Ang Unang Mensahe ni Balaam
1Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Pagawan mo ako rito ng pitong altar, at ipaghanda mo ako ng pitong toro at pitong matandang lalaking tupa.” 2Sinunod ni Balak ang sinabi ni Balaam, at silang dalawa ang naghandog ng toro at ng lalaking tupa sa bawat altar. 3Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Dito ka lang sa tabi ng iyong handog dahil aalis ako. Baka makipagkita ang Panginoon sa akin. Sasabihin ko na lang sa iyo kung ano ang sasabihin niya sa akin.” Kaya umakyat siya sa itaas ng burol.
4Nakipagkita ang Panginoon sa kanya at sinabi ni Balaam, “Nagpagawa po ako ng pitong altar, at sa bawat altar ay naghandog ako ng isang batang toro at tupa.”
5Binigyan ng Panginoon si Balaam ng mensahe at sinabi, “Bumalik ka kay Balak at sabihin sa kanya ang mensaheng ito.” 6Kaya bumalik si Balaam, at nakita niya si Balak na nakatayo sa tabi ng kanyang mga handog, kasama ng lahat ng pinuno ng Moab. 7Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balaam,
“Ipinatawag mo ako, Haring Balak ng Moab, mula sa Aram, sa kabundukan sa silangan. Sinabi mo sa akin, ‘Dali, sumpain mo ang mga lahi ni Jacob para sa akin. Sumpain sila na mga mamamayan ng Israel.’ 8Paano ko susumpain ang mga taong hindi isinusumpa ng Dios? Paano ko susumpain ang mga taong hindi isinusumpa ng Panginoon? 9Mula sa itaas ng bundok, nakita ko sila. Nabubuhay sila nang sila lang, na nakabukod sa ibang mga bansa. 10Sino ba ang may kayang bumilang sa kanilang dami na tulad ng buhangin sa tabing-dagat? Mamatay sana ako na tulad ng matuwid na mga mamamayan ng Dios.”
11Sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Ano itong ginawa mo sa akin? Dinala kita rito para sumpain ang aking mga kaaway pero ang ginawa mo, binasbasan mo pa sila!” 12Sumagot si Balaam, “Kailangang sabihin ko ang sinabi ng Panginoon sa akin.”
Ang Ikalawang Mensahe ni Balaam
13Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balak sa kanya, “Sumama ka sa akin sa isa pang lugar na kung saan makikita mo ang iba pang mga mamamayan ng Israel, pero hindi ang lahat. At doon, sumpain mo sila.” 14Kaya dinala ni Balak si Balaam sa isang bukid sa Zofim, sa ibabaw ng bundok ng Pisga, at doon nagpatayo sila ng pitong altar at naghandog ng pitong baka at pitong lalaking tupa, isa sa bawat altar.
15Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Dito ka lang sa tabi ng iyong handog habang nakikipagkita ako sa Panginoon diyan sa unahan.”
16Nakipagkita ang Panginoon kay Balaam at binigyan niya siya ng mensahe. At sinabi niya, “Bumalik ka kay Balak at sabihin mo sa kanya ang mensaheng ito.”
17Kaya nagbalik si Balaam kay Balak, at nakita niya siya na nakatayo sa tabi ng kanyang handog, kasama ng mga pinuno ng Moab. Nagtanong si Balak kay Balaam, “Ano ang sinabi ng Panginoon sa iyo?”
18Sinabi ni Balaam, “Dali, Balak na anak ni Zipor, at pakinggan mo ako. 19Ang Dios ay hindi tao na magsisinungaling, o magbabago ng kanyang isip. Nagsasabi ba siya ng hindi niya ginagawa? Nangangako ba siya ng hindi niya tinutupad? 20Inutusan niya akong magbasbas, at kapag nabasbasan na niya, hindi ko na ito mababawi pa. 21Wala akong nakitang kapahamakan o kaguluhan na dadating sa Israel. Kasama nila ang Panginoon na kanilang Dios; kinikilala nila siya na kanilang hari. 22Inilabas sila ng Dios sa Egipto; tulad siya ng isang malakas na toro para sa kanila. 23Walang manghuhula o mangkukulam na makakasakit sa kanila. Kaya sasabihin ng mga tao tungkol sa Israel, ‘Tunay na kamangha-mangha ang ginawa ng Dios sa Israel. 24Tulad ng isang leong handang sumalakay ang mamamayang ito at hindi nagpapahinga hanggang sa malamon niya ang kanyang biktima at mainom ang dugo nito.’ ”
25Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Kung hindi mo sila susumpain, huwag mo silang pagpapalain!” 26Sumagot si Balaam, “Hindi baʼt sinabihan na kita na kailangang gawin ko kung ano ang sasabihin ng Panginoon sa akin?”
Ang Ikatlong Mensahe ni Balaam
27Muling sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Halika, dadalhin kita sa ibang lugar. Baka roon, pumayag na ang Dios na sumpain mo ang Israel para sa akin.” 28Kaya dinala ni Balak si Balaam sa ibabaw ng Bundok ng Peor, kung saan nakikita ang disyerto sa ibaba. 29Sinabi ni Balaam, “Pagawan mo ako rito ng pitong altar at maghanda ka ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa para sa akin.” 30Kaya ginawa ni Balak ang sinabi ni Balaam, at naghandog siya ng isang baka at isang tupa sa bawat altar.
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.
