Numbers 22
1 And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho.
Profectique castrametati sunt in campestribus Moab, ubi trans Jordanem Jericho sita est.
2 And Balak son of Zippor sees all that Israel has done to the Amorite,
Videns autem Balac filius Sephor omnia quæ fecerat Israël Amorrhæo,
3 and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it [is] numerous; and Moab is distressed by the presence of the sons of Israel,
et quod pertimuissent eum Moabitæ, et impetum ejus ferre non possent,
4 and Moab says to [the] elderly of Midian, “Now the assembly licks up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the green thing of the field.” And Balak son of Zippor [is] king of Moab at that time,
dixit ad majores natu Madian: Ita delebit hic populus omnes, qui in nostris finibus commorantur, quomodo solet bos herbas usque ad radices carpere. Ipse erat eo tempore rex in Moab.
5 and he sends messengers to Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which [is] by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt; behold, it has covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding in front of me;
Misit ergo nuntios ad Balaam filium Beor ariolum, qui habitabat super flumen terræ filiorum Ammon, ut vocarent eum, et dicerent: Ecce egressus est populus ex Ægypto, qui operuit superficiem terræ, sedens contra me.
6 and now, come, please curse this people for me, for it [is] mightier than I. It may be I prevail, [and] we strike it, and I cast it out from the land; for I have known that which you bless is blessed, and that which you curse is cursed.”
Veni igitur, et maledic populo huic, quia fortior me est: si quomodo possim percutere et ejicere eum de terra mea. Novi enim quod benedictus sit cui benedixeris, et maledictus in quem maledicta congesseris.
7 And [the] elderly of Moab and [the] elderly of Midian go with divinations in their hand, and they come to Balaam and speak the words of Balak to him,
Perrexeruntque seniores Moab, et majores natu Madian, habentes divinationis pretium in manibus. Cumque venissent ad Balaam, et narrassent ei omnia verba Balac,
8 and he says to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I have brought you back word, as YHWH speaks to me”; and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam.
ille respondit: Manete hic nocte, et respondebo quidquid mihi dixerit Dominus. Manentibus illis apud Balaam, venit Deus, et ait ad eum:
9 And God comes to Balaam and says, “Who [are] these men with you?”
Quid sibi volunt homines isti apud te?
10 And Balaam says to God, “Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me:
Respondit: Balac filius Sephor rex Moabitarum misit ad me,
11 Behold, the people that is coming out from Egypt and covers the eye of the land—now come, pierce it for me; it may be I am able to fight against it and have cast it out”;
dicens: Ecce populus qui egressus est de Ægypto, operuit superficiem terræ: veni, et maledic ei, si quomodo possim pugnans abigere eum.
12 and God says to Balaam, “You do not go with them; you do not curse the people, for it [is] blessed.”
Dixitque Deus ad Balaam: Noli ire cum eis, neque maledicas populo: quia benedictus est.
13 And Balaam rises in the morning and says to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, for YHWH is refusing to permit me to go with you”;
Qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes: Ite in terram vestram, quia prohibuit me Dominus venire vobiscum.
14 and the princes of Moab rise, and come to Balak, and say, “Balaam is refusing to come with us.”
Reversi principes dixerunt ad Balac: Noluit Balaam venire nobiscum.
15 And Balak adds yet to send princes, more numerous and honored than these,
Rursum ille multo plures et nobiliores quam ante miserat, misit.
16 and they come to Balaam and say to him, “Thus said Balak son of Zippor: Please do not be withheld from coming to me,
Qui cum venissent ad Balaam, dixerunt: Sic dicit Balac filius Sephor: Ne cuncteris venire ad me:
17 for I honor you very greatly, and all that you say to me I do; and come, please pierce this people for me.”
paratus sum honorare te, et quidquid volueris, dabo tibi: veni, et maledic populo isti.
18 And Balaam answers and says to the servants of Balak, “If Balak gives to me the fullness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of my God YHWH, to do a little or a great thing;
Respondit Balaam: Si dederit mihi Balac plenam domum suam argenti et auri, non potero immutare verbum Domini Dei mei, ut vel plus, vel minus loquar.
19 and now, please abide in this [place], you also, tonight, then I know what YHWH is adding to speak with me.”
Obsecro ut hic maneatis etiam hac nocte, et scire queam quid mihi rursum respondeat Dominus.
20 And God comes to Balaam by night and says to him, “If the men have come to call for you, rise, go with them, and only the thing which I speak to you—do it.”
Venit ergo Deus ad Balaam nocte, et ait ei: Si vocare te venerunt homines isti, surge, et vade cum eis: ita dumtaxat, ut quod tibi præcepero, facias.
21 And Balaam rises in the morning, and saddles his donkey, and goes with the princes of Moab,
Surrexit Balaam mane, et strata asina sua profectus est cum eis.
22 and the anger of God burns because he is going, and the Messenger of YHWH stations Himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his donkey, and two of his servants [are] with him,
Et iratus est Deus. Stetitque angelus Domini in via contra Balaam, qui insidebat asinæ, et duos pueros habebat secum.
23 and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turns aside out of the way and goes into a field, and Balaam strikes the donkey to turn it aside into the way.
Cernens asina angelum stantem in via, evaginato gladio, avertit se de itinere, et ibat per agrum. Quam cum verberaret Balaam, et vellet ad semitam reducere,
24 And the Messenger of YHWH stands in a narrow path of the vineyards, [with] a wall on this [side] and a wall on that [side],
stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum, quibus vineæ cingebantur.
25 and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH, and is pressed to the wall, and presses Balaam’s foot to the wall, and he adds to strike her;
Quem videns asina, junxit se parieti, et attrivit sedentis pedem. At ille iterum verberabat eam:
26 and the Messenger of YHWH adds to pass over, and stands in a narrow place where there is no way to turn aside [to] the right or left,
et nihilominus angelus ad locum angustum transiens, ubi nec ad dexteram, nec ad sinistram poterat deviare, obvius stetit.
27 and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH, and crouches under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burns, and he strikes the donkey with a staff.
Cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum, concidit sub pedibus sedentis: qui iratus, vehementius cædebat fuste latera ejus.
28 And YHWH opens the mouth of the donkey, and she says to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?”
Aperuitque Dominus os asinæ, et locuta est: Quid feci tibi? cur percutis me ecce jam tertio?
29 And Balaam says to the donkey, “Because you have rolled yourself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain you”;
Respondit Balaam: Quia commeruisti, et illusisti mihi: utinam haberem gladium, ut te percuterem!
30 and the donkey says to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden since [I became] yours, even to this day? Have I at all been accustomed to do thus to you?” And he says, “No.”
Dixit asina: Nonne animal tuum sum, cui semper sedere consuevisti usque in præsentem diem? dic quid simile umquam fecerim tibi. At ille ait: Numquam.
31 And YHWH uncovers the eyes of Balaam, and he sees the Messenger of YHWH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and he bows and pays respect, to his face;
Protinus aperuit Dominus oculos Balaam, et vidit angelum stantem in via, evaginato gladio, adoravitque eum pronus in terram.
32 and the Messenger of YHWH says to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out for an adversary, for [your] way has been perverse before Me,
Cui angelus: Cur, inquit, tertio verberas asinam tuam? ego veni ut adversarer tibi, quia perversa est via tua, mihique contraria:
33 and the donkey sees Me and turns aside at My presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from My presence, surely I had also slain you now, and kept her alive.”
et nisi asina declinasset de via, dans locum resistenti, te occidissem, et illa viveret.
34 And Balaam says to the Messenger of YHWH, “I have sinned, for I did not know that You [are] standing to meet me in the way; and now, if [it is] evil in Your eyes, I turn back by myself.”
Dixit Balaam: Peccavi, nesciens quod tu stares contra me: et nunc si displicet tibi ut vadam, revertar.
35 And the Messenger of YHWH says to Balaam, “Go with the men; and only the word which I speak to you—it you speak”; and Balaam goes with the princes of Balak.
Ait angelus: Vade cum istis, et cave ne aliud quam præcepero tibi loquaris. Ivit igitur cum principibus.
36 And Balak hears that Balaam has come, and goes out to meet him, to a city of Moab, which [is] on the border of Arnon, which [is] in the extremity of the border;
Quod cum audisset Balac, egressus est in occursum ejus in oppido Moabitarum, quod situm est in extremis finibus Arnon.
37 and Balak says to Balaam, “Did I not diligently send to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you?”
Dixitque ad Balaam: Misi nuntios ut vocarent te: cur non statim venisti ad me? an quia mercedem adventui tuo reddere nequeo?
38 And Balaam says to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you; now, am I able to speak anything at all? The word which God sets in my mouth—it I speak.”
Cui ille respondit: Ecce adsum: numquid loqui potero aliud, nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo?
39 And Balaam goes with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,
Perrexerunt ergo simul, et venerunt in urbem, quæ in extremis regni ejus finibus erat.
40 and Balak sacrifices oxen and sheep, and sends [some] to Balaam and to the princes who [are] with him;
Cumque occidisset Balac boves et oves, misit ad Balaam, et principes qui cum eo erant, munera.
41 and it comes to pass in the morning, that Balak takes Balaam and causes him to go up [to] the high places of Ba‘al, and he sees the extremity of the people from there.
Mane autem facto, duxit eum ad excelsa Baal, et intuitus est extremam partem populi.
