifi. Osii afɔremuka ason wɔ hɔ na ɔde nantwinini ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔre afɔre wɔ afɔremuka biara so.
15Balaam ka kyerɛɛ Balak se, “Tena wʼafɔre no ho wɔ ha na me nso merekohyia Awuradewɔ hɔ.”
16Awurade hyiaa Balaam na ɔde asɛm hyɛɛ nʼanom se, “San kɔ Balak hɔ na kɔka asɛm yi kyerɛ no.”
17Enti ɔsan ba bɛtoo no no sɛ ogyina nʼafɔre no ho a Moab mpanyimfo no ka ne ho. Balak bisae se, “Awurade aka dɛn?”
18Na ɔhyɛɛ ne nkɔm:
“Balak, sɔre na tie;
Sipor babarima tie me.
19Onyankopɔn nyɛ onipa na wadi atoro;
Ɔnyɛ onipa na wasesa nʼadwene.
Ɔka asɛm a ɔnyɛ ana?
Wahyɛ bɔ bi pɛn a wanni so ana?
20Wɔahyɛ me sɛ minhyira;
wahyira, na merentumi nnan ani!
21“Wonhu ɔyawdi bi wɔ Yakob mu,
wonhuu awerɛhowdi biara wɔ Israel mu.
Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn ka wɔn ho;
Ɔhene ka wɔn ho!
22Onyankopɔn yii wɔn fii Misraim;
ɔte sɛ nantwi hoɔdenfo ma wɔn.
23Nnome biara mmaa Yakob so ɛ,
mmusu biara nni Israel so.
Afei, wɔbɛka afa Yakob
ne Israel ho se, ‘Hwɛ nea Onyankopɔn ayɛ!’
24Nnipa no sɔre sɛ gyatabere.
Wɔwosow wɔn ho sɛ gyata
a onnye nʼahome de kosi sɛ ɔbɛtetew nea wakyere no no nam pasaa
na ɔnom nea wakyere no no mogya.”
25Na Balak ka kyerɛɛ Balaam se, “Sɛ worennome wɔn a, ɛno de nhyira wɔn koraa.”
26Balaam buaa no se, “Manka ankyerɛ wo se nea Awurade bɛka biara na mɛyɛ ana?”
Balaam Nkɔmhyɛ A Ɛto So Abiɛsa
27Afei, Balak ka kyerɛɛ Balaam se, “Bra mma memfa wo nkɔ baabi foforo. Ebia, ɛhɔ bɛyɛ anisɔ ama Onyankopɔn sɛ wubegyina hɔ adome wɔn.” 28Na Balak faa Balaam de no kɔɔ bepɔw Peor a ani kyerɛ nweatam no atifi pɛɛ no so.
29Bio, Balaam kae se, “Si afɔremuka ason na siesie anantwinini ason ne adwennini ason ma me.” 30Balak yɛɛ nea Balaam kae no, enti ɔde nantwinini ne odwennini bɔɔ afɔre wɔ afɔremuka no biara so.
