Brojevi 23

1 I Bileam reče Balaku: “Ovdje mi načini sedam žrtvenika; ovdje mi pripravi sedam junaca i sedam ovnova.”

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

2 Balak učini kako je Bileam rekao. A onda Balak i Bileam prinesu po jednoga junca i ovna na svakome žrtveniku.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 Potom će Bileam Balaku: “Ti stoj kod svoje paljenice, a ja idem ne bih li se sreo s Jahvom, pa što mi očituje, kazat ću ti.” I ode na osamljeno mjesto.

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 showeth me I will tell thee.' And he went to a bare height.

4 I Bog srete Bileama, koji mu reče: “Sedam sam žrtvenika podigao i prinio na svakome po jednoga junca i ovna.”

And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him: 'I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.'

5 A Jahve stavi riječi u usta Bileamu te mu zapovjedi: “Vrati se Balaku i ovako govori.”

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.'

6 Bileam se vrati k njemu, a on stajaše uza svoju paljenicu i s njim svi knezovi moapski.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 Tada on poče svoju pjesmu i reče: “Iz Arama dovede me Balak, kralj Moaba, iz strana istočnih: 'Dođi, prokuni mi Jakova, dođi, gromom udri Izraela!'

And he took up his parable, and said: From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: 'Come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel.'

8 Kako mogu proklinjati koga Bog ne proklinje? Kako gromom udarati koga Jahve ne udara?

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the LORD hath not execrated?

9 Jer s vrha hridi ja ga gledam, s visoka ga motrim brijega. Gle naroda koji odvojeno živi, među narode on se ne broji.

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 Prah Jakovljev tko će prebrojiti; pijesak Izraela tko će izmjeriti! O, da mi je umrijeti smrću pravednika! O, da svršetak moj bude kao njegov!”

Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered the stock of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine end be like his!

11 “Što mi to uradi!” - reče Balak Bileamu. “Dovedoh te da prokuneš moje neprijatelje, a kad tamo, ti ih blagoslovom obasu!”

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 On odgovori: “Zar mi nije dužnost kazati što mi Jahve stavlja u usta?”

And he answered and said: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?'

13 “Hajde sa mnom na drugo mjesto, odakle ga možeš svega vidjeti” zamoli ga Balak. “Odavde mu vidiš samo jedan kraj, a ne vidiš ga svega. Odande mi ga prokuni!”

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 Povede ga zatim na Sede Sofim, na vrh Pisge. Tu sagradi sedam žrtvenika i na svakom žrtveniku prinese po jednoga junca i ovna.

And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 Bileam tada rekne Balaku: “Stoj ovdje kraj svoje paljenice, a ja odoh onamo na susret Bogu.”

And he said unto Balak: 'Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I go toward a meeting yonder.'

16 Jahve sretne Bileama; stavi riječi u njegova usta te mu zapovjedi: “Vrati se k Balaku i tako govori!”

And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.'

17 I vrati se on Balaku, koji stajaše uza svoju paljenicu i s njim moapski knezovi. Balak ga zapita: “Što je Jahve rekao?”

And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him: 'What hath the LORD spoken?'

18 Tada Bileam započe svoju pjesmu i reče: “Ustani, Balače, i poslušaj! Uhom me posluhni, sine Siporov!

And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear; give ear unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 Bog nije čovjek da bi slagao, nije sin Adama da bi se kajao. Zar on kada rekne, a ne učini, zar obeća, pa ne ispuni?

God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: when He hath said, will He not do it? or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?

20 Gle, primih od Boga da blagoslovim, blagoslovit ću i povuć' neću blagoslova.

Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back.

21 U Jakovu nesreće ne nazreh, nit' nevolje vidjeh u Izraelu. Jahve, Bog njegov, s njime je, poklik kralju u njemu odzvanja.

None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shouting for the King is among them.

22 Iz Egipta Bog ga je izveo, on je njemu k'o rozi bivola.

God who brought them forth out of Egypt is for them like the lofty horns of the wild-ox.

23 Gatanja nema protiv Jakova nit' protiv Izraela vračanja. I kada budu rekli Jakovu i Izraelu: 'Što radi Bog?'

For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel; now is it said of Jacob and of Israel: 'What hath God wrought!'

24 gle, ustat će narod k'o lavica, dići će se poput lava: leći neće dok plijen ne proguta, dok ne popije krv pobijenih.”

Behold a people that riseth up as a lioness, and as a lion doth he lift himself up; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 Zatim Balak reče Bileamu: “Nemoj ga ni kletvom kleti, ali ni blagoslovom blagoslivljati.”

And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.'

26 Bileam odvrati Balaku. “Zar ti nisam rekao: sve što Jahve kaže, to ću činiti.”

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak: 'Told not I thee, saying: All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?'

27 Potom Balak reče Bileamu: “Hajde! Odvest ću te na drugo mjesto. Možda će Bogu biti pravo da mi ga odande prokuneš.”

And Balak said unto Balaam: 'Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.'

28 I odvede Balak Bileama na vrh Peora, odakle se pruža vidik na pustaru.

And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.

29 “Sagradi mi ovdje sedam žrtvenika”, reče Bileam Balaku. “Nadalje, pripremi mi ovdje sedam junaca i sedam ovnova.”

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

30 Balak učini kako je Bileam rekao i prinese po jednoga junca i ovna na svakome žrtveniku.

And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.