ginti

22 iske baad israeli vahaan se ravana huye aur unhonne moab ke veeranon mein padav daala, jahaan paas mein yardan nadi hai aur us paar theek saamne yareeho shehar hai.+ 2 idhar sippor ke bete baalak+ ne woh sab dekha tha jo israel ne emoriyon ke saath kiya tha. 3 moab israeliyon se bahot dar gaya kyonki israeliyon ki taadad bahot zyada thi. moab israel se is kadar khauf khaane laga+ ki 4 moab ne midyan ke mukhiyaon+ se kaha, “ab dekhna, logon ki yah mandli hamare sabhi ilakon ko aise saaf kar degi jaise ek bail maidan ki ghaas chat kar jaata hai.”

un dinon sippor ka beta baalak moab ka raja tha. 5 baalak ne baor ke bete bilam ke paas apne doot bheje aur use bulvaya. bilam apne desh mein pator naam ki jagah mein rehta tha+ jo mahanadi* ke paas hai. baalak ne apne dooton ke haath bilam ko yah sandesh bheja: “misra se ek raashtra nikaalkar yahaan aaya hai. uske logon ki taadad itni hai ki woh poori dharti* par chhaa gaye hain.+ woh yahaan seedhe mere saamne dera daale huye hain. 6 ye log mujhse zyada taakatvar hain, isliye meharbani karke mere paas aa aur meri taraf se in logon ko shaap de.+ tab main shaayad unhein harakar is ilake se door bhaga sakoonga. main achhi tarah jaanta hoon ki tu jis kisi ko aasheervad deta hai use aasheesh milti hai aur jis kisi ko shaap deta hai us par kehar toot padta hai.”

7 tab moab ke mukhiya aur midyan ke mukhiya bhavishya batane ki keemat lekar bilam+ ke paas gaye aur use baalak ka sandesh sunaya. 8 bilam ne unse kaha, “tum log aaj raat yahin thahro. yahova mujhse jo bhi kahega woh main aakaar tumhein bataunga.” isliye moab ke adhikari bilam ke yahaan thahar gaye.

9 fir parmeshvar bilam ke paas aaya aur usse kaha,+ “ye jo aadmi tere yahaan hain, ye kaun hain?” 10 bilam ne sachche parmeshvar se kaha, “sippor ke bete baalak ne, jo moab ka raja hai, mere paas yah sandesh bheja hai: 11 ‘misra se logon ki ek badi bheed aayi hai jo poori dharti* par fail gayi hai. isliye mere paas aa aur meri taraf se unhein shaap de.+ tab shaayad main unse ladkar unhein yahaan se bhaga sakoonga.’” 12 magar parmeshvar ne bilam se kaha, “tu in aadmiyon ke saath nahin jaayega. aur tu un logon ko shaap nahin dega kyonki woh aasheesh paaye huye log hain.”+

13 agli subah bilam utha aur usne baalak ke adhikariyon se kaha, “tum log apne desh laut jaao, kyonki yahova ne mujhe tumhare saath jaane se mana kar diya hai.” 14 tab moab ke adhikari vahaan se nikaal gaye aur baalak ke paas laut aaye aur usse kaha, “bilam ne hamare saath aane se inkar kar diya hai.”

15 magar baalak ne ek baar fir bilam ke paas apne adhikariyon ko bheja, jo pehale bheje huye adhikariyon se bhi bade naami-girami the aur ginti mein bhi zyada the. 16 unhonne jaakaar bilam se kaha, “sippor ke bete baalak ne yah sandesh bheja hai: ‘meharbani karke mere paas aa. chahe kuch bhi ho jaaye, tu rukna mat, zaroor aana. 17 main tera badh-chadhkar samman karoonga. jo kuch tu mujhse kahega, main karoonga. bas mujh par itna ehsan kar, tu yahaan aakaar in logon ko shaap de de.’” 18 magar bilam ne baalak ke sevkon se kaha, “nahin, main apne parmeshvar yahova ke aadesh ke khilaf na to kuch ghatakar na badhakar kuch kar sakta. baalak chahe apne mahal ka saara sona-chaandi mujhe de de, to bhi mujhe manzoor nahin.+ 19 fir bhi, tum log meharbani karke aaj ki raat yahin thahro. main jaan jaaunga ki yahova mujhse aur kya kehna chahta hai.”+

20 tab parmeshvar raat ko bilam ke paas aaya aur usse kaha, “agar ye aadmi tujhe bulane aaye hain, to tu unke saath jaa. magar dhyan rahe ki tu sirf vahi kahega jo main tujhe bataunga.”+ 21 agle din bilam subah utha aur usne apni gadhi par kaathi kasi aur us par savaar hokar moab ke adhikariyon ke saath chal pada.+

22 magar parmeshvar ka krodh bilam par bhadak utha kyonki woh un adhikariyon ke saath jaa raha tha. isliye yahova ka ek swargdoot use rokne ke liye raaste mein khada ho gaya. bilam apni gadhi par savaar tha aur uske saath uske do sevak bhi the. 23 jab gadhi ne yahova ke swargdoot ko talvar khinche raaste mein khada dekha, to woh raaste se hatkar khet ki taraf jaane ki koshish karne lagi. magar bilam gadhi ko maarne laga taaki woh raaste par aa jaaye. 24 fir yahova ka swargdoot jaakaar ek tang raaste mein khada ho gaya jo angooron ke do baagon ke beech se hokar guzarta tha. us raaste ke donon taraf patthar ki deevarein thi. 25 jab gadhi ne vahaan yahova ke swargdoot ko dekha to woh deevar se aise sat gayi ki bilam ka pair deevar se dabne laga. bilam gadhi ko fir se maarne laga.

26 yahova ka swargdoot fir se aage gaya aur aise tang raaste par khada ho gaya, jahaan na daayen mudne ki jagah thi na baayen. 27 jab gadhi ne yahova ke swargdoot ko dekha to woh bilam ko apni peeth par liye zameen par baith gayi. bilam gadhi par aag-baboola ho utha aur apni laathi se use peetne laga. 28 ab yahova ne aisa kiya ki gadhi baat karne lagi.*+ gadhi ne bilam se kaha, “mainne aisi kya galti ki hai jo toone teen baar mujhe maara?”+ 29 bilam ne gadhi se kaha, “toone mera mazak banaya hai. agar mere paas talvar hoti to main tujhe maar hi daalta!” 30 tab gadhi ne bilam se kaha, “main saari zindagi tujhe apni peeth par liye dhoti rahi. kya isse pehale kabhi mainne aisa bartav kiya hai?” bilam ne kaha, “nahin!” 31 tab yahova ne bilam ki aankhein khol di+ aur usne yahova ke swargdoot ko talvar khinche raaste par khada dekha. swargdoot ko dekhte hi bilam ne munh ke bal zameen par girkar dandvat kiya.

32 tab yahova ke swargdoot ne bilam se kaha, “toone apni gadhi ko teen baar kyon maara? dekh! tujhe rokne ke liye main khud aaya tha kyonki tu aisa kaam karne jaa raha hai jo meri marzee ke bilkul khilaf hai.+ 33 main tujhe rokne ke liye teen baar aaya tha aur in teenon baar teri gadhi ne mujhe dekha aur mujhse door jaane ki koshish ki.+ agar woh aisa na karti to soch tera kya hota! ab tak mainne tujhe maar daala hota aur use zinda chhod diya hota.” 34 bilam ne yahova ke swargdoot se kaha, “mainne paap kiya hai. main nahin jaanta tha ki tu mujhse milne ke liye raaste mein khada hai. main jis kaam ke liye nikala hoon, woh agar teri nazar mein galat hai to main vaapas laut jaata hoon.” 35 magar yahova ke swargdoot ne bilam se kaha, “tu in aadmiyon ke saath jaa. magar dhyan rahe ki tu sirf vahi kahega jo main tujhe bataunga.” isliye bilam baalak ke adhikariyon ke saath aage chal pada.

36 jab baalak ne suna ki bilam aa gaya hai, to woh usse milne fauran moab ke us shehar gaya jo ilake ki sarhad par arnon ghaati ke kinare tha. 37 baalak ne bilam se kaha, “mainne jab pehale tujhe bulvaya tha, to tu kyon nahin aaya? kya toone yah socha ki main tera badh-chadhkar samman nahin kar sakta?”+ 38 bilam ne baalak se kaha, “main tere paas aa to gaya hoon, magar mujhe apni marzee se kuch kehne ki ijazat nahin hai. main sirf vahi baat keh sakta hoon jo parmeshvar mujhse kahega.”+

39 iske baad bilam baalak ke saath gaya aur woh kiryat-hoosot pahunche. 40 vahaan baalak ne bailon aur bhedon ki bali chadhayi aur unka kuch gosht bilam aur uske saath aaye adhikariyon ke liye bheja. 41 agli subah baalak bilam ko baamot-baal ke oopar le gaya. vahaan se woh sabhi israeliyon ko dekh sakta tha.+