1 Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho.
King Balak of Moab Hires Balaam To Curse Israel
2-3 When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked. 4 They said to the Midianite leaders, “That huge mob of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field.”
So King Balak 5 sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said:
I need your help. A large group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory. 6 They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.
7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord's answer.” So the officials stayed at his house.
9 During the night, God asked Balaam, “Who are these people at your house?”
10 “They are messengers from King Balak of Moab,” Balaam answered. “He sent them 11 to ask me to go to Moab and put a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off.”
12 But God replied, “Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them.”
13 The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, “Go on back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”
14 The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.
15 Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones. 16 They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, “Balaam, if you come to Moab, 17 I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people.”
18 Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the Lord my God. 19 You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the Lord has something else to say about this.”
20 That night, God said, “Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say.”
21 So Balaam got up the next morning and saddled his donkey, then left with the Moabite officials.
Balaam and His Donkey Meet an Angel
22 Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the Lord's angels stood in the road to stop him. 23 When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again.
26 The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around. 27 So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and whacked the donkey.
28 When that happened, the Lord told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done that made you beat me three times?”
29 “You made me look stupid!” Balaam answered. “If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!”
30 “But you're my owner,” answered the donkey, “and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Just then, the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.
32 The angel said, “You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab. 33 If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”
34 Balaam replied, “I was wrong. I didn't know you were trying to stop me. If you don't think I should go, I'll return home at once.”
35 “It's all right for you to go,” the Lord's angel answered. “But you must say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak's officials.
King Balak Meets Balaam
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at the town of Ir on the Arnon River, which is the northern border of Moab. 37 Balak asked, “Why didn't you come when I invited you the first time? Did you think I wasn't going to pay you?”
38 “I'm here now,” Balaam answered. “But I will say only what God tells me to say.”
39 They left and went to the town of Kiriath-Huzoth, 40 where Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.
41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam to the town of Bamoth-Baal. From there, Balaam could see some of the Israelites.
Mowabinkoolu la Mansa Balaki ye Balaamu kumandi naŋ
1 Banisirayilankoolu wulita ì taata daakaa loo Mowabi kene fanuŋo to Yoridani Boloŋo daala, Yeriko be a ye a kankuŋ doo la.
2 Balaki, Sipori dinkewo ye a je le Banisirayilankoolu ye meŋ bee ke Amorinkoolu la. 3 Moolu la siyaa ye Mowabinkoolu kija teyi le, ì silata Banisirayilankoolu la.
4 Bituŋ ì diyaamuta Midiyani alifaalu ye ko, “Ñiŋ kafoo, feŋ-wo-feŋ be ǹ daala, ì be a bee le kunuŋ na ko ninsoo ka ñaamoo ñimi ñaameŋ.” Wo waatoo la Balaki, Sipori dinkewo, wo le mu mansa ti Mowabi bankoo kaŋ.
5 Bituŋ Balaki ye kiilaalu kii ka Balaamu kumandi, Bewori dinkewo, meŋ be Petori saatewo to, a wuluu bankoo kaŋ, Yufurati Boloŋo daala. A ko ì ye a fo a ye ko, “Moolu le bota naŋ Misira, ì be faariŋ ǹ na bankoo bee kaŋ, aduŋ ì naata sabati nte le daala. 6 Naa i ye ñiŋ moolu danka n ye, kaatu ì semboo warabaata n ti le. Niŋ i ye ì danka, m be ì noo la le, ŋa ì bayi bankoo kaŋ. Nte ŋa a loŋ ne ko, i ye neemoo daani moo-wo-moo ye, wo be neemoo soto la le, aduŋ i ye moo-wo-moo danka, wo be danka la le.”
7 Bituŋ Mowabi alifaalu niŋ Midiyani alifaalu wulita ì taata, ì niŋ bitaari soŋo. Biriŋ ì futata Balaamu ma, ì ye Balaki la kumoolu bee fo a ye.
8 Balaamu ko ì ye ko, “Ali i laa fo fanikewo. Niŋ Yaawe* ye n jaabi feŋ-wo-feŋ na, m be a fo la ali ye le.” Bituŋ Mowabi maralilaalu ye i laa a fee jee.
9 Alla naata Balaamu kaŋ, a ye a ñininkaa ko, “I niŋ kee jumaalu le be jaŋ?”
10 Balaamu ko Alla ye ko, “Balaki, Sipori dinkewo, Mowabi mansa, wo le la kiilaalu mu ñinnu ti. 11 A ko moolu le bota naŋ Misira, wolu le ye bankoo kaŋ bee fandi. A ko ŋa taa ì danka a ye, fo a si ì noo keloo la, a ye ì bayi bankoo kaŋ.”
12 Bari Alla ye ñiŋ ne fo Balaamu ye ko, “I niŋ ì kana taa. Kana wo moolu danka, ì neemata le fokabaŋ.”
13 Wo saamoo soomandaa Balaamu wulita, a ko Balaki la maralilaalu ye ko, “Ali muru ali la bankoo kaŋ, Yaawe maŋ soŋ n niŋ ali ye taa.”
14 Bituŋ Mowabi maralilaalu muruta Balaki kaŋ, ì ko a ye ko, “Balaamu maŋ soŋ a niŋ ŋà naa ñoo la.”
15 Bituŋ Balaki ye maralilaa doolu fanaa kii. Wolu le siyaata, ì kummaayaata folooto taalu ti.
16 Ì naata Balaamu kaŋ ì ko a ye ko, “Balaki, Sipori dinkewo ye ñiŋ ne fo a ko, feŋ kana i bali taa la a yaa. 17 A ko a be joo kendoo le dii la i la, aduŋ i ye feŋ-wo-feŋ fo, a be wo le ke la. A ko, dukaree i ye taa ñiŋ moolu danka a ye.”
18 Balaamu ye ì jaabi ñiŋ ne la ko, “Hani niŋ Balaki ye a la mansabuŋo fandi sanoo niŋ kodiforoo le la ka a dii n na, n te Yaawe la yaamaroo soosoo la, n na Alla, hani niŋ a ye a tara kuwo ñiŋ kummaayaata le ko muŋ. 19 Ali i laa fo fanikewo, ko wo doolu ye a ke ñaameŋ. Ŋa a je Yaawe be naa meŋ fo la n ye kotenke.”
20 Wo suutoo la Alla fintita Balaamu kaŋ a ko a ye ko, “Baawo ñiŋ kewolu ye i kili le, i niŋ ì ye taa, bari ŋa meŋ fo i ye i si wo doroŋ ke.”
Balaamu niŋ a la faloo
21 Balaamu wulita soomandaa, a ye kirikewo laa a la falimusoo kaŋ, a niŋ ñiŋ Mowabi maralilaalu taata. 22 Bari a la taa ye Alla kamfaa baake le. Bituŋ Yaawe la malaayikoo loota a ñaato siloo kaŋ. Balaamu be seleriŋ a la faloo koo to, a la dookuulaa fuloo le tarata a fee.
23 Biriŋ faloo ye Yaawe la malaayikoo je looriŋ siloo kaŋ hawusaroo* be a buloo kono, a ye siloo bula, a dunta kunkoo kono. Bituŋ Balaamu ye a lipa ka a murundi siloo kaŋ.
24 Wo le to Yaawe la malaayikoo taata loo siloo dulaa deteriŋo to, wayini* kankaŋ fula teema, bere sansaŋo be kara fuloo bee la. 25 Biriŋ faloo ye Yaawe la malaayikoo je, a nakita sansaŋ baloo la, a ye Balaamu siŋo niŋ sansaŋ baloo dete. Bituŋ Balaamu naata a lipa kotenke.
26 Bituŋ Yaawe la malaayikoo taata ñaato ka loo dulaa deteriŋo to, tambidulaa koteŋ te soto noo la daameŋ, bulubaa la nte, maraa la nte. 27 Biriŋ faloo ye Yaawe la malaayikoo je, a ye i laa Balaamu fee. Balaamu naata kamfaa baake, a ye a lipa a la dokoo la. 28 Bituŋ Yaawe ye faloo diyaamundi, faloo ko Balaamu ye ko, “Ŋa muŋ ne ke i la, fo i be n lipa la teŋ siiñaa saba?”
29 Balaamu ye faloo jaabi ko, “I ye kuntaŋyaa le tiliŋ n na. Niŋ hawusaroo be m bulu jaŋ saayiŋ teŋ, m be i faa la le.”
30 Faloo ko Balaamu ye ko, “Fo nte le maŋ ke i la faloo ti baŋ, i ka sele meŋ kaŋ biriŋ, fo ka naa bula bii la? Fo ñiŋ kuu siifaa mu n jikoo le ti baŋ?” Balaamu ko a ye ko, “Hanii.”
31 Bituŋ Yaawe ye Balaamu faŋo ñaalu yele, a ye malaayikoo je looriŋ siloo kaŋ hawusaroo be a bulu. Bituŋ a sujudita a ye duuma.
32 Yaawe la malaayikoo ye a ñininkaa ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna i ye i la faloo lipa ñiŋ siiñaa saboo la? Nte naata jaŋ ka ite le ñaato kuntu, kaatu i la siloo maŋ ke sila kende ti nte ñaa koto. 33 Faloo ka nte le je ñiŋ siiñaa saboo bee la, a ka jenke kara la. Niŋ a maŋ jenke nuŋ, saayiŋ be a tara la ŋa i faa, bari m be ate bula la le.”
34 Balaamu ko Yaawe la malaayikoo ye ko, “Ŋa junube kuwo le ke. M maŋ a loŋ ko ite le be looriŋ siloo kaŋ ka n ñaato kuntu. Saayiŋ niŋ n na taa maŋ diyaa i ye, m be muru la le.”
35 Yaawe la malaayikoo ko Balaamu ye ko, “I niŋ ñiŋ kewolu si taa ñoo la, bari ŋa meŋ fo i ye, wo doroŋ fo.” Bituŋ Balaamu niŋ Balaki la maralilaalu taata ñoo la.
36 Biriŋ Balaki ye a moyi ko Balaamu ka naa le, a fintita ka taa a benduŋ Ari-Mowabi, saatewo meŋ be Arinoni Wulumbaŋo daala, a la bankoo naanewo be daameŋ. 37 A ko Balaamu ye ko, “Fo m maŋ kiilaa kandoolu le bula i nooma baŋ ka i kili? Muŋ ne ye a tinna i maŋ naa? Fo nte te i joo noo la baŋ?”
38 Balaamu ko a ye ko, “N naata le saayiŋ. Bari fo nte ye sembe le soto ka feŋ fo noo baŋ? Alla ye kumakaŋo meŋ duŋ n daa, nte ñanta ka wo le fo.”
39 Bituŋ Balaamu niŋ Balaki naata taa Kiriyati-Husoti. 40 Balaki ye ninsoolu, saajiyolu niŋ baalu bo sadaa* ti. A ye ì suboo doo kii Balaamu ye, aniŋ Mowabi maralilaalu mennu tarata a fee jee.
41 Bituŋ wo saamoo soomandaa Balaki ye Balaamu samba Bamoti-Baali, a ye Banisirayila daakaa hayinaŋ.
