Liber Numeri 23
1 dixitque Balaam ad Balac aedifica mihi hic septem aras et para totidem vitulos eiusdemque numeri arietes
Then said Balaam unto Balak: Build me here seven altars, —and prepare me here, seven bullocks and seven rams.
2 cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam inposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, —and Balak and Balaam caused to ascend a bullock and a ram 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
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.
4 cumque abisset velociter occurrit ei Deus locutusque ad eum Balaam septem inquit aras erexi et inposui vitulum et arietem desuper
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.
5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius et ait revertere ad Balac et haec loqueris
And Yahweh put a word into the mouth of Balaam, —and said—Return unto Balak, and, thus, shalt thou speak.
6 reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum et omnes principes Moabitarum
So he returned unto him, and lo! he was stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, —he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 adsumptaque parabola sua dixit de Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum de montibus orientis veni inquit et maledic Iacob propera et detestare Israhel
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.
8 quomodo maledicam cui non maledixit Deus qua ratione detester quem Dominus non detestatur
How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged?
9 de summis silicibus videbo eum et de collibus considerabo illum populus solus habitabit et inter gentes non reputabitur
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.
10 quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob et nosse numerum stirpis Israhel moriatur anima mea morte iustorum et fiant novissima mea horum similia
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!
11 dixitque Balac ad Balaam quid est hoc quod agis ut malediceres inimicis vocavi te et tu e contrario benedicis eis
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.
12 cui ille respondit num aliud possum loqui nisi quod iusserit Dominus
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?
13 dixit ergo Balac veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israhelis videas et totum videre non possis inde maledicito ei
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.
14 cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem super verticem montis Phasga aedificavit Balaam septem aras et inpositis supra vitulo atque ariete
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.
15 dixit ad Balac sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum donec ego pergam obvius
Then said he to Balak, Station thyself here by thine ascending-sacrifice, —while, I, meet him yonder.
16 cui cum Dominus occurrisset posuissetque verbum in ore eius ait revertere ad Balac et haec loqueris ei
And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into 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
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?
18 at ille adsumpta parabola sua ait sta Balac et ausculta audi fili Sepphor
Then took he up his parable and said, —Rise, Balak, and hear, Give ear unto me 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, 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?
20 ad benedicendum adductus sum benedictionem prohibere non valeo
Lo! to bless, have I received [command], —And I will bless, nor will I take it back.
21 non est idolum in Iacob nec videtur simulacrum in Israhel Dominus Deus eius cum eo est et clangor victoriae regis in illo
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:
22 Deus eduxit eum de Aegypto cuius fortitudo similis est rinocerotis
GOD having brought them forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his:
23 non est augurium in Iacob nec divinatio in Israhel temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israheli quid operatus sit Deus
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!
24 ecce populus ut leaena consurget et quasi leo erigetur non accubabit donec devoret praedam et occisorum sanguinem bibat
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.
25 dixitque Balac ad Balaam nec maledicas ei nec benedicas
Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, —nor bless him.
26 et ille nonne ait dixi tibi quod quicquid mihi Deus imperaret hoc facerem
And Balaam responded, and said unto Balak, —Spake I not unto thee, saying, All that Yahweh shall speak, that, must I 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, 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.
28 cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor qui respicit solitudinem
So Balak took Balaam, —unto the head of Peor, that looketh over the face of the Jeshimon.
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 inposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras
And Balak did as Balaam said, —and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.
