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」。
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
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。
And Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered up a bullock and a ram on [each] altar.
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」。
And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatever he shews me I will tell thee. And he went to a hill.
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」。
And God met Balaam; and [Balaam] said to him, I have disposed seven altars, and have offered up a bullock and a ram upon [each] 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」。
And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou 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；
And 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!
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse me Jacob, and come, denounce 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 hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce?
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, and from the hills I behold him: Lo, [it is] a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned 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, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my 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! 」
And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 他回答說：「我豈不該謹慎說出上主叫我說的話嗎﹖」
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah 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」。
And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from whence thou wilt see them; thou shalt see only the extremity of them and shalt not see them all, and curse me them from thence.
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。
And he took him to the watchmen's field, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on [each] 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。
And [Balaam] said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, and I will go to meet yonder.
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」。
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
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﹖」
And he came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him; and Balak said to him, What has Jehovah 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!
Then he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear! hearken unto me, 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; neither a son of man, that he should repent. Shall he say and not do? and shall he speak and not make it good?
20 我受命是為祝福，我不能變更。
Behold, I have received [mission] to bless; and he hath 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 hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen wrong in Israel; Jehovah his God is with him, and the shout of a king is in his midst.
22 領他們由埃及出來的天主，為他們有如野牛的角。
God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo.
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。
For there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. At this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
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」。
Lo, the people will rise up as a lioness, and lift himself up as a lion. He shall not lie down until he have eaten the prey and drunk 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! 」
And 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﹖」
And Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah shall speak, that will I 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」。
And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee to another place; perhaps it will be right in the sight of God that thou curse me them from thence.
28 巴拉克於是領巴郎到俯視曠野的培敖爾山頂。
And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks over the surface of the waste.
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」。
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
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。
And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on each altar.
