Numbers 23
1 Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.
2 Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Cumque fecisset juxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.
3 Balaam said to Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I go and see if perhaps the Lord will come and meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I'll share with you.” Then Balaam left to climb up a rocky crag.
Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper juxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.
4 God met with him there, and Balaam said. “I have built seven altars and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.
5 The Lord gave Balaam a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore ejus, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris.
6 So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.
Reversus invenit stantem Balac juxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:
7 This is the declaration that Balaam gave: “Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the east. He said, ‘Come and curse Jacob for me! Come and condemn Israel!’
assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Jacob; propera, et detestare Israël.
8 But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned?
Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?
9 For I'm looking down on them from the top of rocky crags; I'm watching them from the hills. I see a people who live on their own, different from the other nations.
De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.
10 Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites? I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”
Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Jacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israël? Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.
11 Then Balak complained to Balaam, “What on earth have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! All you have done is bless them!”
Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis.
12 But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”
Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod jusserit Dominus?
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. But you'll only see a part of their camp—you won't see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”
Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israël videas, et totum videre non possis: inde maledicito ei.
14 He took him to the field of Zophim at the top of Mount Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete,
15 Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”
dixit ad Balac: Sta hic juxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.
16 The Lord met Balaam and gave him a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore ejus, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris ei.
17 So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.
Reversus invenit eum stantem juxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?
18 This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered: “Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!
At ille, assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta, Balac, et ausculta; audi, fili Sephor:
19 God isn't a human being who would lie. He's not a mere mortal who changes his mind. Does he say he's going to do something but doesn't? Does he make promises he doesn't carry out?
non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur, nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet? locutus est, et non implebit?
20 Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that.
Ad benedicendum adductus sum: benedictionem prohibere non valeo.
21 He's not expecting anything bad will happen to Jacob; he doesn't foresee any trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them; they celebrate him as their king.
Non est idolum in Jacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israël. Dominus Deus ejus cum eo est, et clangor victoriæ regis in illo.
22 God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.
Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.
23 No spell can be cast against Jacob; no magic can be used against Israel. People will talk about Jacob and Israel, saying, ‘What amazing things God has done for them!’
Non est augurium in Jacob, nec divinatio in Israël: temporibus suis dicetur Jacob et Israëli quid operatus sit Deus.
24 Look! The Israelites go out hunting like a lioness; they chase like a lion. They don't rest until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of their dead victim.”
Ecce populus ut leæna consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret prædam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”
Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.
26 But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”
Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?
27 “Please come with me and I will take you somewhere else,” Balak said. “Maybe God would let you curse them for me from there.”
Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.
28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.
Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
dixit ei Balaam: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.
30 Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.
