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 unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen 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 spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock 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」。
And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
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 he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
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 the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt 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 unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, 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, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and 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 hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath 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, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people 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 me die the death of the righteous, and 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! 」
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto 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 the Lord hath put 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 unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part 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 brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock 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。
And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord 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 the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
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 when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath 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!
And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou 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 the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 我受命是為祝福，我不能變更。
Behold, I have received commandment 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 perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and 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 brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
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 against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to 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」。
Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink 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 unto 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 and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, 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」。
And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest 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 unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
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 unto 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 a bullock and a ram on every altar.
