Números 22
1 Partieron los hijos de Israel y acamparon en las llanuras de Moab, al otro lado del Jordán, frente a Jericó.
The people of Israel traveled on until they camped in the plains of Moab near Jericho, on the other side of the Jordan River from the city.
2 Balac, hijo de Sefor, supo todo lo que Israel había hecho a los amorreos,
Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 y se atemorizó Moab grandemente frente al pueblo tan numeroso y perdió el ánimo ante los hijos de Israel.
Moab was very afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was in terror of the people of Israel.
4 Por lo cual dijo Moab a los ancianos de Madián: “Ahora esta multitud devorará todos nuestros contornos a la manera del buey que devora la hierba del campo.” Balac, hijo de Sefor, era a la sazón rey de Moab.
The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This multitude will eat up all that is around us as an ox eats up the grass in a field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5 Envió, pues, mensajeros a Balaam, hijo de Beor, a Petor, que está junto al Río en la tierra de los hijos de su pueblo, para llamarle, diciendo: “He aquí un pueblo que ha salido de Egipto y que cubre la faz de la tierra; está acampado frente a mí.
He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, at Pethor which is by the Euphrates River, in the land of his nation and his people. He called him and said, “Look, a nation has come here from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and they are right now next to me.
6 Ven, te ruego, y maldíceme a este pueblo, porque es demasiado fuerte para mí; quizás así logre yo derrotarlo y arrojarlo del país: porque sé que es bendito aquel a quien tú bendijeres, y maldito aquel a quien tú maldijeres.”
So please come now and curse this nation for me, because they are too strong for me. Perhaps then I can manage to attack them and drive them out of the land. I know that whomever you bless will be blessed, and whomever you curse will be cursed.”
7 Fueron los ancianos de Moab y los ancianos de Madián, llevando en sus manos el estipendio de mago, y llegados a Balaam, le refirieron las palabras de Balac.
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left, taking payment for divination. They came to Balaam and spoke to him Balak's words.
8 Él les contestó: “Pasad la noche aquí, y os responderé según me diga Yahvé.” Se quedaron, pues, los príncipes de Moab con Balaam.
Balaam said to them, “Stay here tonight. I will bring you what Yahweh says to me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam that night.
9 Y vino Dios a Balaam y le dijo: “¿Quiénes son estos hombres que están contigo?”
God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men who came to you?”
10 Balaam respondió a Dios: “Balac, hijo de Sefor, rey de Moab, ha enviado a decirme:
Balaam answered God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them to me. He said,
11 He aquí un pueblo que ha salido de Egipto y que cubre la faz de la tierra. Ven, por lo tanto, y maldícemelo; quizás así podré combatirlo y rechazarlo.”
'Look, the people who have come from Egypt cover the surface of my land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I will manage to fight them and drive them out.'”
12 Y dijo Dios a Balaam: “No vayas con ellos, ni maldigas a ese pueblo, porque es bendito.”
God replied to Balaam, “You must not go with those men. You must not curse the people of Israel because they have been blessed.”
13 Se levantó, pues, Balaam por la mañana, y dijo a los príncipes de Balac: “Volveos a vuestra tierra, porque Yahvé no quiere dejarme ir con vosotros”.
Balaam rose up in the morning and said to Balak's leaders, “Go back to your land because Yahweh refuses to allow me to go with you.”
14 Y se levantaron los príncipes de Moab, y regresados a Balac le dijeron: “Balaam no quiere venir con nosotros.”
So the leaders of Moab left and went back to Balak. They said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Entonces Balac envió de nuevo otros príncipes a Balaam, en mayor número y más distinguidos que los anteriores;
Balak sent again more leaders who were even more honored than the first group.
16 los cuales llegados a Balaam le dijeron: “Así dice Balac, hijo de Sefor: Te ruego no dejes apartarte de venir a mí;
They came to Balaam and said to him, “Balak son of Zippor says this, 'Please let nothing stop you from coming to me,
17 que yo te colmaré de honores, y haré todo lo que me digas, con tal que vengas y me maldigas a esta gente.”
because I will pay you extremely well and give you great honor, and I will do whatever you tell me to do. So please come and curse this people for me.'”
18 Mas Balaam respondió y dijo a los siervos de Balac: “Aunque Balac me diese tanta plata y oro como cabe en su casa no puedo desoír la palabra de Yahvé, mi Dios, haciendo (algo contrario), sea cosa chica, sea grande.
Balaam answered and said to Balak's men, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh, my God, and do less or more than what he tells me.
19 Quedaos pues aquí esta noche, vosotros también, para que yo sepa qué más me diga Yahvé.”
Now then, please wait here tonight too, so that I may learn anything further that Yahweh says to me.”
20 Y vino Dios de noche a Balaam y le dijo: “Si estos hombres han venido a llamarte, levántate y vete con ellos, pero harás solamente lo que Yo te dijere.”
God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them. But only do what I tell you to do.”
21 Y se levantó Balaam a la mañana, aparejó su asna, y marchó con los príncipes de Moab.
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.
22 Sin embargo se encendió la ira de Dios al emprender Balaam viaje, y el Ángel de Yahvé se puso en el camino para cerrarle el paso. Iba Balaam montado sobre su asna, y le acompañaban dos de sus siervos.
But because he went, God's anger was kindled. The angel of Yahweh placed himself in the road as someone hostile to Balaam, who was riding on his donkey. Balaam's two servants were also with him.
23 Cuando la burra vio al Ángel de Yahvé parado en el camino, con su espada desenvainada en la mano, se desvió del camino, andando por el campo; y Balaam le dio golpes para volverla al camino.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. The donkey turned off the road and went into a field. Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road.
24 Entonces el Ángel de Yahvé se apostó en una hondonada entre las viñas, con un muro de un lado y un muro del otro.
Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow part of the road between some vineyards, with a wall on his right side and another wall on his left side.
25 Al ver la burra al Ángel de Yahvé se arrimó al muro y apretó el pie de Balaam contra la pared, el cual volvió a pegarla.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh again. She went against the wall and pinned Balaam's foot against it. Balaam struck her again.
26 Una vez más se adelantó el Ángel de Yahvé y se puso en un sitio estrecho donde no había espacio para desviarse ni a la derecha ni a la izquierda.
The angel of Yahweh went further and stood in another narrow place where there was no way to turn to either side.
27 Entonces al ver la burra al Ángel de Yahvé, se echó en tierra debajo de Balaam, el cual enfurecido la pegó con el bastón.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Mas Dios abrió la boca de la burra, la cual dijo a Balaam: “¿Qué te he hecho para que me pegues ya por tercera vez?”
Then Yahweh opened the donkey's mouth so she could talk. She said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that induced you to strike me these three times?”
29 Balaam respondió a la burra: “Porque haces burla de mí. ¡Ojalá tuviera yo una espada, que ahora mismo te mataría!”
Balaam replied to the donkey, “It was because you acted so stupidly with me. I wish there were a sword in my hand. If there were, by now I would have killed you.”
30 Replicó la burra a Balaam: “¿No soy yo tu asna, en que has cabalgado siempre desde que yo soy tuya hasta hoy? ¿Por ventura he hecho yo contigo jamás cosa semejante?” Y él respondió: “No”.
The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey on which you have ridden all your life long to this present day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing such things to you before?” Balaam said, “No.”
31 Entonces Yahvé abrió los ojos de Balaam, de modo que vio al Ángel de Yahvé parado en el camino con la espada desenvainada en la mano; e inclinándose se prosternó sobre su rostro.
Then Yahweh opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. Balaam lowered his head and lay facedown.
32 Y le dijo el Ángel de Yahvé: “¿Por qué has pegado a tu asna estas tres veces? He aquí que yo he salido para cerrarte el camino, pues tu viaje es perverso delante de mí.
The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come as someone hostile to you because your actions before me have been wicked.
33 Me vio la burra y se desvió delante de mí estas tres veces. Si no se hubiera desviado de mi presencia, te habría matado a ti, y a ella la abría dejado con vida.”
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you and spared her life.”
34 Dijo entonces Balaam al Ángel de Yahvé: “He pecado; porque no sabía que tú te habías apostado contra mí en el camino. Si la cosa te parece mal, ahora mismo me volveré.”
Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned. I did not know that you stood against me in the road. So now, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”
35 El Ángel de Yahvé respondió a Balaam: “Ve con estos hombres; pero habla solamente lo que yo te dijere.” Se fue, pues, Balaam con los príncipes de Balac.
But the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go on ahead with the men. But you must only speak the words that I tell you.” So Balaam went with the leaders of Balak.
36 Cuando Balac supo que venía Balaam, le salió al encuentro hasta Ir-Moab, situada en el límite del Arnón, en el extremo de la frontera.
When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at a city in Moab at the Arnon, which is on the border.
37 Y dijo Balac a Balaam: “¿Acaso no he enviado a llamarte? ¿Por qué no viniste a mí? ¿Crees tal vez que yo no soy capaz de recompensarte?”
Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send men to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”
38 Respondió Balaam a Balac: “Heme aquí, he venido a ti; pero ¿podré yo acaso decir algo? No te diré otra palabra sino la que Dios pusiere en mi boca.”
Then Balaam replied to Balak, “See, I have come to you. Do I now have any power to say anything? I can only say the words that God puts into my mouth.”
39 Y se marchó Balaam con Balac, y llegaron a Kiryat-Husot.
Balaam went with Balak, and they arrived at Kiriath Huzoth.
40 Y sacrificó Balac bueyes y ovejas para hacer presentes a Balaam y a los príncipes que le acompañaban.
Then Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and gave some meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Al día siguiente tomó Balac a Balaam y le hizo subir a Bamot-Baal, desde donde podía divisar la parte extrema del pueblo.
In the morning, Balak took Balaam up to the high place of Baal. From there Balaam could see only a part of the Israelites in their camp.
