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.
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.
