Lesson 034
The Israelites had been in the wilderness for almost 40 years.
Te ọ ghi bu ukpo 40 ne Ivbi Izrẹl ya rre uwu ato.
They had conquered many strong cities.
Iran khọn ẹvbo nibun mu tan.
Now, as they camped on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River, it was time for them to enter the Promised Land.
Nia, te iran ghi rre ato ọghe Moab nọ rre ọkpẹn Ẹzẹ e Jọdan. Ẹghẹ na kha na, te iran khian ghi la Otọ Na Yan Rẹn.
Balak, the king of Moab, was scared that he was going to lose his land to them.
Ohan na gha mu e Balak ne ọba ọghe Moab wẹẹ te Ivbi Izrẹl khian vbe do khọnmiotọ yan iran.
So he invited a man named Balaam to come to Moab and curse the Israelites.
Ẹre ọ na ghi tie okpia ọkpa na tie ẹre Balam nọ gha die Moab nọ do tie ihẹn ne Ivbi Izrẹl.
But Jehovah told Balaam:
Sokpan e Jehova keghi tama e Balam wẹẹ:
‘You must not curse the Israelites.’
‘Ghẹ tie ihẹn ne Ivbi Izrẹl.’
So Balaam refused to go.
Rhunmwuda ọni, e Balam ma ghi yo.
King Balak invited him a second time and promised to give him anything he wanted.
Ọba e Balak keghi werriegbe tie Balam vbene ọ na tama rẹn wẹẹ irẹn gha viọ emwi ke emwi nọ gualọ nẹ.
Still, Balaam refused.
E Balam na wẹẹ irẹn i khian ye yo.
Then God said:
Osanobua keghi tama e Balam wẹẹ:
‘You may go, but you may say only what I tell you to say.’
‘U sẹtin gha khian, sokpan emwi ne I rhirhi tama ruẹ, ẹre u khian ta vbe u gha sẹ evba.’
Balaam got on his donkey and headed south to Moab.
E Balam keghi hin ekẹtẹkẹtẹ ọghẹe gha rrie Moab.
He planned to curse the Israelites, even though Jehovah had told him not to.
Ọ na gha mwẹ ọnrẹn vbe orhiọn wẹẹ te irẹn khian tie ihẹn ne Ivbi Izrẹl agharhemiẹn wẹẹ e Jehova tama rẹn nẹ ghẹ ru vberriọ.
Jehovah’s angel appeared on the road three times.
Odibo ọghe Jehova keghi rhiegbe ma igba eha vbe odẹ.
Balaam could not see the angel, but Balaam’s donkey could.
Sokpan e Balam ma bẹghe nene odibosa, ekẹtẹkẹtẹ ọghẹe ọkpa ẹre ọ ghaa bẹghe ẹre.
First the donkey went off the road into a field.
Vbe ẹghẹ okaro ne odibo nii ya rhiegbe ma, ekẹtẹkẹtẹ ọghẹe na la uwu oha.
Then the donkey moved up against a stone wall, jamming Balaam’s foot against it.
Vbe iyeke ọni, ọ na vbe lẹẹ la eke ne okuta ye, ẹre ọ na mu owẹ e Balam gbe okuta.
Finally the donkey lay down in the middle of the road.
Vbe okiekie, ekẹtẹkẹtẹ nii na wa de lovbiẹ ye adesẹneva ukpo.
Each time, Balaam hit the donkey with a stick.
Na kha na, e Balam na gha ya ukpokpo kinmwi ẹnrẹn.
After the third time, Jehovah made the donkey speak.
Vbe iyeke ọni, e Jehova keghi ruẹ ne ekẹtẹkẹtẹ nii guan.
The donkey asked Balaam:
Ẹre ekẹtẹkẹtẹ nii na gha nọ e Balam wẹẹ:
‘Why do you keep hitting me?’
‘Vbọsiẹ ne u na fi mwẹ emwi vbenia?’
Balaam said:
E Balam keghi kha wẹẹ:
‘You made me look stupid.
‘Te u wa ya mwẹ ma.
I would kill you if I had a sword.’
Akpawẹ te agbada mwẹ gue mwẹ mwa, I gha te gbuẹ rua.’
The donkey said:
Ẹre ekẹtẹkẹtẹ nii na ghi kha wẹẹ:
‘You’ve ridden me for years.
‘Ẹi imẹ ẹre uwẹ hin ke otọ gha dee?
Have I ever treated you this way before?’
I he ka ru ruẹ vbenia ẹdẹ ra?’
Then Jehovah let Balaam see the angel.
Vbe iyeke ọni, e Jehova keghi ruẹ ne Balam bẹghe odibo nii.
The angel said:
Odibo nii na ghi nọ e Balam wẹẹ:
‘Jehovah warned you not to curse Israel.’
‘E Jehova ma tama ruẹ, ne u ghẹ tie ihẹn ne Ivbi Izrẹl?’
Balaam said:
E Balam keghi wanniẹn wẹẹ:
‘I did wrong.
‘Orukhọ ẹre I wa ru na.
I will go back home.’
I gha werriegbe gha rrie owa.’
But the angel said:
Sokpan odibosa nii keghi tama rẹn wẹẹ:
‘You can go to Moab, but you may say only what Jehovah tells you to say.’
‘U sẹtin ye gha rrie Moab, sokpan emwi ne Jehova wẹẹ ne u ta ọkpa ẹre u khian ta.’
Had Balaam learned his lesson?
Ọna rhie ẹwaẹn ne Balam ra?
No.
Hiehie!
After that, Balaam tried to curse Israel three times, but each time Jehovah made him bless them instead.
Vbe Balam ghi sẹ e Moab, ọ na ye gha hoo nọ tie ihẹn ne Ivbi Izrẹl, sokpan ẹghẹ ke ẹghẹ ne ọ ya gha hoo nọ tie ihẹn, ọ ghi gha na erhunmwu ne iran.
Eventually, the Israelites attacked Moab, and Balaam was killed.
Vbene ẹghẹ ghi ya gha khian, Ivbi Izrẹl keghi ya gu e Moab khọn, okuo nii ẹre Balam wu yi.
Would it not have been better if Balaam had listened to Jehovah in the first place?
U ma bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ, akpawẹ e Balam họn ẹmwẹ ne Jehova, ọni ẹre ọ gha te maan sẹ?
“Guard against every sort of greed, because even when a person has an abundance, his life does not result from the things he possesses.”—Luke 12:15
“Wa mwẹ ẹwaẹn ne uwa vbe gha ba egbe vbe egbe arovbẹmwẹ. Rhunmwuda, ẹi re ẹfe ne ọmwa mwẹ, ẹre ọ da arrọọ ọghẹe yi.”—Luk 12:15, NW
Questions:
Inọta:
Why did Balaam go to Moab?
Vbọsiẹ ne Balam na gha rrie Moab?
What happened on his way there?
De emwi nọ ghi sunu vbe odẹ?