Numbers 23
1 Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
| فَقَالَ بَلْعَامُ لِبَالَاقَ: «ٱبْنِ لِي هَهُنَا سَبْعَةَ مَذَابِحَ وَهَيِّئْ لِي هَهُنَا سَبْعَةَ ثِيرَانٍ وَسَبْعَةَ كِبَاشٍ». | ١ |
2 So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
| فَفَعَلَ بَالَاقُ كَمَا تَكَلَّمَ بَلْعَامُ. وَأَصْعَدَ بَالَاقُ وَبَلْعَامُ ثَوْرًا وَكَبْشًا عَلَى كُلِّ مَذْبَحٍ. | ٢ |
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,
| فَقَالَ بَلْعَامُ لِبَالَاقَ: «قِفْ عِنْدَ مُحْرَقَتِكَ، فَأَنْطَلِقَ أَنَا لَعَلَّ ٱلرَّبَّ يُوافِي لِلِقَائِي، فَمَهْمَا أَرَانِي أُخْبِرْكَ بِهِ». ثُمَّ ٱنْطَلَقَ إِلَى رَابِيَةٍ. | ٣ |
4 and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”
| فَوَافَى ٱللهُ بَلْعَامَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: «قَدْ رَتَّبْتُ سَبْعَةَ مَذَابِحَ وَأَصْعَدْتُ ثَوْرًا وَكَبْشًا عَلَى كُلِّ مَذْبَحٍ». | ٤ |
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
| فَوَضَعَ ٱلرَّبُّ كَلَامًا فِي فَمِ بَلْعَامَ وَقَالَ: «ٱرْجِعْ إِلَى بَالَاقَ وَتَكَلَّمْ هَكَذَا». | ٥ |
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
| فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ وَإِذَا هُوَ وَاقِفٌ عِنْدَ مُحْرَقَتِهِ هُوَ، وَجَمِيعُ رُؤَسَاءِ مُوآبَ. | ٦ |
7 This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’
| فَنَطَقَ بِمَثَلِهِ وَقَالَ: «مِنْ أَرَامَ أَتَى بِي بَالَاقُ مَلِكُ مُوآبَ، مِنْ جِبَالِ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ: تَعَالَ ٱلْعَنْ لِي يَعْقُوبَ، وَهَلُمَّ ٱشْتِمْ إِسْرَائِيلَ. | ٧ |
8 But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]
| كَيْفَ أَلْعَنُ مَنْ لَمْ يَلْعَنْهُ ٱللهُ؟ وَكَيْفَ أَشْتِمُ مَنْ لَمْ يَشْتِمْهُ ٱلرَّبُّ؟ | ٨ |
9 I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.
| إِنِّي مِنْ رَأْسِ ٱلصُّخُورِ أَرَاهُ، وَمِنَ ٱلْآكَامِ أُبْصِرُهُ. هُوَذَا شَعْبٌ يَسْكُنُ وَحْدَهُ، وَبَيْنَ ٱلشُّعُوبِ لَا يُحْسَبُ. | ٩ |
10 (Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”
| مَنْ أَحْصَى تُرَابَ يَعْقُوبَ وَرُبْعَ إِسْرَائِيلَ بِعَدَدٍ؟ لِتَمُتْ نَفْسِي مَوْتَ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ، وَلْتَكُنْ آخِرَتِي كَآخِرَتِهِمْ». | ١٠ |
11 Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”
| فَقَالَ بَالَاقُ لِبَلْعَامَ: «مَاذَا فَعَلْتَ بِي؟ لِتَشْتِمَ أَعْدَائِي أَخَذْتُكَ، وَهُوَذَا أَنْتَ قَدْ بَارَكْتَهُمْ». | ١١ |
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
| فَأَجَابَ وَقَالَ: «أَمَا ٱلَّذِي يَضَعُهُ ٱلرَّبُّ فِي فَمِي أَحْتَرِصُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ؟». | ١٢ |
13 Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”
| فَقَالَ لَهُ بَالَاقُ: «هَلُمَّ مَعِي إِلَى مَكَانٍ آخَرَ تَرَاهُ مِنْهُ. إِنَّمَا تَرَى أَقْصَاءَهُ فَقَطْ، وَكُلَّهُ لَا تَرَى. فَٱلْعَنْهُ لِي مِنْ هُنَاكَ». | ١٣ |
14 So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
| فَأَخَذَهُ إِلَى حَقْلِ صُوفِيمَ إِلَى رَأْسِ ٱلْفِسْجَةِ، وَبَنَى سَبْعَةَ مَذَابِحَ، وَأَصْعَدَ ثَوْرًا وَكَبْشًا عَلَى كُلِّ مَذْبَحٍ. | ١٤ |
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
| فَقَالَ لِبَالَاقَ: «قِفْ هُنَا عِنْدَ مُحْرَقَتِكَ وَأَنَا أُوافِي هُنَاكَ». | ١٥ |
16 So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”
| فَوَافَى ٱلرَّبُّ بَلْعَامَ وَوَضَعَ كَلَامًا فِي فَمِهِ وَقَالَ: «ٱرْجِعْ إِلَى بَالَاقَ وَتَكَلَّمْ هَكَذَا». | ١٦ |
17 So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”
| فَأَتَى إِلَيْهِ وَإِذَا هُوَ وَاقِفٌ عِنْدَ مُحْرَقَتِهِ، وَرُؤَسَاءُ مُوآبَ مَعَهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ بَالَاقُ: «مَاذَا تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ ٱلرَّبُّ؟» | ١٧ |
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
| فَنَطَقَ بِمَثَلِهِ وَقَالَ: «قُمْ يَا بَالَاقُ وَٱسْمَعْ. اِصْغَ إِلَيَّ يَا ٱبْنَ صِفُّورَ. | ١٨ |
19 God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.
| لَيْسَ ٱللهُ إِنْسَانًا فَيَكْذِبَ، وَلَا ٱبْنَ إِنْسَانٍ فَيَنْدَمَ. هَلْ يَقُولُ وَلَا يَفْعَلُ؟ أَوْ يَتَكَلَّمُ وَلَا يَفِي؟ | ١٩ |
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
| إِنِّي قَدْ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُبَارِكَ. فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ بَارَكَ فَلَا أَرُدُّهُ. | ٢٠ |
21 Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].
| لَمْ يُبْصِرْ إِثْمًا فِي يَعْقُوبَ، وَلَا رَأَى تَعَبًا فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ. ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُهُ مَعَهُ، وَهُتَافُ مَلِكٍ فِيهِ. | ٢١ |
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
| ٱللهُ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ. لَهُ مِثْلُ سُرْعَةِ ٱلرِّئْمِ. | ٢٢ |
23 When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’
| إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ عِيَافَةٌ عَلَى يَعْقُوبَ، وَلَا عِرَافَةٌ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ. فِي ٱلْوَقْتِ يُقَالُ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ وَعَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ مَا فَعَلَ ٱللهُ. | ٢٣ |
24 They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”
| هُوَذَا شَعْبٌ يَقُومُ كَلَبْوَةٍ، وَيَرْتَفِعُ كَأَسَدٍ. لَا يَنَامُ حَتَّى يَأْكُلَ فَرِيسَةً وَيَشْرَبَ دَمَ قَتْلَى». | ٢٤ |
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
| فَقَالَ بَالَاقُ لِبَلْعَامَ: «لَا تَلْعَنْهُ لَعْنَةً وَلَا تُبَارِكْهُ بَرَكَةً». | ٢٥ |
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
| فَأَجَابَ بَلْعَامُ وَقَالَ لِبَالَاقَ: «أَلَمْ أُكَلِّمْكَ قَائِلًا: كُلُّ مَا يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ ٱلرَّبُّ فَإِيَّاهُ أَفْعَلُ؟». | ٢٦ |
27 Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”
| فَقَالَ بَالَاقُ لِبَلْعَامَ: «هَلُمَّ آخُذْكَ إِلَى مَكَانٍ آخَرَ، عَسَى أَنْ يَصْلُحَ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱللهِ أَنْ تَلْعَنَهُ لِي مِنْ هُنَاكَ». | ٢٧ |
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
| فَأَخَذَ بَالَاقُ بَلْعَامَ إِلَى رَأْسِ فَغُورَ ٱلْمُشْرِفِ عَلَى وَجْهِ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ. | ٢٨ |
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
| فَقَالَ بَلْعَامُ لِبَالَاقَ: «ٱبْنِ لِي هَهُنَا سَبْعَةَ مَذَابِحَ، وَهَيِّئْ لِي هَهُنَا سَبْعَةَ ثِيرَانٍ وَسَبْعَةَ كِبَاشٍ». | ٢٩ |
30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
| فَفَعَلَ بَالَاقُ كَمَا قَالَ بَلْعَامُ، وَأَصْعَدَ ثَوْرًا وَكَبْشًا عَلَى كُلِّ مَذْبَحٍ. | ٣٠ |
