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24 Tsopano Balaamu ataona kuti kunakomera Yehova kudalitsa Israeli, sanapitenso ku mawula monga ankachitira kale, koma kuyangʼana ku chipululu. Balaamu atayangʼana, anaona Aisraeli atamanga misasa yawo fuko ndi fuko. Pamenepo mzimu wa Mulungu unabwera pa iye ndipo ananena uthenga wake:

“Uthenga wa Balaamu mwana wa Beori,
    uthenga wa amene diso lake ndi lotsekuka,
uthenga wa amene amamva mawu a Mulungu,
    yemwe amaona masomphenya wochokera kwa Wamphamvuzonse,
    yemwe amagwa chafufumimba, koma maso ake ali chipenyere:

“Matenti ako ndi okongola kwambiri iwe Yakobo,
    misasa yako, iwe Israeli!

“Monga zigwa zotambalala,
    monga minda mʼmbali mwa mtsinje,
monga aloe wodzalidwa ndi Yehova,
    monga mikungudza mʼmbali mwa madzi.
Madzi adzayenderera mʼmitsuko yake;
    mbewu zake zidzakhala ndi madzi ambiri.

“Mfumu yake idzakhala yamphamvu kuposa Agagi;
    ufumu wake udzakwezedwa.

“Mulungu womutulutsa mʼdziko la Igupto
    ali ndi mphamvu ngati za njati.
Amawononga mitundu yomuwukira
    ndi kuphwanya mafupa awo,
    amalasa ndi mivi yake.
Monga mkango waumuna, amabisala nagona pansi,
    monga mkango waukazi, adzamuputa ndani?

“Amene adalitsa iwe, adalitsike
    ndipo amene atemberera iwe, atembereredwe!”

10 Kenaka Balaki anakwiyira Balaamu. Anawomba mʼmanja ndi kunena naye kuti, “Ndinakuyitana kuti utemberere adani anga, koma taona, wawadalitsa katatu konseka. 11 Tsopano choka msanga uzipita kwanu! Ndinanena kuti ndidzakulipira bwino kwambiri, koma Yehova sanafune kuti ulandire malipirowo.”

12 Balaamu anayankha Balaki kuti, “Kodi sindinawawuze amithenga amene munawatumiza kwa ine, 13 kuti ngakhale Balaki atandipatsa nyumba yake yaufumu yodzaza ndi siliva ndi golide sindingathe kuchita zinthu mwa ine ndekha, zabwino kapena zoyipa, kuposa lamulo la Yehova ndi kuti ndiyenera kunena zokhazo zimene Yehova akunena? 14 Tsopano ndikupita kwa anthu anga, koma tabwerani ndikuchenjezeni zimene anthu awa adzachitira anthu anu masiku akubwerawa.”

Uthenga Wachinayi wa Balaamu

15 Ndipo iye ananena uthenga wake nati,

“Uthenga wa Balaamu mwana wa Beori,
    uthenga wa amene diso lake ndi lotsekuka.
16 Uthenga wa amene amamva mawu a Mulungu,
    amene ali ndi nzeru zochokera kwa Wammwambamwamba,
amene amaona masomphenya wochokera kwa Wamphamvuzonse,
    amene amagwa chafufumimba koma diso lake lili lotsekuka:

17 “Ndikumuona iye koma osati tsopano;
    ndikumupenya iye koma osati pafupi.
Nyenyezi idzatuluka mwa Yakobo;
    ndodo yaufumu idzatuluka mwa Israeli.
Iye adzagonjetsa Mowabu
    ndi kugonjetsa ana onse a Seti.
18 Edomu adzagonjetsedwa;
    Seiri, mdani wake, adzawonongedwa
    koma mphamvu za Israeli zidzachuluka.
19 Wolamulira adzachokera mwa Yakobo
    ndipo adzawononga otsala a mu mzindamo.”

Uthenga Wachisanu wa Balaamu

20 Kenaka Balaamu anaona Aamaleki ndipo ananena uthenga wake uwu:

“Aamaleki anali oyamba mwa mitundu ya anthu
    koma potsiriza pake adzawonongeka.”

Uthenga Wachisanu ndi Chimodzi wa Balaamu

21 Kenaka anaonanso Akeni ndipo ananena uthenga wake,

“Malo amene mukukhalamo ndi otetezedwa,
    chisa chanu chinayikidwa pa thanthwe;
22 komabe inu Akeni mudzawonongedwa,
    pamene Asuri adzakutengeni ukapolo.”

Uthenga Wachisanu ndi Chiwiri wa Balaamu

23 Ndipo ananenanso uthenga wina kuti,

“Aa, ndani adzakhala ndi moyo Mulungu akachita zimenezi?
24     Sitima zapamadzi zidzabwera kuchokera ku madooko a Kitimu;
kupondereza Asuri ndi Eberi,
    koma iwonso adzawonongeka.”

25 Pamenepo Balaamu ananyamuka ndi kubwerera kwawo ndipo Balaki anapitanso njira yake.

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(A) he did not resort to divination(B) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(C) When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(D) and he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(E)
the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(F)
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,[a](G)
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

“How beautiful are your tents,(H) Jacob,
    your dwelling places, Israel!

“Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,(I)
like aloes(J) planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.(K)
Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;(L)
    their kingdom will be exalted.(M)

“God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces;(N)
    with their arrows they pierce them.(O)
Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness(P)—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed(Q)
    and those who curse you be cursed!”(R)

10 Then Balak’s anger burned(S) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(T) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(U) but you have blessed them(V) these three times.(W) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(X) I said I would reward you handsomely,(Y) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(Z) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(AA)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(AB) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(AC)

Balaam’s Fourth Message

15 Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(AD) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,(AE)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

17 “I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.(AF)
A star will come out of Jacob;(AG)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.(AH)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(AI)
    the skulls[b](AJ) of[c] all the people of Sheth.[d]
18 Edom(AK) will be conquered;
    Seir,(AL) his enemy, will be conquered,(AM)
    but Israel(AN) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(AO)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(AP) and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
    but their end will be utter destruction.”(AQ)

Balaam’s Sixth Message

21 Then he saw the Kenites(AR) and spoke his message:

“Your dwelling place is secure,(AS)
    your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
    when Ashur(AT) takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

23 Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[e]
24     Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;(AU)
they will subdue Ashur(AV) and Eber,(AW)
    but they too will come to ruin.(AX)

25 Then Balaam(AY) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
  2. Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
  3. Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
  4. Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
  5. Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.