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 Bil'am said unto 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 Bil'am had spoken; and Balak and Bil'am offered a bullock and a ram on every 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 Bil'am said unto Balak, Place thyself by thy burnt-offering; and I will go, peradventure the Lord will come to meet me, and whatsoever he may show me I will tell thee: and he went thoughtfully alone.
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 Bil'am: and he said unto him, The seven altars have I made ready, and I have offered a bullock and a ram upon 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」。
And the Lord put a word in Bil'am's mouth, and said, Return unto 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 unto him, and, lo, 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, From Aram did Balak send for me, the king of Moab, out of the mountains of the east, 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 denounce, whom God hath not denounced? and 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 rocks I see him, and from hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and among the nations it shall not be reckoned.
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 number the fourth part of Israel? May my soul die the death of the righteous, and may 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 Bil'am, What hast thou done unto me? to denounce my enemies did I take thee, and, behold, thou hast even blessed them.
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 only which the Lord may 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 where thou canst see them; nevertheless a portion of them only wilt thou see, but the whole of them thou wilt not see: and denounce them for me from there.
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 to the field of the watchmen, on the top of Pisgah, and he 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, Place thyself here by thy burnt-offering, while I will repair to yonder place.
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 Bil'am, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto 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 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; bend hither thy ear 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; nor a son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not fulfill it?
20 我受命是為祝福，我不能變更。
Behold, to bless I have received [the word]; 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 any wrong in Jacob, nor hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the glory of the king dwelleth among him.
22 領他們由埃及出來的天主，為他們有如野牛的角。
God, who brought them out of Egypt, is to them like the heights of the reem.
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 in Jacob, nor is there any divination in Israel: at the proper time shall it be said to Jacob and to Israel, what God doth work.
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, it is a people, that shall rise up as a lioness, and as a lion shall it raise itself: it will not lie down until it have eaten the prey, and have 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 unto Bil'am, Neither shalt thou denounce them, nor shalt thou any wise bless them.
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 Bil'am answered and said unto Balak, Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, all that the Lord will speak, that must 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 unto Bil'am, Come, I pray thee, I will take thee unto another place, peradventure it may be pleasing in the eyes of God that thou mayest denounce 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。
And Balak took Bil'am unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward 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」。
And Bil'am 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 Bil'am had said, and he offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
