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].
profectique castrametati sunt in campestribus Moab ubi trans Iordanem Hierichus sita est
2 But King Balak, the son of Zippor, who ruled Moab, found out what the Israelis had done to the Amor people-group.
videns autem Balac filius Sepphor omnia quae fecerat Israhel Amorreo
3 [When he saw that] the Israelis were very numerous, he and his people became terrified.
et quod pertimuissent eum Moabitae et impetum eius ferre non possent
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.
dixit ad maiores 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 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.
misit ergo nuntios ad Balaam filium Beor ariolum qui habitabat super flumen terrae filiorum Ammon ut vocarent eum et dicerent ecce egressus est populus ex Aegypto qui operuit superficiem terrae sedens contra me
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.”
veni igitur et maledic populo huic quia fortior me est si quo modo possim percutere et eicere eum de terra mea novi enim quod benedictus sit cui benedixeris et maledictus in quem maledicta congesseris
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.
perrexerunt seniores Moab et maiores natu Madian habentes divinationis pretium in manibus cumque venissent ad Balaam et narrassent ei omnia verba Balac
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.
ille respondit manete hic nocte et respondebo quicquid mihi dixerit Dominus manentibus illis apud Balaam venit Deus et ait ad eum
9 During the night, God appeared to Balaam and asked him, “(Who are/Tell me about) these men who are staying with you.”
quid sibi volunt homines isti apud te
10 Balaam replied, “Balak, the king of Moab, sent these men to tell me this:
respondit Balac filius Sepphor rex Moabitarum misit ad me
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].’”
dicens ecce populus qui egressus est de Aegypto operuit superficiem terrae veni et maledic ei si quo modo possim pugnans abicere eum
12 God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”
dixitque Deus ad Balaam noli ire cum eis neque maledicas populo quia benedictus est
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.”
qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes ite in terram vestram quia prohibuit me Deus venire vobiscum
14 So the men from Moab returned to King Balak and they reported to him, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
reversi principes dixerunt ad Balac noluit Balaam venire nobiscum
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].
rursum ille multo plures et nobiliores quam ante miserat misit
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.
qui cum venissent ad Balaam dixerunt sic dicit Balac filius Sepphor ne cuncteris venire ad me
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!’”
paratum honorare te et quicquid volueris dare veni et maledic populo isti
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]).
respondit Balaam si dederit mihi Balac plenam domum suam argenti et auri non potero inmutare verbum Domini Dei mei ut vel plus vel minus loquar
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.”
obsecro ut hic maneatis etiam hac nocte et scire queam quid mihi rursum respondeat Dominus
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]!”
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 praecepero facias
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.
surrexit Balaam mane et strata asina profectus est cum eis
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,
et iratus est Deus stetitque angelus Domini in via contra Balaam qui sedebat asinae et duos pueros habebat secum
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.
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 Then the angel stood in a place where the road was very narrow, between two vineyards, with walls on each side of the road.
stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum quibus vineae cingebantur
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.
quem videns asina iunxit se parieti et adtrivit sedentis pedem at ille iterum verberabat
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.
et nihilominus angelus ad locum angustum transiens ubi nec ad dextram nec ad sinistram poterat deviari obvius stetit
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.
cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum concidit sub pedibus sedentis qui iratus vehementius caedebat fuste latera
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?”
aperuitque Dominus os asinae et locuta est quid feci tibi cur percutis me ecce iam tertio
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!”
respondit Balaam quia commeruisti et inlusisti mihi utinam haberem gladium ut te percuterem
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.”
dixit asina nonne animal tuum sum cui semper sedere consuesti usque in praesentem diem dic quid simile umquam fecerim tibi at ille ait numquam
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.
protinus aperuit Dominus oculos Balaam et vidit angelum stantem in via evaginato gladio adoravitque eum pronus in terram
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.
cui angelus cur inquit tertio verberas asinam tuam ego veni ut adversarer tibi quia perversa est via tua mihique contraria
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.”
et nisi asina declinasset de via dans locum resistenti te occidissem et illa viveret
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.”
dixit Balaam peccavi nesciens quod tu stares contra me et nunc si displicet tibi ut vadam revertar
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].
ait angelus vade cum istis et cave ne aliud quam praecepero tibi loquaris ivit igitur cum principibus
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.
quod cum audisset Balac egressus est in occursum eius in oppido Moabitarum quod situm est in extremis finibus Arnon
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?”
dixitque ad Balaam misi nuntios ut vocarent te cur non statim venisti ad me an quia mercedem adventui tuo reddere nequeo
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].”
cui ille respondit ecce adsum numquid loqui potero aliud nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth [town].
perrexerunt ergo simul et venerunt in urbem quae in extremis regni eius finibus erat
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.
cumque occidisset Balac boves et oves misit ad Balaam et principes qui cum eo erant munera
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.
mane autem facto duxit eum ad excelsa Baal et intuitus est extremam partem populi
