Numbers

22 Then Israel people move comot and put their camp for the level lands wey dey the desert of Mo′ab for the other side of the Jordan from Jer′i·cho. 2 Now Ba′lak the son of Zip′por see everything wey Israel people don do to Am′or·ite people, 3 and Mo′ab come de fear the people no be small because them plenty well-well. True-true, Mo′ab people get strong fear* because of Israel people. 4 So Mo′ab tell the elders of Mid′i·an people say: “Now this people go destroy* all our lands just as bull de chop the grass for open land.”

Ba′lak the son of Zip′por na king of Mo′ab that time. 5 E send messengers go meet Ba′laam the son of Be′or for Pe′thor, wey dey near the River* for where e come from. E call-am and talk say: “See! Some people don comot from Egypt. See! Them don cover everywhere for* the earth,* and na just for my front them de stay. 6 Now, abeg, come and make you curse this people for me, because them strong pass me. Maybe I fit win them and drive them comot from the land, because I really know say the person wey you bless go get blessing and the person wey you curse go get curse.”

7 So the elders of Mo′ab people and the elders of Mid′i·an people travel with the money for their hand wey them want use pay for the curse,* and go meet Ba′laam and tell-am the thing wey Ba′lak talk. 8 With that one, e tell them say: “Make una sleep for here this night, and I go come back come tell una anything wey Jehovah tell me.” So the leaders of Mo′ab stay with Ba′laam.

9 Then God come meet Ba′laam and ask-am say: “Who be this men wey dey with you?” 10 Ba′laam tell the true God say: “Ba′lak the son of Zip′por, the king of Mo′ab, don send me message say, 11 ‘See! The people wey de comot from Egypt don cover everywhere for* the earth.* Come and make you curse them for me. Maybe I fit fight against them and drive them comot.’” 12 But God tell Ba′laam say: “Make you no ever follow them go. Make you no curse the people because I don bless them.”

13 Ba′laam get up for morning and tell the leaders from Ba′lak say: “Make una go una land because Jehovah no gree allow me follow una go.” 14 So the leaders of Mo′ab comot and go back to Ba′lak and talk say: “Ba′laam no gree follow us come.”

15 But, Ba′lak send leaders again, and this ones plenty pass the first group and people respect them pass the first group. 16 Them come meet Ba′laam and tell-am say: “This one na wetin Ba′lak the son of Zip′por don talk, ‘Abeg no let anything stop you make you no come meet me, 17 because I go honor you for big way and I go do anything wey you tell me make I do. So come, abeg, and curse this people for me.’” 18 But Ba′laam answer the servants of Ba′lak say: “Even if Ba′lak give me im own house wey silver and gold full inside, I no go fit do anything pass wetin Jehovah my God don command, whether na small thing or big thing. 19 But abeg make una stay for here this night too, so that I fit know whether another thing dey wey Jehovah go tell me.”

20 Then God come meet Ba′laam for night and tell-am say: “If this men don come call you, make you follow them go. But make you talk only the things wey I tell you to talk.” 21 So Ba′laam get up for morning and ready im donkey* and go with the leaders of Mo′ab.

22 But God vex because e de go, and Jehovah angel stand for the road to block-am. Now Ba′laam dey ontop im donkey de go, and two of im servants dey with-am. 23 And when the donkey see Jehovah angel stand for the road with sword for im hand wey e don bring come out, e try to comot for the road enter one land. But Ba′laam start to beat the donkey to make-am come back to the road. 24 Then Jehovah angel stand for one tight road between two vine farms, and walls wey them make with stones dey for the two sides. 25 When the donkey see Jehovah angel, e start to squeeze imself for the wall and e use Ba′laam foot jam the wall, and Ba′laam start to beat-am again.

26 Jehovah angel come pass again and stand for tight place where e no dey possible to turn go right or turn go left. 27 When the donkey see Jehovah angel, e lie down and Ba′laam dey ontop-am, so Ba′laam come vex no be small and e continue to beat the donkey with im stick. 28 At last, Jehovah make the donkey to talk,* and e tell Ba′laam say: “Wetin I do you wey make you beat me three times?” 29 Ba′laam answer the donkey say: “Na because you don make me be like fool. If to say I get sword for my hand, I for kill you!” 30 Then the donkey tell Ba′laam say: “No be me be your donkey wey you don de use for all your life come reach today? I don ever treat you like this before?” E answer say: “No!” 31 Then Jehovah open Ba′laam eyes, and e see Jehovah angel stand for the road with sword for im hand wey e don bring come out. Quick-quick, e bow down and lie down face ground.

32 Then Jehovah angel tell-am say: “Why you don beat your donkey this three times? See! I come out to block you, because your way dey against wetin I want. 33 The donkey see me and try to turn comot from where I dey this three times. Think wetin for happen if to say e no turn comot from where I dey. By now, I for don kill you and allow the donkey to live.” 34 Ba′laam tell Jehovah angel say: “I don sin, because I no know say na you be de stand for the road to meet me. And now, if my journey no good for your eye, I go go back.” 35 But Jehovah angel tell Ba′laam say: “Go with the men, but make you talk only the things wey I tell you.” So Ba′laam continue to go with the leaders from Ba′lak.

36 When Ba′lak hear say Ba′laam don come, quick-quick, e go meet-am for the city of Mo′ab, wey dey the side of the Ar′non for the boundary of the territory. 37 Ba′lak tell Ba′laam say: “I no send them come call you? Why you no come meet me? You think say I no fit honor you for big way?” 38 Ba′laam answer Ba′lak say: “Well, I don come meet you now. But them go allow me to talk anything wey I want talk? Na only the things wey God put for my mouth I go fit talk.”

39 So Ba′laam follow Ba′lak go, and them reach Kir′i·ath-hu′zoth. 40 Ba′lak sacrifice bulls and sheep and send some of them to Ba′laam and the leaders wey dey with-am. 41 For morning, Ba′lak take Ba′laam and bring-am come up to Ba′moth-ba′al; from there e fit see all the people.