Liber Numeri, 23

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

1. And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and provide for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

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

2. Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull 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”. Cumque abiisset in collem nudum,

3. And Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height.

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

4. And God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bull and a ram."

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

5. And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

6. Reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum et omnes principes Moabitarum;

6. And he returned to him, and lo, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering.

7. assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: “De Aram adduxit me Balac, rex Moabitarum de montibus orientis: "Veni, inquit, et maledic pro me Iacob; propera et detestare Israel!".

7. And Balaam took up his discourse, and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: `Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'

8. Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? Qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?

8. How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

9. De summis silicibus video eum et de collibus considero illum: populus solus habitabit et inter gentes non reputabitur.

9. For from the top of the mountains I see him, from the hills I behold him; lo, a people dwelling alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!

10. Et quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob et quis numeravit arenam Israel? Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia”.

10. 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 end be like his!"

11. Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: “Quid est hoc, quod agis? Ut malediceres inimicis meis, vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis!”.

11. And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them."

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

12. And he answered, "Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

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

13. And Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place, from which you may see them; you shall see only the nearest of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there."

14. Cumque duxisset eum in campum speculatorum super verticem montis Phasga, aedificavit septem aras imposuitque supra vitulum atque arietem.

14. And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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

15. Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder."

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

16. And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."

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

17. And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?"

18. At ille, assumpta parabola sua, ait: “Surge, Balac, et ausculta; audi, fili Sephor.

18. And Balaam took up his discourse, and said, "Rise, Balak, and hear; hearken to me, O son of Zippor:

19. Non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur, nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Numquid dixit et non faciet? Locutus est et non implebit?

19. God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it?

20. Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.

20. Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

21. Non conspicitur malum in Iacob, nec videtur calamitas in Israel. Dominus Deus eius cum eo est, et clangor regis in illo.

21. He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob; nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.

22. Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, sicut cornua bubali est ei.

22. God brings them out of Egypt; they have as it were the horns of the wild ox.

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

23. For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, `What has God wrought!'

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

24. Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down till it devours the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."

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

25. And Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

26. Et ille ait: “Nonne dixi tibi quod, quidquid mihi Dominus imperaret, hoc facerem?”.

26. But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, `All that the LORD says, that I must do'?"

27. Et ait Balac ad eum: “Veni, et ducam te ad alîum locum, si forte placeat Deo, ut inde maledicas ei”.

27. And Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."

28. Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phegor, qui respicit solitudinem,

28. So Balak took Balaam to the top of Pe'or, that overlooks the desert.

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

29. And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and provide for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

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

30. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.