Numbers 22
1 Then the Israelis traveled west to the area of Moab that was in the valley of the Jordan [River], across the river from Jericho [city].
以色列子民再起程出發，在約旦東邊的摩阿布曠野中，對著耶利哥城紮了營。
2 But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
漆頗爾的兒子巴拉克，見了以色列對阿摩黎所做的一切；
3 [When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
摩阿布人十分怕這民族，因為他們眾多；摩阿布人對以色列子民大起恐慌，
4 So the king of Moab [went to] the leaders of the Midian people-group and said to them, “This huge group [of Israelis] will (wipe out/destroy) everything around them, like an ox devours grass!” Balak was the king of Moab.
於是對米德揚的長老說：「現在這些人要吞併我們四周的一切，有如牛吃盡田間的青草」。漆頗爾的兒子巴拉克，其時正是摩阿布的君王，
5 He sent messengers to [a prophet named] Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor [town], near the [Euphrates] River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come [to help him]: “A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. [It looks like] they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us.
遂遺使者往幼發拉的河阿瑪伍人之地的培托爾去，見貝敖爾的兒子巴郎，請他說：「看，由埃及來了一個民族，遮蓋了地面，現今正住在我的對面。
6 Because they are very powerful/numerous, [we are afraid of them. So] please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land [where they are now living]. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”
現在請你來，替我咒罵這民族，因為他們比我強大，或許這樣我能將他們擊敗，從此地趕走；因為我知道，你祝福的，必蒙祝福；你咒罵的，必蒙咒罵」。
7 [Balak’s messengers, who were] leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would [come and] curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
摩阿布和米德揚的長老於是帶著卜金去了；到了巴郎那裏，將巴拉克的話告訴了他。
8 Balaam said, “Stay here tonight. [Tomorrow morning] I will tell you whatever Yahweh tells me that I should say to you.” So the leaders from Moab stayed there that night.
他回答他們說：「今夜你們在這裏過夜，我要依照上主吩咐我的話答覆你們」。這樣，摩阿布的縉紳就在巴郎那裏住下了。
9 During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
天主來到巴郎那裏說：「與你在一起的是些什麼人﹖」
10 Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
巴郎答覆天主說：「是摩阿布的君王，漆頗爾的兒子巴拉克，打發些人來告訴我說：
11 ‘A huge group of people has come from Egypt, and they have spread all over this area. Please come immediately to curse them. Then I may be able to defeat them and expel them [from this area].’”
看，從埃及來了一個民族，遮蓋了地面，現在請你來替我咒罵他們，使我或許能與他們交戰，將他們驅逐」。
12 God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
天主對巴郎說：「你不可與他們同去，你不可咒罵這，因為他們是受祝福的」。
13 The next morning, Balaam got up and told Balak’s men, “Go back home. [But go by yourselves, because] Yahweh is not allowing me to go with you.”
巴郎早晨起來就對巴拉克的縉紳說：「你們回本國去吧! 因為上主不許我同你們一起去」。
14 So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
摩阿布的縉紳就起身回到巴拉克那裏說：「巴郎不願同我們一起來」。
15 But Balak sent another [group of] leaders to Balaam. It was a group that was larger and they were more important [than the men in the first group].
巴拉克於是又派比以前更多更貴的縉紳去。
16 They went to Balaam and told him this: “This is what King Balak says: ‘Please do not allow anything to hinder you from coming here.
他們去見巴郎，對他說：「漆頗爾的兒子巴拉克這樣說：請你不要推辭到我這裏來，
17 I will pay you (a lot of money/very well) [if you come], and I will do anything that you ask me to do. Just come and curse these [Israeli] people for me!’”
因為我必豐富地酬謝你。凡你要的，我都照辦；只有你前來，替我咒罵這民族」。
18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not do anything to disobey Yahweh, (my God/the God whom I [worship]).
巴郎答覆巴拉克的使臣說：「既使巴拉克給我滿屋的金銀，我也不能做任何大小的事，違犯上主我天主的命令。
19 But stay here one more night, like the other messengers did, and I will find out if Yahweh has anything more to say to me.”
現在，請你們今夜也在這裏住下，看看上主還要什麼」。
20 That night God appeared to Balaam again and said to him, “These men have come to request that you go back with them, so you may go with them, but do only what I tell you [to do]!”
夜間天主來到巴郎那裏，對他說：「這些人既然來邀請你，你就起身同去吧! 但是你只應做我吩咐你的事」。
21 So the next morning, Balaam put a saddle on his donkey and he departed [with two of his servants] along with the men from Moab.
巴郎早晨起來，備好驢，就同摩阿布的縉紳一起去了。
22 [Even though God had given Balaam permission to go, he was still angry]. So he sent one of his angels to Balaam. This angel stood in the road to block Balaam’s path. As Balaam and the two servants were riding on their donkeys,
因為他起身走了，天主發了怒；上主的使者在那裏擋住他的去路。當時他騎著驢，兩個僮僕跟著。
23 Balaam’s donkey saw the angel. The angel was standing in the road and was holding a sword in his hand, [but Balaam did not see him]. Balaam’s donkey turned off the road into a field. So Balaam struck the donkey and forced it to go back onto the road.
那驢一看見上主的使者，持著拔出的刀站在路上，就離開正路，走入田中去了。巴郎便鞭打那驢，要牠回到路上。
24 Then the angel stood in a place where the road was very narrow, between two vineyards, with walls on each side of the road.
以後，上主的使者又站在葡萄園間的窄路上，兩面有牆。
25 When the donkey saw the angel standing there, it walked very close to the wall [to try to get past the angel]. As a result, it bashed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam struck the donkey again.
那驢一見上主的使者，就緊靠著牆，將巴郎腳擠在牆上，他又打了那驢。
26 Then the angel went further along the road and stood at a place that was extremely narrow, with the result that the donkey could not get past at all.
上主的使者又往前行，站在窄狹的地方，左右無路可走，
27 This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down [on the ground] with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam became extremely angry, and he struck the donkey again with his walking stick.
那驢又見上主的使者，遂扒在巴郎下；巴郎大怒，用棍杖打那驢。
28 Then Yahweh enabled the donkey to speak! It said to Balaam, “What bad thing have I done to you that caused you to strike me three times?”
上主遂開了驢的口，對巴郎說：「我給你做了什麼﹖你竟三次打我﹖」
29 Balaam shouted, “I struck you because you have caused me to appear to be foolish! If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
巴郎回答那驢說：「因為你玩弄我。我若手中有刀，早殺了你」。
30 But the donkey answered, “I am your own donkey [RHQ], the one that you have always ridden! Have I ever done anything like this previously?” Balaam said, “No.”
那驢對巴郎說：「我不是你從起初直到今日騎的驢呢﹖平常我是否對你這樣做﹖」他回答說：「不。」
31 Then Yahweh enabled Balaam to see the angel standing on the road, holding a sword in his hand. Balaam [realized that it was an angel and] prostrated himself on the ground in front of the angel.
上主遂開了巴郎的眼，使他看見了上主的使者，手持拔出的刀站在路上，他就躬身俯伏在地。
32 The angel asked him, ‘(Why did you strike your donkey three times?/ You should certainly not have struck the donkey three times! [RHQ] I have come to block your path because what you are planning to do is wrong.
上主的使者對他說：「你為什麼三次打你的驢﹖看，是我出來擋路，因為你走的這路，在我面前的邪路。
33 Three times your donkey saw me and turned away from me. If it had not done that, I would certainly have killed you already, but I would have allowed the donkey to live.”
驢看見了我，就在我面前迴避了三次；幸虧牠迴避了我，不然我早殺了你，只留下了牠」。
34 Then Balaam said to the angel, “I have sinned. But I did not realize that you were standing there, trying to block my path. So if you do not want me to continue going, I will return home.”
巴郎於是對上主的使者說：「我犯了罪，因為我不知道是你站在路上阻攔我。現在，如果你以為不對，我就回去好了」。
35 But the angel replied, “I will allow you to go with these men, but you must say only what I tell you to say!” So Balaam went on with the leaders whom Balak [had sent].
上主的者對巴郎說：「你同這些人去吧! 但是你只應說我呆2你的話」。巴郎於是同巴拉克的縉紳一起去了。
36 When King Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at a Moab town alongside the Arnon [River] that was at the border of his own land.
37 [When he arrived where] Balaam was, he said to him, “I sent you [RHQ] a message saying that you should come immediately [RHQ]! Why did you not come immediately? [Did you think that] I was not able to pay you a lot of money for coming?”
巴拉克對巴郎說：「我不是派遺了使者去請你﹖你為什麼不到我這裏來，莫非我不能酬報你﹖」
38 Balaam replied, “I have come here now, but I am not able to say anything [that I want to]. I will say only the words that God tells me to say [MTY].”
巴拉克聽說巴郎來了，就到阿爾摩阿布──此城臨近阿爾農河邊，在國界的盡頭，───去迎接他。 巴郎答覆巴拉克說：「看，我已到你這裏來了，但我能隨便說什麼嗎﹖我只能說天主吩咐我說的話」。
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
巴郎遂同巴拉克起身，來到了克黎雅特胡祚特。
40 There Balak killed some cattle and sheep as sacrifices, and offered [parts of the meat] to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
巴拉克殺了牛羊，餽送給巴郎和同他在一起的縉紳。
41 [They slept there], and the next morning Balak took Balaam part way up [the mountain] to Bamoth-Baal [village]. From there, they could see some of the Israeli people who were down below.
到了次日早晨，巴拉克領巴郎上了巴摩特巴耳去，從那裏能看到一部分以色列人民。
