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].”
Alors Balaam dit à Balak: "Dresse-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.
Balak fit ce qu’avait dit Balaam; puis Balak et Balaam offrirent 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 Balak: "Demeure près de ton holocauste; moi je m’en irai: peut-être l’Éternel s’offrira-t-il à ma rencontre, et, quoi qu’il me révèle, je t’en ferai part." Et il s’en alla dans la solitude.
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 se présenta à Balaam, qui lui dit: "J’Ai dressé les sept autels, et j’ai offert un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel."
5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
L’Éternel mit sa parole dans la bouche de Balaam, et lui dit: "Retourne vers Balak, et tu parleras de la sorte…"
6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
II retourna vers lui et le trouva debout 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 il proféra son oracle en disant: "II me fait venir d’Aram, Balak roi de Moab; il m’appelle des monts de l’orient: "Viens maudire pour moi Jacob! Oui, viens menacer 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 maudirais-je celui que Dieu n’a point maudit? Comment menacerai-je, quand l’Éternel est sans colère?
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.
Oui, je le vois de la cime des rochers, et du haut des collines, je le découvre: ce peuple, il vit solitaire, iI ne se confondra point avec les 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, nombrer la multitude d’Israël? Puissé-je mourir comme meurent ces justes, et puisse ma fin ressembler 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)!”
Balak dit à Balaam: "Que m’as-tu fait! J’Ai eu recours à toi pour maudire mes ennemis, et voilà que tu les bénis, au contraire!"
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Mais il répondit: "Certes, ce que l’Éternel met dans ma bouche, ne dois-je pas fidèlement le redire?"
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.”
Balak lui dit: "Viens, je te prie, avec moi dans un autre lieu, d’où tu pourras voir ce peuple: tu n’en verras que les derniers rangs, tu ne le verras pas tout entier. Et maudis-le moi de là."
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 conduisit au plateau de Çofîm, sur la crête du Pisga; il y dressa sept autels, et offrit sur chaque autel un taureau et un bélier.
15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
Balaam dit à Balak: "Tiens-toi ici, près de ton holocauste, et moi, j’attendrai là-bas la rencontre."
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.”
L’Éternel se présenta à Balaam, inspira un discours à ses lèvres, lui disant: "Va rejoindre Balak, 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 revint près de lui, et le trouva debout près de son holocauste, les princes de Moab à ses côtés. Et Balak lui demanda: "Qu’a dit l’Éternel?"
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Il proféra son oracle en ces termes: "Prépare-toi, Balak, à m’entendre; prête-moi l’oreille, fils de Cippor!
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 mortel, pour mentir, ni un fils d’Adam, pour qu’il se ravise; est-ce lui qui parle et ne tient point parole? Qui affirme et n’exécute point?
20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
Oui, j’ai reçu mission de bénir; il a béni, je ne puis le dédire.
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 point d’iniquité en Jacob, il ne voit point de mal en Israël: l’Éternel, son Dieu, est avec lui, et l’amitié d’un roi le protège.
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Délivré, par ce Dieu, de l’Egypte, il a le vigoureux élan du réêm.
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!’
Il ne faut point de magie à Jacob, point de sortilège à Israël: ils apprennent à point nommé, Jacob et Israël, ce que Dieu a résolu.
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.”
Voyez! Ce peuple se lève comme un léopard, il se dresse comme un lion; il ne se reposera qu’assouvi de carnage, qu’enivré du sang de ses victimes!"
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
Balak dit à Balaam: "Ne le maudis point, soit, mais ne le bénis point non plus."
26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
Balaam répondit à Balak: "Ne t’avais-je pas fait cette déclaration: tout ce que dira l’Éternel, je dois le faire?"
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.”
Et Balak dit à Balaam: "Viens donc, que je te conduise à une autre place; peut-être ce Dieu trouvera-t-il bon que, de là, tu me les maudisses."
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
Et Balak emmena Balaam sur la cime du Peor, qui domine la surface du désert.
29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
Balaam dit à Balak: "Construis-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.
Balak fit ce qu’avait dit Balaam, et il offrit un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.
