Liber Numeri 23

1 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

2 Cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.

4 Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.

And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris.

And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 Reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus Orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Iacob: propera, et detestare Israel.

And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.

8 Quo modo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? Qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?

9 De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.

For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israel? Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.

Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!

11 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? Ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te: et tu econtrario benedicis eis.

And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

12 Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod iusserit Dominus?

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?

13 Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israel videas, et totum videre non possis, inde maledicito ei.

And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

14 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, aedificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulis atque arietibus,

And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 dixit ad Balac: Sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.

And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet [Jehovah] yonder.

16 Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore eius, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris ei.

And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

17 Reversus invenit eum stantem iuxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?

And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken?

18 At ille assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta Balac, et ausculta, audi fili Sephor:

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 Non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur: nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet? locutus est, et non implebit?

God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?

20 Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.

Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 Non est idolum in Iacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israel. Dominus Deus eius cum eo est, et clangor victoriae regis in illo.

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

22 Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.

God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.

23 Non est augurium in Iacob, nec divinatio in Israel. Temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israeli quid operatus sit Deus.

Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 Ecce populus ut leaena consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret praedam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.

Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.

25 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.

And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do?

27 Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

28 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,

And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.

29 dixit ei Balaam: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.

And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.