< Numbers 22 >

1 Then the Israelis traveled west to the area of Moab that was in the valley of the Jordan [River], across the river from Jericho [city].
इस्राएलका मानिसहरूले यर्दन नदीको पारिपट्टि यरीहो नजिक मोआबको मैदानमा छाउनी नलगाएसम्म यात्रा गरे ।
2 But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
सिप्‍पोरका छोरा बालाकले इस्राएलले एमोरीहरूलाई के गरेका थिए सो देखेका थिए ।
3 [When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
मोआब ती मानिसहरूसँग साह्रै डराएका थिए, किनभने तिनीहरू धेरै थिए र मोआब इस्राएलका मानिसहरूका त्रासमा थियो ।
4 So the king of Moab [went to] the leaders of the Midian people-group and said to them, “This huge group [of Israelis] will (wipe out/destroy) everything around them, like an ox devours grass!” Balak was the king of Moab.
मोआबका राजाले मिद्यानका धर्म-गुरुहरूलाई भने, “यो भिडले गोरुले मैदानको घाँस खाएजस्तै हाम्रो वरिपरि भएका सबै थोक खाइदिने छन् ।” यस बेला सिप्‍पोरका छोरा बालाक मोआबका राजा थिए ।
5 He sent messengers to [a prophet named] Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor [town], near the [Euphrates] River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come [to help him]: “A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. [It looks like] they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us.
तिनले यूफ्रेटिस नदी नजिकै पतोरमा आफ्नै जाति र मानिसहरूसँग बसेका बओरका छोरा बालामकहाँ समाचारवाहकहरूलाई पठाए । तिनले उनलाई निमन्त्रणा दिए र भने, “हेर्नुहोस्, मिश्रबाट एउटा जाति आएको छ । तिनीहरूले धर्ती नै ढाकेका छन् र अहिले तिनीहरू मेरो छेवैमा छन् ।
6 Because they are very powerful/numerous, [we are afraid of them. So] please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land [where they are now living]. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”
त्यसैले तपाईं आउनुहोस् र मेरो निम्ति यस जातिलाई सराप दिनुहोस्, किनभने तिनीहरू मेरो निम्ति ज्यादै बलिया भएका छन् । सायद त्यसपछि मैलै तिनीहरूलाई आक्रमण गर्न र मेरो भूमिबाट लखेट्न सक्छु । तपाईंले जसलाई आशिष् दिनुहुन्छ, त्यो आशिषित्् हुने छ र तपाईंले जसलाई सराप दिनुहुन्छ, त्यो श्रापित हुने छ ।”
7 [Balak’s messengers, who were] leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would [come and] curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
त्यसैले मोआब र मिद्यानका धर्म-गुरुहरू जोखनाको निम्ति दक्षिणा लिएर गए । तिनीहरू बालामकहाँ आए र बालाकको खबर उनलाई भने ।
8 Balaam said, “Stay here tonight. [Tomorrow morning] I will tell you whatever Yahweh tells me that I should say to you.” So the leaders from Moab stayed there that night.
बालामले तिनीहरूलाई भने, “आज राती यहाँ बस्‍नुहोस् । परमप्रभुले जे भन्‍नुहुन्छ सो तपाईंलाई बताउने छु ।” त्यसैले मोआबका अगुवाहरू त्यस रात बालामसँगै बसे ।
9 During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
परमेश्‍वर बालामकहाँ आउनुभयो र भन्‍नुभयो, “तँकहाँ आउने यी मानिसहरू को हुन्?”
10 Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
बालामले परमेश्‍वरलाई जवाफ दिए, “सिप्‍पोरका छोरा मोआबका राजा बालाकले तिनीहरूलाई मकहाँ पठाएका छन् । तिनले भने,
11 ‘A huge group of people has come from Egypt, and they have spread all over this area. Please come immediately to curse them. Then I may be able to defeat them and expel them [from this area].’”
“हेर्नुहोस्, मिश्रबाट आएका मानिसहरूले मेरो भूमि ढाकेका छन् । अब आउनुहोस् र तिनीहरूलाई सराप दिनुहोस् । सायद म तिनीहरूसँग लड्न सक्छु र तिनीहरूलाई लखेट्न सक्छु ।”
12 God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
परमेश्‍वरले बालामलाई जवाफ दिनुभयो, “तँ तिनीहरूसँग जानुहुँदैन । तैँले इस्राएलका मानिसहरूलाई सराप दिनुहुँदैन, किनभने तिनीहरू आशिषित्् भएका छन् ।”
13 The next morning, Balaam got up and told Balak’s men, “Go back home. [But go by yourselves, because] Yahweh is not allowing me to go with you.”
बालाम बिहानै उठेर बालाकका अगुवाहरूलाई भने, “तपाईंको देशमा नै फर्केर जानुहोस्, किनभने परमप्रभुले मलाई तपाईंहरूसँग जान दिन इन्कार गर्नुभएको छ ।”
14 So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
त्यसैले मोआबका अगुवाहरू त्यहाँबाट हिँडे र बालाककहाँ फर्केर गए । तिनीहरूले भने, “बालामले हामीसँग आउन इन्कार गरे ।”
15 But Balak sent another [group of] leaders to Balaam. It was a group that was larger and they were more important [than the men in the first group].
बालाकले पहिलेका समूहका भन्दा धेरै प्रतिष्‍ठित अगुवाहरूलाई फेरि पठाए ।
16 They went to Balaam and told him this: “This is what King Balak says: ‘Please do not allow anything to hinder you from coming here.
तिनीहरू बालामकहाँ आए र तिनलाई भने, “सिप्‍पोरका छोरा बालाक भन्‍नुहुन्छ, 'बिन्ती छ, तपाईंलाई मकहाँ आउन कुनै कुराले नरोकोस्,
17 I will pay you (a lot of money/very well) [if you come], and I will do anything that you ask me to do. Just come and curse these [Israeli] people for me!’”
किनभने मैले तपाईंलाई अत्यधिक राम्रो दक्षिणा दिनेछु र ठुलो इज्‍जत गर्नेछु र तपाईंले जे गर्न भन्‍नुहुन्छ सो म गर्नेछु । त्यसैले आउनुहोस् र यी मानिसहरूलाई सराप दिनुहोस्' ।”
18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not do anything to disobey Yahweh, (my God/the God whom I [worship]).
बालामले जवाफ दिए र बालाकका मानिसहरूलाई भने, “बालाकले मलाई सुन र चाँदीले भरिएको तिनको दरबार नै दिए पनि म परमप्रभु मेरा परमेश्‍वरको वचनभन्दा बाहिर जान सक्दिनँ अनि उहाँले भन्‍नुभएको भन्दा कम वा बढी गर्न सक्दिनँ ।
19 But stay here one more night, like the other messengers did, and I will find out if Yahweh has anything more to say to me.”
कृपया आज राती पनि यहीँ पर्खनुहोस्, ताकि परमप्रभुले मलाई के भन्‍नुहुन्छ सो म जान्‍न सकूँ ।”
20 That night God appeared to Balaam again and said to him, “These men have come to request that you go back with them, so you may go with them, but do only what I tell you [to do]!”
परमेश्‍वर राती बालामकहाँ आउनुभयो र तिनलाई भन्‍नुभयो, “यी मानिसहरू तँलाई डाक्‍न आएका हुनाले उठ् र तँ तिनीहरूसँग जा । तर मैले भनेको कुरा मात्र गर् ।”
21 So the next morning, Balaam put a saddle on his donkey and he departed [with two of his servants] along with the men from Moab.
बालम बिहान उठे र तिनका गधामा काठी कसे र मोआबका अगुवाहरूसँगै गए ।
22 [Even though God had given Balaam permission to go, he was still angry]. So he sent one of his angels to Balaam. This angel stood in the road to block Balaam’s path. As Balaam and the two servants were riding on their donkeys,
तर तिनी गएकाले परमेश्‍वरको क्रोध दन्क्यो । परमप्रभुका स्वर्गदूतले गधामा सवार बालामप्रति कोही वैरीको रूपमा बाटोमा प्रस्तुत भए । बालामका दुई जना नोकर तिनीसँगै थिए ।
23 Balaam’s donkey saw the angel. The angel was standing in the road and was holding a sword in his hand, [but Balaam did not see him]. Balaam’s donkey turned off the road into a field. So Balaam struck the donkey and forced it to go back onto the road.
गधाले तरवार थुतेर हातमा लिई बाटोमा उभिरहेका स्वर्गदूत देख्यो । गधा बाटोबाट तर्किएर खेततिर लाग्यो । बालामले गधालाई बाटोमा ल्याउन त्यसलाई कुटे ।
24 Then the angel stood in a place where the road was very narrow, between two vineyards, with walls on each side of the road.
त्यसपछि परमप्रभुको दूत दाहिने र देब्रेपट्टि पर्खाल भएको दाखबारी बिचको बटोको साँघुरो ठाउँमा गएर उभिए ।
25 When the donkey saw the angel standing there, it walked very close to the wall [to try to get past the angel]. As a result, it bashed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam struck the donkey again.
गधाले फेरि पनि परमप्रभुको दूतलाई देख्यो । त्यो पर्खालमा सेपिँदै गयो र बालामको खुट्टालाई पर्खालामा चेपिदियो । बालामले त्यसलाई फेरि पनि पिटे ।
26 Then the angel went further along the road and stood at a place that was extremely narrow, with the result that the donkey could not get past at all.
त्यसपछि परमप्रभुका दूत अझै अगाडि साँघुरो ठाउँमा गएर उभिए, जहाँ यता-उता कतै फर्कने ठाउँ थिएन ।
27 This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down [on the ground] with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam became extremely angry, and he struck the donkey again with his walking stick.
गधाले परमप्रभुको दूतलाई देख्यो र त्यो बालामको मुनि थचक्‍क बस्यो । बालाम रिसले आगो भए र तिनले गधालाई आफ्नो लहुरोले पिटे ।
28 Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak! It said to Balaam, “What bad thing have I done to you that caused you to strike me three times?”
त्यसपछि परमप्रभुले गधाको मुख खोलिदिनुभयो, त्यसैले त्यो बोल्न सक्यो । त्यसले बालामलाई भन्यो, “मैले तपाईंलाई के गरेको छु र तपाईंले मलाई तिन पटक पिट्नुभएको?”
29 Balaam shouted, “I struck you because you have caused me to appear to be foolish! If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
बालामले गधालाई भने, “तैँले मसँग यति मूर्खतापूर्ण व्यवहार गरिस् । मेरो हातमा तरवार भएको भए हुन्थ्यो । यदि मेरो हातमा तरवार भएको भए, मैले तँलाई मारिसक्‍ने थिएँ ।”
30 But the donkey answered, “I am your own donkey [RHQ], the one that you have always ridden! Have I ever done anything like this previously?” Balaam said, “No.”
गधाले बालामलाई भन्यो, “के म तपाईंले आजको दिनसम्म र आफ्नो जीवनकालभरि चढ्नुभएको गधा होइन र? के यसअघि कहिल्यै तपाईंसँग यसो गर्ने मेरो बानी थियो र?” बालामले जवाफ दिए, “थिएन ।”
31 Then Yahweh enabled Balaam to see the angel standing on the road, holding a sword in his hand. Balaam [realized that it was an angel and] prostrated himself on the ground in front of the angel.
तब परमप्रभुले बालामको आँखा खोलिदिनुभयो र तिनले परमप्रभुको दूत तरवार थुतेर हातमा लिएर उभिएरहेका देखे । बालामले आफ्नो शिर निहुराए र मुख अँध्यारो बनाए ।
32 The angel asked him, ‘(Why did you strike your donkey three times?/ You should certainly not have struck the donkey three times! [RHQ] I have come to block your path because what you are planning to do is wrong.
परमप्रभुका दूतले तिनलाई भने, “तैँले तेरो गधालाई किन तिन-तिन पटकसम्म कुटिस्? हेर्, म तेरो शत्रुको रूपमा आएको छु, किनभने तेरा कार्यहरू मेरो नजरमा दुष्‍ट भएका छन् ।
33 Three times your donkey saw me and turned away from me. If it had not done that, I would certainly have killed you already, but I would have allowed the donkey to live.”
गधाले मलाई देखेर तिन-तिन पटकसम्म मबाट तर्क्यो । यदि त्यो मबाट नतर्केको भए, निश्‍चय नै मैले तँलाई मार्नेथिएँ र त्यसलाई छोड्नेथिएँ ।”
34 Then Balaam said to the angel, “I have sinned. But I did not realize that you were standing there, trying to block my path. So if you do not want me to continue going, I will return home.”
बालामले परमप्रभुका दूतलाई भने, “मैले पाप गरेको छु । तपाईं बाटोमा मेरो विरुद्ध खडा हुनुभएको छ भन्‍ने मैले थाहा पाइनँ । त्यसैले यदि तपाईंलाई मन पर्दैन भने, म फर्कने छु ।”
35 But the angel replied, “I will allow you to go with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say!” So Balaam went on with the leaders whom Balak [had sent].
तर परमप्रभुका दूतले बालामलाई भने, “यी मानिसहरूसँग जा । तर तैँले म जे भन्‍छु सो मात्र भन्‍नुपर्छ ।” त्यसैले बालाम बालाकका अगुवाहरूसँग गए ।
36 When King Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at a Moab town alongside the Arnon [River] that was at the border of his own land.
जब बालाम आएका थिए भन्‍ने बालाकले सुने, उनी तिनलाई भेट्न मोआबको सहर अर्नोनमा भेट्न गए, जुन सिमाना पर्छ ।
37 [When he arrived where] Balaam was, he said to him, “I sent you [RHQ] a message saying that you should come immediately [RHQ]! Why did you not come immediately? [Did you think that] I was not able to pay you a lot of money for coming?”
बालाकले बालामलाई भने, “के मैले तपाईंलाई डाक्‍न मानिसहरू तपाईंकहाँ पठाइनँ र? तपाईं मकहाँ किन आउनुभएन? के म तपाईंलाई आदर गर्न सक्षम छैन र?”
38 Balaam replied, “I have come here now, but I am not able to say anything [that I want to]. I will say only the words that God tells me to say [MTY].”
त्यसपछि बालामले बालाकलाई जवाफ दिए, “हेर्नुहोस्, म तपाईंकहाँ आएको छु । के मसँग कुनै कुरा भन्‍ने शक्ति छ र? मैले त परमेश्‍वरले मेरो मुखमा जे हालिदिनुहुन्छ त्यही मात्र भन्‍न सक्छु ।”
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
बालाम बालाकसँग गए र तिनीहरू किर्यत-हुसोतमा आइपुगे ।
40 There Balak killed some cattle and sheep as sacrifices, and offered [parts of the meat] to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
त्यसपछि बालाकले गोरुहरू र भेडाहरू बलि चढाए अनि तिनले केही मासु बालाम र तिनीसँग भएका अगुवाहरूलाई दिए ।
41 [They slept there], and the next morning Balak took Balaam part way up [the mountain] to Bamoth-Baal [village]. From there, they could see some of the Israeli people who were down below.
बिहान बालाकले बालामलाई बालको उच्‍च स्थानमा लगे । त्यहाँबाट बालामले इस्राएलीहरूलाई तिनीहरूको छाउनीमा थोरै मात्र देख्‍न सक्थे ।

< Numbers 22 >