Numbers 23
1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.
2 And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar.
Cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.
3 And Balaam said to Balak: “Stand for a little while next to your holocaust, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet with me. And whatever he will command, I shall speak to you.”
Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.
4 And after he had quickly departed, God met with him. And Balaam, speaking to him, said: “I have set up seven altars, and I have placed a calf and a ram on each.”
Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.
5 Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.”
Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris.
6 Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites.
Reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:
7 And taking up his parable, he said: “Balak, king of the Moabites, has led me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘and curse Jacob. Hurry and condemn Israel.’
assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus Orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Iacob: propera, et detestare Israel.
8 How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn?
Quo modo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? Qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?
9 I will look upon him from the tops of the stones, and I will consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and they shall not be counted among the nations.
De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.
10 Who can number the dust that is Jacob, and who can know the number of the stock of Israel? May my soul die a just death, and may my end be like theirs.”
Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israel? Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.
11 And Balak said to Balaam: “What is this that you are doing? I called for you, in order to curse my enemies, and to the contrary, you bless them.”
Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? Ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te: et tu econtrario benedicis eis.
12 He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?”
Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod iusserit Dominus?
13 Therefore, Balak said: “Come with me to another place, from where you may see a portion of Israel, though you cannot see them all. Curse them from there.”
Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israel videas, et totum videre non possis, inde maledicito ei.
14 And when he had led him to a lofty place, on the top of mount Pisgah, Balaam built seven altars, and placing upon each a calf and a ram,
Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, aedificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulis atque arietibus,
15 he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.”
dixit ad Balac: Sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.
16 And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said, “Return to Balak, and you shall say this to him.”
Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore eius, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris ei.
17 Returning, he found him standing next to his holocaust, and the leaders of the Moabites were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
Reversus invenit eum stantem iuxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?
18 But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you son of Zippor.
At ille assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta Balac, et ausculta, audi fili Sephor:
19 God is not like a man, so that he would lie, nor is he like a son of man, so that he would be changed. Therefore, having spoken, will he not act? Has he ever spoken, and not fulfilled?
Non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur: nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet? locutus est, et non implebit?
20 I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing.
Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.
21 There is no idol in Jacob; neither is there a false image to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the resound of royal victory is in him.
Non est idolum in Iacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israel. Dominus Deus eius cum eo est, et clangor victoriae regis in illo.
22 God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros.
Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.
23 There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor any divination in Israel. In their times, it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought.
Non est augurium in Iacob, nec divinatio in Israel. Temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israeli quid operatus sit Deus.
24 Behold, the people will rise up like a lioness, and lie down like a lion. But they will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
Ecce populus ut leaena consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret praedam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.
25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.”
Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.
26 And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would do?”
Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?
27 And Balak said to him: “Come and I will lead you to another place. If perhaps it may please God, then you may curse them from there.”
Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.
28 And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness,
Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,
29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
dixit ei Balaam: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.
30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram.
Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.
