Numbers 23
1 And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.
巴郎對巴拉克說：「請伓在這裏給我建造七座祭壇，給我準備七頭公牛犢和七隻公綿羊」。
2 And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar.
巴拉克就照巴郎說的做了；巴拉克和巴郎在每座祭壇上奉獻了一頭公牛犢和一隻公綿羊。
3 And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.
然後巴郎對巴拉克說：「你留在你的全燔祭旁，我要前去，或許上主會使我遇見衪；衪指示我什麼，我都告訴你」。
4 And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram.
他就上了一座荒邱。天主遇到了巴郎，巴郎遂對天主說：「我建造了七座祭壇，在每座祭壇上，奉獻了頭公牛犢和一隻公綿羊」。
5 And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.
上主遂把巴郎要說的話放在他口中，然後對他說：「你回到巴拉克那裏就這樣說」。
6 Returning he found Balac standing by his burnt offering, with all the princes of the Moabites:
他回到巴拉克那裏，看見他和所有的縉紳，仍站在全燔祭旁；
7 And taking up his parable, he said: Balac king of the Moabites hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, said he, and curse Jacob: make haste and detest Israel.
於是吟詩說：「巴拉克將我由阿蘭召來，摩阿布王叫我由東方的山嶺前來：你來替我咒罵雅各伯，你來詛咒以色列!
8 How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?
我豈能咒罵天主所不咒罵的﹖我豈能詛咒上主所不詛咒的﹖
9 I shall see him from the tops of the rocks, and shall consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
我由嚴峰向他們觀看，我由高丘向他們眺望：這是一個獨居，而不應與眾民眾同列的民族。
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and know the number of the stock of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the just, and my last end be like to them.
誰能盡數雅各伯的塵埃，誰能算清以色列的塵灰沙﹖惟願我的死有如義人的死，我的結局相似他的結局」。
11 And Balac said to Balaam: What is this that thou dost? I sent for thee to curse my enemies: and thou contrariwise blessest them.
巴拉克對巴郎說：「你對我做的是什麼事﹖我叫你來是為咒罵我的仇敵，你反而祝福! 」
12 He answered him: Call I speak any thing else but what the Lord commandeth?
他回答說：「我豈不該謹慎說出上主叫我說的話嗎﹖」
13 Balac therefore said: Come with me to another place from whence thou mayest see part of Israel, and canst not see them all: curse them from thence.
巴拉克對他說：「諘你同我到另一地方去，從那裏可看到他們；這裏只看到一部分，不能看到全部；從那裏替我咒罵他們」。
14 And when he had brought him to a high place, upon the top of mount Phasga, Balaam built seven altars, and laying on every one a calf and a ram,
於是領他到了丕斯加山頂的瞭望台。在那裏建造了七座，在每座祭壇上，奉獻了一頭公牛犢和頭公綿羊。
15 He said to Balac: Stand here by thy burnt offering while I go to meet him.
巴郎對巴拉克說：「你在這裏，站在你的全燔祭旁，我到那裏去會見上主。
16 And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou say to him.
上主就顯現給巴郎，把衪要說的話放在他口內，然後說：「你回巴拉克那裏，就這樣說」。
17 Returning he found him standing by his burnt sacrifice, and the princes of the Moabites with him. And Balac said to him: What hath the Lord spoken?
他來到巴拉克那裏，看見他還站在全燔祭旁，摩阿布的縉紳仍同他在一起；巴拉克便問他說：「上主說了什麼﹖」
18 But he taking up his parable, said: Stand, O Balac, and give ear: hear, thou son of Sephor:
他於是吟詩說：「巴拉克起來靜聽! 漆頗爾的兒子，傾耳聽我!
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfill?
天主不像人能食言，不像人子能返悔。衪說了豈能不行﹖
20 I was brought to bless, the blessing I am not able to hinder.
我受命是為祝福，我不能變更。
21 There is no idol in Jacob, neither is there an image god to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the sound of the victory of the king in him.
在雅各伯中不見罪惡，在以色列中不睹災禍；上主他們的天主與他們同在，歡呼之聲，常在他們中間。
22 God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros.
領他們由埃及出來的天主，為他們有如野牛的角。
23 There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor divination in Israel. In their times it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God hath wrought.
其實雅各伯不需要巫術，以色列不需要占卜；時候一到，自會啟示與雅各伯和以色列：：天主要做什麼。
24 Behold the people shall rise up as a lioness, and shall lift itself up as a lion: it shall not lie down till it devour the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
這民族起來有如母獅，挺身像雄獅，不吞下獵物；不喝疲殺的血，決不臥下」。
25 And Balac said to Balaam: Neither curse, nor bless him.
巴拉克對巴郎說：「你不咒罵他們，但也不該祝福啊! 」
26 And he said: Did I not tell thee, that whatsoever God should command me, that I would do?
巴郎回答巴拉克說：「我不是對你說過：我應做上主所吩咐的一切嗎﹖」
27 And Balac said to him: Come and I will bring thee to another place; if peradventure it please God that thou mayest curse them from thence.
巴拉克對巴郎說：「來，我領你到另一個地方去，或者天主喜歡你在那裏替我咒罵他們」。
28 And when he had brought him upon the top of mount Phogor, which looketh towards the wilderness,
巴拉克於是領巴郎到俯視曠野的培敖爾山頂。
29 Balaam said to him: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.
巴郎對巴拉克說：「你在這裏給我建造七座祭壇，給我預備七頭公牛犢和七隻公綿羊」。
30 Balac did as Balaam had said: and he laid on every altar, a calf and a ram.
巴拉克就照巴郎說的做了，在每座祭壇上奉獻了頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。
