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 Balak: 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.
Balak fit ce que Balaam avait dit; et 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: Tiens-toi près de ton holocauste, et je m’éloignerai; peut-être que l’Éternel viendra à ma rencontre, et je te dirai ce qu’il me révélera. Et il alla sur un lieu élevé.
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 au-devant de Balaam, et Balaam lui dit: J’ai dressé 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 des paroles dans la bouche de Balaam, et dit: Retourne vers Balak, et tu parleras 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, Balak se tenait près de son holocauste, lui et tous les chefs 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!’
Balaam prononça son oracle, et dit: Balak m’a fait descendre d’Aram, Le roi de Moab m’a fait descendre des montagnes de l’Orient. Viens, maudis-moi Jacob! Viens, sois irrité 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 maudirais-je celui que Dieu n’a point maudit? Comment serais-je irrité quand l’Éternel n’est point irrité?
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.
Je le vois du sommet des rochers, Je le contemple du haut des collines: C’est un peuple qui a sa demeure à part, Et qui ne fait point partie 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 dire le nombre du 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)!”
Balak dit à Balaam: Que m’as-tu fait? Je t’ai pris pour maudire mon ennemi, et voici, tu le bénis!
12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
Il répondit, et dit: N’aurai-je pas soin de dire ce que l’Éternel 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.”
Balak lui dit: Viens donc avec moi dans un autre lieu, d’où tu le verras; tu n’en verras qu’une partie, tu n’en verras pas la totalité. 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 de Tsophim, sur le sommet du Pisga; il bâtit sept autels, et 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.”
Balaam dit à Balak: Tiens-toi ici, près de ton holocauste, et j’irai 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.”
L’Éternel vint au-devant de Balaam; il mit des paroles dans sa bouche, et dit: Retourne vers 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 retourna vers lui; et voici, Balak se tenait près de son holocauste, avec les chefs de Moab. Balak lui dit: Qu’est-ce que l’Éternel a dit?
18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
Balaam prononça son oracle, et dit: Lève-toi, Balak, écoute! Prête-moi l’oreille, fils de Tsippor!
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 point un homme pour mentir, Ni fils d’un homme pour se repentir. Ce qu’il a dit, ne le fera-t-il pas? Ce qu’il a déclaré, ne l’exécutera-t-il 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 l’ordre de bénir: Il a béni, je ne le 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 point d’iniquité en Jacob, Il ne voit point d’injustice en Israël; L’Éternel, son Dieu, est avec lui, Il est son roi, l’objet de son allégresse.
22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Dieu les a fait sortir d’Égypte, Il est pour eux comme la vigueur 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!’
L’enchantement ne peut rien contre Jacob, Ni la divination contre Israël; Au temps marqué, il sera dit à Jacob et à Israël: Quelle est l’œuvre de Dieu.
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.”
C’est un peuple qui se lève comme une lionne, Et qui se dresse comme un lion; Il ne se couche point jusqu’à ce qu’il ait dévoré la proie, Et qu’il 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!”
Balak dit à Balaam: Ne le maudis pas, mais du moins 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 Balak: Ne t’ai-je pas parlé ainsi: Je ferai tout ce que l’Éternel dira?
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.”
Balak dit à Balaam: Viens donc, je te mènerai dans un autre lieu; peut être Dieu trouvera-t-il bon que de là tu me maudisses ce peuple.
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
Balak mena Balaam sur le sommet du Peor, en regard 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: 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.
Balak fit ce que Balaam avait dit, et il offrit un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.
