< Numbers 23 >
1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
巴蘭對巴勒說:「你在這裏給我築七座壇,為我預備七隻公牛,七隻公羊。」
2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
巴勒照巴蘭的話行了。巴勒和巴蘭在每座壇上獻一隻公牛,一隻公羊。
3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.
巴蘭對巴勒說:「你站在你的燔祭旁邊,我且往前去,或者耶和華來迎見我。他指示我甚麼,我必告訴你。」於是巴蘭上一淨光的高處。
4 God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”
上帝迎見巴蘭;巴蘭說:「我預備了七座壇,在每座壇上獻了一隻公牛,一隻公羊。」
5 The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
耶和華將話傳給巴蘭,又說:「你回到巴勒那裏,要如此如此說。」
6 He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
他就回到巴勒那裏,見他同摩押的使臣都站在燔祭旁邊。
7 He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.
巴蘭便題起詩歌說: 巴勒引我出亞蘭, 摩押王引我出東山,說: 來啊,為我咒詛雅各; 來啊,怒罵以色列。
8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?
上帝沒有咒詛的,我焉能咒詛? 耶和華沒有怒罵的,我焉能怒罵?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations.
我從高峰看他,從小山望他; 這是獨居的民,不列在萬民中。
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!”
誰能數點雅各的塵土? 誰能計算以色列的四分之一? 我願如義人之死而死; 我願如義人之終而終。
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
巴勒對巴蘭說:「你向我做的是甚麼事呢?我領你來咒詛我的仇敵,不料,你竟為他們祝福。」
12 He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?”
他回答說:「耶和華傳給我的話,我能不謹慎傳說嗎?」
13 Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”
巴勒說:「求你同我往別處去,在那裏可以看見他們;你不能全看見,只能看見他們邊界上的人。在那裏要為我咒詛他們。」
14 He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
於是領巴蘭到了瑣腓田,上了毗斯迦山頂,築了七座壇;每座壇上獻一隻公牛,一隻公羊。
15 He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”
巴蘭對巴勒說:「你站在這燔祭旁邊,等我往那邊去迎見耶和華。」
16 The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”
耶和華臨到巴蘭那裏,將話傳給他;又說:「你回到巴勒那裏,要如此如此說。」
17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
他就回到巴勒那裏,見他站在燔祭旁邊;摩押的使臣也和他在一處。巴勒問他說:「耶和華說了甚麼話呢?」
18 He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.
巴蘭就題詩歌說: 巴勒,你起來聽; 西撥的兒子,你聽我言。
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he won’t do it? Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?
上帝非人,必不致說謊, 也非人子,必不致後悔。 他說話豈不照着行呢? 他發言豈不要成就呢?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.
我奉命祝福; 上帝也曾賜福,此事我不能翻轉。
21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.
他未見雅各中有罪孽, 也未見以色列中有奸惡。 耶和華-他的上帝和他同在; 有歡呼王的聲音在他們中間。
22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
上帝領他們出埃及; 他們似乎有野牛之力。
23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘What has God done!’
斷沒有法術可以害雅各, 也沒有占卜可以害以色列。 現在必有人論及雅各,就是論及以色列說: 上帝為他行了何等的大事!
24 Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”
這民起來,彷彿母獅, 挺身,好像公獅, 未曾吃野食, 未曾喝被傷者之血,決不躺臥。
25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
巴勒對巴蘭說:「你一點不要咒詛他們,也不要為他們祝福。」
26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
巴蘭回答巴勒說:「我豈不是告訴你說『凡耶和華所說的,我必須遵行』嗎?」
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”
巴勒對巴蘭說:「來吧,我領你往別處去,或者上帝喜歡你在那裏為我咒詛他們。」
28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.
巴勒就領巴蘭到那下望曠野的毗珥山頂上。
29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
巴蘭對巴勒說:「你在這裏為我築七座壇,又在這裏為我預備七隻公牛,七隻公羊。」
30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
巴勒就照巴蘭的話行,在每座壇上獻一隻公牛,一隻公羊。