< Numbers 23 >
1 Then said Balaam unto Balak: Build me here seven altars, —and prepare me here, seven bullocks and seven rams.
Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, —and Balak and Balaam caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.
Cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.
3 Then said Balaam unto Balak: Station thyself by thine ascending-sacrifice, and let me go my way—peradventure Yahweh may come and meet me, and what thing soever he may show me, I will tell thee. So he went his way to a bare height.
Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.
4 And God came unto Balaam, —so he said unto him The seven altars, have I built in a row, and have caused to ascend, bullock and a ram on each altar.
Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.
5 And Yahweh put a word into the mouth of Balaam, —and said—Return unto Balak, and, thus, shalt thou speak.
Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris.
6 So he returned unto him, and lo! he was stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, —he, and all the princes of Moab.
Reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:
7 So he took up his parable and said, —From Aram, doth Balak conduct me, The king of Moab, from the mountains of the East, Come thou! curse me Jacob, Yea, come thou! rage on Israel.
assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus Orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Iacob: propera, et detestare Israel.
8 How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged?
Quo modo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? Qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?
9 Surely from the head of the rocks, do I see him, Yea, from the hills, do I observe him, —Lo! a people, who alone doth dwell, And among the nations, he doth not reckon himself.
De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.
10 Who hath counted the dust of Jacob? Or who hath numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my hereafter be like his!
Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israel? Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.
11 Then said Balak unto Balaam, What hast thou done for me? To revile mine enemies, I summoned thee, and lo! thou hast kept on blessing.
Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? Ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te: et tu econtrario benedicis eis.
12 And he answered and said, —Was it not to be so that whatsoever Yahweh should put into my mouth, the same, should I take heed to speak?
Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod iusserit Dominus?
13 Then said Balak unto him—Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see him, nothing but his utmost part, shalt thou see, but all of him, shalt thou not see, —and so revile me him from thence.
Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israel videas, et totum videre non possis, inde maledicito ei.
14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, unto the head of Pisgah, —and built seven altars, and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.
Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete,
15 Then said he to Balak, Station thyself here by thine ascending-sacrifice, —while, I, meet him yonder.
dixit ad Balac: Sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.
16 And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, —and said—Return unto Balak and thus shalt thou speak.
Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore eius, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris ei.
17 So he came in unto him and, there he was-stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Yahweh spoken?
Reversus invenit eum stantem iuxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?
18 Then took he up his parable and said, —Rise, Balak, and hear, Give ear unto me son of Zippor!
At ille assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta Balac, et ausculta, audi fili Sephor:
19 GOD is, not a man, that he should lie, Nor a son of Adam, that he should repent, —Hath, he, said, and will not perform? Yea spoken, and will not make it stand fast?
Non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur: nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet? locutus est, et non implebit?
20 Lo! to bless, have I received [command], —And I will bless, nor will I take it back.
Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.
21 He hath not discovered trouble in Jacob, Neither hath he seen wretchedness in Israel, —Yahweh, his God, is with him, And, the acclaim of a king, in his midst:
Non est idolum in Iacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israel. Dominus Deus eius cum eo est, et clangor victoriæ regis in illo.
22 GOD having brought them forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his:
Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.
23 Surely, there is no enchantment against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, —Now, shall it be said—Of Jacob and of Israel, What hath GOD wrought!
Non est augurium in Iacob, nec divinatio in Israel. Temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israeli quid operatus sit Deus.
24 Lo, a people, like a lioness, shall rise, And like a strong lion, shall rouse himself up; He will not lie down till he eat the torn, And the blood of the slain, he drink.
Ecce populus ut leæna consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret prædam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.
25 Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, —nor bless him.
Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.
26 And Balaam responded, and said unto Balak, —Spake I not unto thee, saying, All that Yahweh shall speak, that, must I do?
Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee! let me take thee unto another place, —peradventure, it may be right in the eyes of God, that thou revile me him. from thence.
Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.
28 So Balak took Balaam, —unto the head of Peor, that looketh over the face of the Jeshimon.
Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here, seven altars, —and prepare me here, seven bullocks and seven rams.
dixit ei Balaam: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.
30 And Balak did as Balaam said, —and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.
Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.