Nombres 22
1 Les enfants d’Israël repartirent, et ils allèrent camper dans les plaines de Moab, sur la rive du Jourdain, qui fait face à Jéricho.
The people of Israel traveled on until they camped in the plains of Moab near Jericho, on the other side of the Jordan River from the city.
2 Balak, fils de Cippor, ayant su tout ce qu’Israël avait fait aux Amorréens,
Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 Moab eut grand peur de ce peuple, parce qu’il était nombreux, et Moab trembla à cause des enfants d’Israël.
Moab was very afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was in terror of the people of Israel.
4 Et Moab dit aux anciens de Madian: "Bientôt cette multitude aura fourragé tous nos alentours, comme le bœuf fourrage l’herbe des champs!" Or, Balak, fils de Cippor, régnait sur Moab, à cette époque.
The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This multitude will eat up all that is around us as an ox eats up the grass in a field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5 Il envoya des messagers à Balaam, fils de Beor, à Pethor qui est sur le fleuve, dans le pays de ses concitoyens, pour le mander, en ces termes: "Un peuple est sorti d’Egypte; déjà il couvre la face du pays, et il est campé vis-à-vis de moi.
He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, at Pethor which is by the Euphrates River, in the land of his nation and his people. He called him and said, “Look, a nation has come here from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and they are right now next to me.
6 Viens donc, je te prie, et maudis-moi ce peuple, car il est plus puissant que moi: peut-être parviendrai-je à le vaincre et le repousserai-je du pays. Car, je le sais, celui que tu bénis est béni, et celui que tu maudis est maudit."
So please come now and curse this nation for me, because they are too strong for me. Perhaps then I can manage to attack them and drive them out of the land. I know that whomever you bless will be blessed, and whomever you curse will be cursed.”
7 Les anciens de Moab et ceux de Madian partirent, munis des honoraires de la divination, et, arrivés chez Balaam, lui transmirent les paroles de Balak.
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left, taking payment for divination. They came to Balaam and spoke to him Balak's words.
8 Il leur répondit: "Restez ici cette nuit, et je vous rendrai réponse selon ce que l’Éternel m’aura dit." Et les princes moabites restèrent chez Balaam.
Balaam said to them, “Stay here tonight. I will bring you what Yahweh says to me.” So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam that night.
9 Dieu aborda Balaam, en disant: "Qui sont ces hommes-là chez toi?"
God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men who came to you?”
10 Balaam répondit à Dieu: "C’Est Balak fils de Cippor, roi de Moab, qui m’envoie dire:
Balaam answered God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them to me. He said,
11 Déjà ce peuple, sorti de l’Egypte, a couvert la face du pays. Viens donc, maudis-le moi; peut-être pourrai-je l’attaquer et l’expulserai-je."
'Look, the people who have come from Egypt cover the surface of my land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I will manage to fight them and drive them out.'”
12 Dieu dit à Balaam: "Tu n’iras point avec eux. Tu ne maudiras point ce peuple, car il est béni!"
God replied to Balaam, “You must not go with those men. You must not curse the people of Israel because they have been blessed.”
13 Balaam, s’étant levé le matin, dit aux officiers de Balak: "Retournez dans votre pays; car l’Éternel n’a pas voulu me permettre de partir avec vous."
Balaam rose up in the morning and said to Balak's leaders, “Go back to your land because Yahweh refuses to allow me to go with you.”
14 Les princes de Moab se retirèrent, revinrent auprès de Balak et lui dirent: "Balaam a refusé de nous accompagner."
So the leaders of Moab left and went back to Balak. They said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Balak revint à la charge, en envoyant des princes plus nombreux et plus considérés que ceux-là.
Balak sent again more leaders who were even more honored than the first group.
16 Arrivés chez Balaam, ils lui dirent: "Ainsi parle Balak, fils de Cippor: Ne te défends pas, de grâce, de venir auprès de moi.
They came to Balaam and said to him, “Balak son of Zippor says this, 'Please let nothing stop you from coming to me,
17 Car je veux te combler d’honneurs, et tout ce que tu me diras je le ferai; mais viens, de grâce, maudis-moi ce peuple!"
because I will pay you extremely well and give you great honor, and I will do whatever you tell me to do. So please come and curse this people for me.'”
18 Balaam répondit en ces termes aux serviteurs de Balak: "Quand Balak me donnerait de l’argent et de l’or plein son palais, je ne pourrais contrevenir à l’ordre de l’Éternel mon Dieu, en aucune façon.
Balaam answered and said to Balak's men, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh, my God, and do less or more than what he tells me.
19 Et maintenant, veuillez attendre ici, vous aussi, cette nuit, que je sache ce que l’Éternel doit encore me dire."
Now then, please wait here tonight too, so that I may learn anything further that Yahweh says to me.”
20 Dieu aborda Balaam pendant la nuit, en lui disant: "Puisque ces hommes sont venus pour te mander, va, pars avec eux! Et cependant, les ordres que je te donnerai, ceux-là seulement, tu les accompliras!"
God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them. But only do what I tell you to do.”
21 Balaam se leva le matin, sangla son ânesse, et partit avec les princes de Moab.
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.
22 Mais Dieu étant irrité de ce qu’il partait, un ange du Seigneur se mit sur son chemin pour lui faire obstacle. Or, il était monté sur son ânesse, et ses deux jeunes esclaves l’accompagnaient.
But because he went, God's anger was kindled. The angel of Yahweh placed himself in the road as someone hostile to Balaam, who was riding on his donkey. Balaam's two servants were also with him.
23 L’Ânesse, voyant l’ange du Seigneur debout sur son passage et l’épée nue à la main, s’écarta de la route et alla à travers champs; Balaam frappa l’ânesse pour la ramener sur la route.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. The donkey turned off the road and went into a field. Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road.
24 Alors l’ange du Seigneur se plaça dans un chemin creux entre les vignes, clôture deçà, clôture delà.
Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow part of the road between some vineyards, with a wall on his right side and another wall on his left side.
25 L’Ânesse, voyant l’ange du Seigneur, se serra contre le mur, et froissa contre le mur le pied de Balaam, qui la frappa de nouveau.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh again. She went against the wall and pinned Balaam's foot against it. Balaam struck her again.
26 Mais de nouveau l’ange du Seigneur prit les devants, et il se plaça dans un lieu étroit, où il n’était possible de s’écarter ni à droite ni à gauche.
The angel of Yahweh went further and stood in another narrow place where there was no way to turn to either side.
27 L’Ânesse, voyant encore l’ange du Seigneur, se coucha sous Balaam; enflammé de colère, Balaam la frappa de son bâton.
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Alors le Seigneur ouvrit la bouche de l’ânesse, qui dit à Balaam: "Que t’ai-je fait, pour que tu m’aies frappée ainsi à trois reprises?"
Then Yahweh opened the donkey's mouth so she could talk. She said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that induced you to strike me these three times?”
29 Balaam répondit à l’ânesse: "Parce que tu te joues de moi! Si je tenais une épée, certes, je te tuerais sur l’heure!"
Balaam replied to the donkey, “It was because you acted so stupidly with me. I wish there were a sword in my hand. If there were, by now I would have killed you.”
30 Et l’ânesse dit à Balaam: "Ne suis-je pas ton ânesse, que tu as toujours montée jusqu’à ce jour? Avais-je accoutumé d’agir ainsi avec toi?" Et il répondit: "Non."
The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey on which you have ridden all your life long to this present day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing such things to you before?” Balaam said, “No.”
31 Soudan, le Seigneur dessilla les yeux de Balaam, et il vit l’ange du Seigneur debout sur la route; l’épée nue à la main; il s’inclina et se prosterna sur sa face.
Then Yahweh opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. Balaam lowered his head and lay facedown.
32 L’Ange du Seigneur lui dit: "Pourquoi as-tu frappé ton ânesse par trois fois? C’Est moi qui suis venu me poser en obstacle, parce que ce voyage a lieu contre mon gré.
The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come as someone hostile to you because your actions before me have been wicked.
33 Cette ânesse m’a vu, et elle s’est écartée à mon aspect, trois fois; si elle ne s’était écartée de devant moi, assurément je t’aurais fait mourir, tandis que je l’aurais laissée vivre."
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you and spared her life.”
34 Balaam répondit à l’ange du Seigneur: "J’Ai péché, parce que je ne savais pas que tu fusses posté devant moi sur le chemin; et maintenant, si cela te déplaît, je m’en retournerai."
Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned. I did not know that you stood against me in the road. So now, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”
35 Mais l’ange du Seigneur dit à Balaam: "Va avec ces hommes! Et cependant, la parole que je te dicterai, celle-là seule tu la diras." Et Balaam poursuivit sa route avec les officiers de Balak.
But the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go on ahead with the men. But you must only speak the words that I tell you.” So Balaam went with the leaders of Balak.
36 Balak, ayant appris que Balaam venait, alla le recevoir à Ir-Moab, qui est sur la limite de l’Arnon, au point extrême de la frontière.
When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at a city in Moab at the Arnon, which is on the border.
37 Et Balak dit à Balaam: "Ne t’avais-je pas appelé par un premier message? Pourquoi n’es-tu pas venu près de moi? Est-ce qu’en vérité je n’ai pas le pouvoir de te faire honneur?"
Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send men to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”
38 Balaam répondit a Balak: "Tu le vois, je suis venu vers toi; mais est-il en ma puissance de dire quoi que ce soit? La parole que Dieu mettra dans ma bouche, c’est celle-là que je dois dire."
Then Balaam replied to Balak, “See, I have come to you. Do I now have any power to say anything? I can only say the words that God puts into my mouth.”
39 Balaam fit route avec Balak, et ils arrivèrent à Kiryath-Houçoth.
Balaam went with Balak, and they arrived at Kiriath Huzoth.
40 Balak immola bœufs et brebis, dont il envoya des parts à Balaam et aux officiers qui l’accompagnaient.
Then Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and gave some meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Et le matin venu, Balak alla prendre Balaam et le conduisit sur les hauteurs de Baal, d’où il vit jusqu’aux dernières lignes du peuple.
In the morning, Balak took Balaam up to the high place of Baal. From there Balaam could see only a part of the Israelites in their camp.
