Numbers 23
1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
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」。
2 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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。
3 “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,
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」。
4 and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
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」。
5 Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
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」。
6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.
他回到巴拉克那裏，看見他和所有的縉紳，仍站在全燔祭旁；
7 And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
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!
8 How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
我豈能咒罵天主所不咒罵的﹖我豈能詛咒上主所不詛咒的﹖
9 For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.
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。
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”
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」。
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
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! 」
12 But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
他回答說：「我豈不該謹慎說出上主叫我說的話嗎﹖」
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”
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」。
14 So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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。
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
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。
16 And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”
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」。
17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
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﹖」
18 Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
他於是吟詩說：「巴拉克起來靜聽! 漆頗爾的兒子，傾耳聽我!
19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
天主不像人能食言，不像人子能返悔。衪說了豈能不行﹖
20 I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
我受命是為祝福，我不能變更。
21 He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.
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。
22 God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
領他們由埃及出來的天主，為他們有如野牛的角。
23 For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’
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。
24 Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
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」。
25 Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
巴拉克對巴郎說：「你不咒罵他們，但也不該祝福啊! 」
26 But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
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﹖」
27 “Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”
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」。
28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
巴拉克於是領巴郎到俯視曠野的培敖爾山頂。
29 Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
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」。
30 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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。
