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].”
Balaam dit à Balac: « Bâtis-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers. »
2 So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
Balac fit ce que Balaam avait dit, et Balac avec Balaam offrit un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.
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,
Balaam dit à Balac: « Tiens-toi près de ton holocauste, et je m’éloignerai; peut-être que Yahweh viendra à ma rencontre et quoi qu’il me fasse voir, je te le dirai. » Et il s’en alla sur une hauteur dénudée.
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.”
Dieu vint à la rencontre de Balaam, qui lui dit: « J’ai dressé les sept autels, et j’ai offert sur chaque autel un taureau et un bélier. »
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
Yahweh mit une parole dans la bouche de Balaam et dit: « Retourne auprès de Balac, et parle-lui ainsi. »
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
Il retourna vers lui, et voici, Balac se tenait près de son holocauste, lui et tous les princes de Moab.
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!’
Et Balaam prononça son discours en disant: D’Aram, Balac m’a fait venir, le roi de Moab m’a fait venir des montagnes de l’Orient: « Viens, maudis-moi Jacob! Viens, courrouce-toi contre Israël! »
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]
Comment maudirai-je quand Dieu ne maudit pas? Comment me courroucerai-je, quand Yahweh n’est pas courroucé?
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.
Car du sommet des rochers je le vois, du haut des collines je le considère: c’est un peuple qui a sa demeure à part, et qui ne sera pas mis au nombre des nations.
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.”
Qui peut compter la poussière de Jacob, et dénombrer le quart d’Israël? Que je meure de la mort des justes, et que ma fin soit semblable à la leur!
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)!”
Balac dit à Balaam: « Que m’as-tu fait? Je t’ai pris pour maudire mes ennemis, et voilà, tu ne fais que bénir! »
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Il répondit et dit: « Ne dois-je pas avoir soin de dire ce que Yahweh met dans ma bouche? »
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.”
Balac lui dit: « Viens avec moi à une autre place, d’où tu le verras; tu en verras seulement l’extrémité, sans le voir tout entier; et de là, maudis-le-moi. »
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.
Il le mena au champ des Sentinelles, sur le sommet de Phasga; et, ayant bâti sept autels, il offrit un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
Et Balaam dit à Balac: « Tiens-toi ici près de ton holocauste, et moi j’irai là à la rencontre de Dieu. »
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.”
Yahweh vint à la rencontre de Balaam, et il mit une parole dans sa bouche et dit: « Retourne vers Balac, et tu parleras ainsi. »
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?”
Il retourna vers lui, et voici, Balac se tenait près de son holocauste, et les princes de Moab avec lui. Balac lui dit: « Qu’a dit Yahweh? »
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Et Balaam prononça son discours, en disant: Lève-toi, Balac, et écoute: prête-moi l’oreille, fils de Séphor:
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.
Dieu n’est pas un homme pour mentir, ni un fils d’homme pour se repentir. Est-ce lui qui dit et ne fais pas, qui parle et n’exécute pas?
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
Voici, j’ai reçu ordre de bénir; il a béni: je ne révoquerai point.
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].
Il n’aperçoit pas d’iniquité en Jacob, il ne voit pas d’injustice en Israël. Yahweh, son Dieu, est avec lui, chez lui retentit l’acclamation d’un roi.
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Dieu les fait sortir d’Égypte, sa vigueur est comme celle du buffle.
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!’
Parce qu’il n’y a pas de magie en Jacob, ni de divination en Israël, en son temps il sera dit à Jacob et à Israël ce que Dieu veut accomplir.
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.”
Voici un peuple qui se lève comme une lionne, et qui se dresse comme un lion; il ne se couche pas qu’il n’ait dévoré sa proie, et qu’il n’ait bu le sang des blessés.
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
Balac dit à Balaam: « Ne le maudis pas et ne le bénis pas. »
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
Balaam répondit et dit à Balac: « Ne t’ai-je pas parlé ainsi: Je ferai tout ce que dira Yahweh? »
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.”
Balac dit à Balaam: « Viens donc, je te mènerai à une autre place; peut-être plaira-t-il au regard de Dieu que de là tu me le maudisses. »
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
Balac mena Balaam sur le sommet du Phogor, qui domine le désert.
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Et Balaam dit à Balac: « Bâtis-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers. »
30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
Balac fit ce que Balaam avait dit, et il offrit un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.
