Mga Bilang 23

1 Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Gumawa ka ng pitong altar dito para sa akin at maglaan ka ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa.

Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

2 Kaya ginawa ni Balak ayon sa hiniling ni Balaam. Pagkatapos, naghandog si Balak at Balaam ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat altar.

So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

3 Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Tumayo ka malapit sa handog na susunugin at pupunta ako. Marahil darating si Yahweh upang makipagkita sa akin. Anuman ang ipapakita niya sa akin sasabihin ko sa iyo.”Kaya umalis siya patungo sa isang burol na walang mga puno.

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” So he went away to a hilltop with no trees.

4 Nakipagkita ang Diyos sa kaniya, at sinabi ni Balaam sa kaniya, “Gumawa ako ng pitong altar, at nag-alay ako ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat isa”.

While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, “I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one.”

5 Naglagay ng isang mensahe si Yahweh sa bibig ni Balaam at sinabi, “Bumalik ka kay Balak at magsalita ka sa kaniya.”

Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”

6 Kaya bumalik si Balaam kay Balak, na nakatayo sa tabi ng kaniyang handog na susunugin, at lahat ng mga pinuno ng Moab na kasama niya.

So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.

7 At nagsimulang sabihin ni Balaam ang kaniyang propesiya at sinabi, “Dinala ako ni Balak mula sa Aram. Ang hari ng Moab mula sa mga bundok sa silangan. 'Halika, isumpa mo si Jacob para sa akin,' sinabi niya. 'Halika, labanan mo ang Israel.'

Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.'

8 Paano ko isusumpa ang mga taong hindi isinumpa ng Diyos? Paano ko lalabanan ang mga hindi nilabanan ni Yahweh?

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?

9 Sapagkat nakikita ko siya mula sa tuktok ng mga bato; mula sa mga burol tinitingnan ko siya. Tingnan mo, may mga taong naninirahang mag-isa at hindi itinuturing ang kanilang sarili bilang isang karaniwang bansa.

For from the top of the rocks I see him; from the hills I look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation.

10 Sino ang makakapagbilang sa alikabok ni Jacob o makakapagbilang kahit na ang ikaapat lamang ng Israel? Hayaan akong akong mamatay sa kamatayan ng isang matuwid na tao, at hayaang maging katulad niya ang wakas ng aking buhay!”

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's end be like his!”

11 Sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Anong ginawa mo sa akin? Dinala kita upang isumpa ang aking mga kalaban, ngunit tingnan mo, pinagpala mo sila.”

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”

12 Sumagot si Balaam at sinabi, “Hindi ba dapat akong maging maingat na sabihin lamang kung ano ang inilagay ni Yahweh sa aking bibig?”

Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

13 Kaya sinabi ni Balak sa kaniya, “Pakiusap sumama ka sa akin sa isang lugar kung saan makikita mo sila. Makikita mo lamang ang pinakamalapit sa kanila, hindi silang lahat. Doon isusumpa mo sila para sa akin.”

So Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them for me.”

14 Kaya dinala niya si Balaam sa bukid ng Zopim, sa tuktok ng Bundok Pisga, at gumawa ng pito pang altar. Naghandog siya ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat altar.

So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Tumayo ka rito sa tabi ng iyong handog na susunugin, habang nakikipagkita ako kay Yahweh doon.”

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

16 Kaya nakipagkita si Yahweh kay Balaam at inilagay ang isang mensahe sa kaniyang bibig. Sinabi niya, “Bumalik ka kay Balak at ibigay mo sa kaniya ang aking mensahe.”

So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.”

17 Bumalik si Balaam sa kaniya, at masdam, nakatayo siya sa tabi ng kaniyang handog na susunugin, at kasama niya ang mga pinuno ng Moab. At sinabi ni Balak sa kaniya, “Ano ang sinabi ni Yahweh?”

Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh said?”

18 Sinimulan ni Balaam ang kaniyang propesiya. Sinabi niya, “Tumayo ka, Balak, at dinggin mo. Makinig ka sa akin, ikaw na anak ni Zippor.

Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19 Hindi isang tao ang Diyos, na kailangan niyang magsinungaling, o isang tao, na kailangang magbago ang kaniyang isip. Nangako ba siya ng anumang bagay na hindi ito ginagawa? Nagsabi ba siyang gagawin niya ang isang bagay na hindi niya ito tinutupad?

God is not a man, that he should lie, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out?

20 Tingnan mo, inutusan ako upang magpala. Binigyan ako ng Diyos ng isang biyaya, at hindi ko kayang baliktarin ito.

Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.

21 Wala siyang nakikitang paghihirap kay Jacob o kaguluhan sa Israel. Kasama nila si Yahweh na kanilang Diyos, at sumisigaw sapagkat kasama nila ang kanilang hari.

He has seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them.

22 Inilabas sila ng Diyos mula sa Ihipto nang may lakas katulad ng isang mabangis na kapong baka.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a wild ox.

23 Walang kulam ang tatalab laban kay Jacob, at walang panghuhula ang makakapinsala sa Israel. Sa halip, dapat itong sabihin tungkol kay Jacob at kay Israel, 'Tingnan mo kung ano ang ginawa ng Diyos!'

There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has done!'

24 Tingnan mo, tumayo ang mga tao katulad ng isang babaeng leon, gaya ng isang leong lumabas at sumalakay. Hindi siya humihiga hanggang sa makain niya ang kaniyang biktima at inumin ang dugo ng kaniyang napatay.”

Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed.”

25 Pagkatapos sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Huwag mo silang isumpa o pagpalain.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”

26 Ngunit sumagot si Balaam at sinabi kay Balak, “Hindi ko ba sinabi sa iyo na dapat kong sabihin ang lahat ng sinabi ni Yahweh na sasabihin ko?”

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”

27 Kaya sumagot si Balak kay Balaam, “Pumarito ka ngayon, dadalhin kita sa ibang lugar. Marahil makakalugod ito sa Diyos para isumpa mo sila roon para sa akin.”

So Balak replied to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me.”

28 Kaya dinala ni Balak si Balaam sa tuktok ng Bundok Peor, na natatanawan ang ilang sa ibaba.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

29 Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Magtayo ka para sa akin ng pitong altar dito at maghanda ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa.”

Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

30 Kaya ginawa ni Balak ayon sa sinabi ni Balaam; nag-alay siya ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat altar.

So Balak did as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.