Liber Numeri 23
1 dixitque Balaam ad Balac aedifica mihi hic septem aras et para totidem vitulos eiusdemque numeri arietes
And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
2 cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam inposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram
And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar.
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 to Balak: “Stand for a little while next to your holocaust, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet with me. And whatever he will command, I shall speak to you.”
4 cumque abisset velociter occurrit ei Deus locutusque ad eum Balaam septem inquit aras erexi et inposui vitulum et arietem desuper
And after he had quickly departed, God met with him. And Balaam, speaking to him, said: “I have set up seven altars, and I have placed a calf and a ram on each.”
5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius et ait revertere ad Balac et haec loqueris
Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.”
6 reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum et omnes principes Moabitarum
Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites.
7 adsumptaque parabola sua dixit de Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum de montibus orientis veni inquit et maledic Iacob propera et detestare Israhel
And taking up his parable, he said: “Balak, king of the Moabites, has led me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘and curse Jacob. Hurry and condemn Israel.’
8 quomodo maledicam cui non maledixit Deus qua ratione detester quem Dominus non detestatur
How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn?
9 de summis silicibus videbo eum et de collibus considerabo illum populus solus habitabit et inter gentes non reputabitur
I will look upon him from the tops of the stones, and I will consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and they shall not be counted among the nations.
10 quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob et nosse numerum stirpis Israhel moriatur anima mea morte iustorum et fiant novissima mea horum similia
Who can number the dust that is Jacob, and who can know the number of the stock of Israel? May my soul die a just death, and may my end be like theirs.”
11 dixitque Balac ad Balaam quid est hoc quod agis ut malediceres inimicis vocavi te et tu e contrario benedicis eis
And Balak said to Balaam: “What is this that you are doing? I called for you, in order to curse my enemies, and to the contrary, you bless them.”
12 cui ille respondit num aliud possum loqui nisi quod iusserit Dominus
He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?”
13 dixit ergo Balac veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israhelis videas et totum videre non possis inde maledicito ei
Therefore, Balak said: “Come with me to another place, from where you may see a portion of Israel, though you cannot see them all. Curse them from there.”
14 cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem super verticem montis Phasga aedificavit Balaam septem aras et inpositis supra vitulo atque ariete
And when he had led him to a lofty place, on the top of mount Pisgah, Balaam built seven altars, and placing upon each a calf and a ram,
15 dixit ad Balac sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum donec ego pergam obvius
he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.”
16 cui cum Dominus occurrisset posuissetque verbum in ore eius ait revertere ad Balac et haec loqueris ei
And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said, “Return to Balak, and you shall say this to him.”
17 reversus invenit eum stantem iuxta holocaustum suum et principes Moabitarum cum eo ad quem Balac quid inquit locutus est Dominus
Returning, he found him standing next to his holocaust, and the leaders of the Moabites were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18 at ille adsumpta parabola sua ait sta Balac et ausculta audi fili Sepphor
But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you 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 like a man, so that he would lie, nor is he like a son of man, so that he would be changed. Therefore, having spoken, will he not act? Has he ever spoken, and not fulfilled?
20 ad benedicendum adductus sum benedictionem prohibere non valeo
I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing.
21 non est idolum in Iacob nec videtur simulacrum in Israhel Dominus Deus eius cum eo est et clangor victoriae regis in illo
There is no idol in Jacob; neither is there a false image to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the resound of royal victory is in him.
22 Deus eduxit eum de Aegypto cuius fortitudo similis est rinocerotis
God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros.
23 non est augurium in Iacob nec divinatio in Israhel temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israheli quid operatus sit Deus
There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor any divination in Israel. In their times, it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought.
24 ecce populus ut leaena consurget et quasi leo erigetur non accubabit donec devoret praedam et occisorum sanguinem bibat
Behold, the people will rise up like a lioness, and lie down like a lion. But they will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
25 dixitque Balac ad Balaam nec maledicas ei nec benedicas
And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.”
26 et ille nonne ait dixi tibi quod quicquid mihi Deus imperaret hoc facerem
And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would 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 to him: “Come and I will lead you to another place. If perhaps it may please God, then you may curse them from there.”
28 cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor qui respicit solitudinem
And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness,
29 dixit ei Balaam aedifica mihi hic septem aras et para totidem vitulos eiusdemque numeri arietes
Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
30 fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat inposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras
Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram.
