民數記 23
1 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」。
Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
2 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。
Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
3 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」。
Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.
4 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」。
God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”
5 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」。
The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
6 他回到巴拉克那裏，看見他和所有的縉紳，仍站在全燔祭旁；
He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 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!
He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.
8 我豈能咒罵天主所不咒罵的﹖我豈能詛咒上主所不詛咒的﹖
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?
9 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。
For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations.
10 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」。
Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!”
11 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! 」
Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
12 他回答說：「我豈不該謹慎說出上主叫我說的話嗎﹖」
He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?”
13 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」。
Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”
14 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。
He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
15 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。
He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”
16 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」。
The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”
17 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﹖」
He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
18 他於是吟詩說：「巴拉克起來靜聽! 漆頗爾的兒子，傾耳聽我!
He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.
19 天主不像人能食言，不像人子能返悔。衪說了豈能不行﹖
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he will not do it? Or has he spoken, and he will not make it good?
20 我受命是為祝福，我不能變更。
Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 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。
He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.
22 領他們由埃及出來的天主，為他們有如野牛的角。
God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
23 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。
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘What has God done!’
24 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」。
Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 巴拉克對巴郎說：「你不咒罵他們，但也不該祝福啊! 」
Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
26 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﹖」
But Balaam answered Balak, “Did not I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
27 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」。
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 巴拉克於是領巴郎到俯視曠野的培敖爾山頂。
Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.
29 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」。
Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
30 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。
Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
