4 Mosebog 23

1 Og Bileam sagde til Balak: »Byg mig syv Altre her og skaf mig syv unge Tyre og syv Vædre herhen!«

Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

2 Balak gjorde, som Bileam sagde, og Balak og Bileam ofrede en Tyr og en Væder paa hvert Alter.

So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

3 Derpaa sagde Bileam til Balak: »Bliv staaende her ved dit Brændoffer, saa vil jeg gaa hen og se, om HERREN mulig kommer mig i Møde. Hvad han da lader mig skue, skal jeg lade dig vide.« Saa gik han op paa en nøgen Klippetop.

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” So he went away to a hilltop with no trees.

4 Da kom Gud Bileam i Møde. Og han sagde til ham: »Jeg har gjort de syv Altre i Stand og ofret en Tyr og en Væder paa hvert.«

While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, “I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one.”

5 Og Gud lagde Bileam Ord i Munden og sagde: »Vend tilbage til Balak og tal saaledes til ham!«

Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”

6 Da vendte han tilbage til ham, og se, han stod ved sit Brændoffer sammen med alle Moabs Høvdinger.

So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.

7 Og han fremsatte sit Sprog: Fra Aram lod Balak mig hente, Moabs Konge fra Østens Bjerge: »Kom og forband mig Jakob, kom og kald Vrede ned over Israel!«

Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.'

8 Hvor kan jeg forbande, naar Gud ej forbander, nedkalde Vrede, naar HERREN ej vredes!

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?

9 Jeg ser det fra Klippernes Top, fra Højderne skuer jeg det, et Folk, der bor for sig selv og ikke regner sig til Hedningefolkene.

For from the top of the rocks I see him; from the hills I look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation.

10 Hvem kan maale Jakobs Sandskorn, hvem kan tælle Israels Støvgran? Min Sjæl dø de Oprigtiges Død, og mit Endeligt vorde som deres!

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's end be like his!”

11 Da sagde Balak til Bileam: »Hvad har du gjort imod mig! Jeg lod dig hente, for at du skulde forbande mine Fjender, og se, du har velsignet dem!«

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”

12 Men han svarede: »Skal jeg ikke omhyggeligt sige, hvad HERREN lægger mig i Munden?«

Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

13 Da sagde Balak til ham: »Følg med mig til et andet Sted, hvorfra du kan se Folket, dog kun den yderste Del deraf og ikke det hele, og forband mig det saa fra det Sted!«

So Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them for me.”

14 Og han tog ham med til Udkigsmarken paa Toppen af Pisga og rejste der syv Altre og ofrede en Tyr og en Væder paa hvert.

So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Derpaa sagde Bileam til Balak: »Bliv staaende her ved dit Brændoffer, medens jeg ser efter, om der møder mig noget!«

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

16 Da kom Gud Bileam i Møde og lagde ham Ord i Munden og sagde: »Vend tilbage til Balak og tal saaledes!«

So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.”

17 Saa kom han hen til ham, og se, han stod ved sit Brændoffer sammen med Moabs Høvdinger; og Balak spurgte ham: »Hvad har HERREN sagt?«

Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh said?”

18 Da fremsatte han sit Sprog: Rejs dig, Balak, og hør, lyt til mig, Zippors Søn!

Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19 Gud er ikke et Menneske, at han skulde lyve, et Menneskebarn, at han skulde angre; mon han siger noget uden at gøre det, mon han taler uden at fuldbyrde det?

God is not a man, that he should lie, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out?

20 Se, at velsigne er mig givet, saa velsigner jeg og tager intet tilbage!

Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.

21 Man skuer ej Nød i Jakob, ser ej Trængsel i Israel; HERREN dets Gud er med det, og Kongejubel lyder hos det.

He has seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them.

22 Gud førte det ud af Ægypten, det har en Vildokses Horn.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a wild ox.

23 Thi mod Jakob hjælper ej Galder, Trolddom ikke mod Israel. Nu siger man om Jakob og om Israel: »Hvad har Gud gjort?«

There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has done!'

24 Se, et Folk, der staar op som en Løvinde, rejser sig som en Løve! Det lægger sig først, naar det har ædt Rov og drukket de dræbtes Blod.

Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed.”

25 Da sagde Balak til Bileam: »Vil du ikke forbande det, saa velsign det i alt Fald ikke!«

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”

26 Men Bileam svarede og sagde til Balak: »Har jeg ikke sagt dig, at alt, hvad HERREN siger, det gør jeg!«

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”

27 Da sagde Balak til Bileam: »Kom, jeg vil tage dig med til et andet Sted, maaske det vil behage Gud, at du forbander mig det fra det Sted.«

So Balak replied to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me.”

28 Og Balak førte Bileam op paa Toppen af Peor, der rager op over Ørkenen.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

29 Saa sagde Bileam til Balak: »Byg mig syv Altre her og skaf mig syv unge Tyre og syv Vædre herhen!«

Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

30 Balak gjorde, som Bileam sagde, og ofrede en Tyr og en Væder paa hvert Alter.

So Balak did as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.