Numbers 23
1 Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Balaam gblɔ na Fia Balak be, “Tu vɔsamlekpui adre ɖe afi sia, eye nàdi nyitsuvi adre kple agbo adre na vɔsawo.”
2 So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
Balak wɔ ɖe Balaam ƒe ɖoɖowo dzi, eye wòtsɔ nyitsuvi ɖeka kple agbo ɖeka sa vɔe ɖe vɔsamlekpuiawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,
Balaam gblɔ na Balak be, “Nɔ afi sia le wò numevɔsa gbɔ esime meɖe kpɔ. Ɖewohĩ Yehowa ava do gom. Nu sia nu si wòaɖe afiam la, magblɔe na wò.” Ale wòyi togbɛ ƒeƒle aɖe dzi.
4 and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”
Mawu do goe, eye Balaam gblɔ nɛ be, “Metu vɔsamlekpui adre, eye metsɔ nyitsu ɖeka kple agbo ɖeka sa vɔe ɖe vɔsamlekpui ɖe sia ɖe dzi.”
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
Yehowa gblɔ nya aɖe na Balaam be wòagblɔ na Fia Balak.
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
Esi Balaam trɔ gbɔ la, fia la kple Moab fiaviwo katã wonɔ tsitre ɖe numevɔsawo gbɔ.
7 This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’
Nya siwo Balaam gblɔ la woe nye: “Fia Balak, Moabtɔwo ƒe fia, kplɔm tso Aramnyigba dzi, tso ɣedzeƒetowo dzi hegblɔ nam be. ‘Va, nàƒo fi ade Yakob nam! Eye va nàdo ɖiŋu na Israel nam. Wò dɔmedzoe nabi ɖe Israel ŋu.’
8 But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]
Ke ame siwo Mawu meƒo fi de o la, aleke nye ya maƒo fi ade woe? Ame siwo gbɔ Yehowa megbe nu le o la, aleke nye ya magbe nu le wo gbɔe?
9 I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.
Mele wo kpɔm tso agakpe tame. Melé ŋku ɖe wo ŋu tso togbɛwo dzi, wole wo ɖokui si, nye dukɔ tɔxɛ aɖe. Si mebua eɖokui kple dukɔ bubuwo o.
10 (Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”
Ame ka ate ŋu axlẽ Yakob ƒe ʋuʋudedi, alo axlẽ Israel ƒe akpa enelia? Na maku ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe ku, eye nye nuwuwu nanɔ abe wo tɔ ene!”
11 Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”
Fia Balak bia Balaam be, “Ao! Nu kae nye esi nèwɔm? Mebe nàƒo fi ade nye futɔwo nam, ke kpɔ ɖa, èyra wo boŋ!”
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Balaam ɖo eŋu be, “Ɖe mate ŋu agblɔ nya aɖe ne Yehowa megblɔe nam be magblɔ oa?”
13 Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”
Balak gblɔ nɛ be, “Va míyi teƒe bubu. Le afi ma la, àkpɔ Israel dukɔ la ƒe akpa aɖe ko. Ƒo fi de ame mawo ɖeɖe ko nam!”
14 So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
Ale Fia Balak kplɔ Balaam yi Zofim gbedzi le Pisga to la tame. Etu vɔsamlekpui adre ɖe afi ma, eye wòtsɔ nyitsuvi ɖeka kple agbo ɖeka sa vɔe ɖe vɔsamlekpuiawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
Balaam gblɔ na Balak be, “Tsi tsitre ɖe afi sia, ɖe wò numevɔsa la gbɔ ne mayi aɖado go Yehowa.”
16 So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”
Yehowa do go Balaam, eye wòde nya asi nɛ be, “Trɔ yi Balak gbɔ nàgblɔ nya sia nɛ.”
17 So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”
Balaam trɔ va afi si Moab fia kple Moab fiaviŋutsuwo le tsitre ɖe woƒe numevɔsawo gbɔ le. Balak bia enumake be, “Nya ka Yehowa gblɔ?”
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Balaam ɖo eŋu be, “Balak, Tsi tsitre eye nàsee: Ɖo tom, wò Zipɔr ƒe vi.
19 God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.
Mawu menye amegbetɔ, aka aʋatso o. Metrɔa eƒe tameɖoɖo. Abe amegbetɔwo ene o. Ɖe wòdo ŋugbe kpɔ gbe edziwɔwɔa?
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
Kpɔ ɖa, Mawu ɖe gbe nam be mayra Israelviwo. Mawu ŋutɔ yra wo xoxo, nyemate ŋu aklo yayra sia ɖa o!
21 Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].
“Mekpɔ nu vɔ̃ le Yakob me o: mawɔ funyafunya Israel o! Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la li kpli wo. Eye dzidzɔɣli le wo nu, eyae nye woƒe fia!
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Mawu kplɔ wo tso Egipte; Israel sẽ abe to ene. Fiƒode aɖeke mate ŋu anɔ Yakob dzi o,
23 When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’
dzoka maɖi Yakob ŋu o. Ne wosa vɔ kɔ ɖe Israelviwo dzi hã la, maɖi wo ŋu akpɔ o, elabena woagblɔ le Israel ŋu azɔ be, ‘Mawu wɔ nu gãwo na wo!
24 They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”
Ame siawo tsi tsitre abe dzatanɔ ene; womamlɔ anyi o. Va se ɖe esime woaɖu nu si wolé. Eye woano nu si wolé la ƒe ʋu!’”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
Balak blu ɖe Balaam ta be, “Ne mànya ƒo fi ade wo o ko la, ekema mègayra wo hã o!”
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
Balaam ɖo eŋu be, “Ɖe nyemegblɔe na wò be nya sia nya si Yehowa agblɔ nam be magblɔ la ko wòle be magblɔ oa?”
27 Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”
Balak gagblɔ na Balaam le eƒe nyagblɔɖi etɔ̃lia ŋu be, “Makplɔ wò agayi teƒe bubu aɖee. Ɖewohĩ adze Mawu ŋu be wòana nàƒo fi ade wo tso afi ma azɔ.”
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
Ale Fia Balak kplɔ Balaam yi Peor to la dzi le gbegbe la tame.
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Balaam gagblɔ na Balak be wòatu vɔsamlekpui adre, eye wòatsɔ nyitsuvi adre kple agbo adre asa vɔe.
30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
Balak wɔ nu si Balaam ɖo nɛ la, eye wòtsɔ nyitsuvi ɖeka kple agbo ɖeka sa vɔe ɖe vɔsamlekpuiawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
