Nombres 23

1 Alors Balaam dit à Balak: "Dresse-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers."

Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”

2 Balak fit ce qu’avait dit Balaam; puis Balak et Balaam offrirent un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.

Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 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.

Balaam said to Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I go and see if perhaps the Lord will come and meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I'll share with you.” Then Balaam left to climb up a rocky crag.

4 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."

God met with him there, and Balaam said. “I have built seven altars and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

5 L’Éternel mit sa parole dans la bouche de Balaam, et lui dit: "Retourne vers Balak, et tu parleras de la sorte…"

The Lord gave Balaam a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”

6 II retourna vers lui et le trouva debout près de son holocauste, lui et tous les princes de Moab.

So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.

7 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!"

This is the declaration that Balaam gave: “Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the east. He said, ‘Come and curse Jacob for me! Come and condemn Israel!’

8 Comment maudirais-je celui que Dieu n’a point maudit? Comment menacerai-je, quand l’Éternel est sans colère?

But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned?

9 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.

For I'm looking down on them from the top of rocky crags; I'm watching them from the hills. I see a people who live on their own, different from the other nations.

10 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!".

Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites? I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”

11 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!"

Then Balak complained to Balaam, “What on earth have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! All you have done is bless them!”

12 Mais il répondit: "Certes, ce que l’Éternel met dans ma bouche, ne dois-je pas fidèlement le redire?"

But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”

13 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."

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. But you'll only see a part of their camp—you won't see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”

14 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.

He took him to the field of Zophim at the top of Mount Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Balaam dit à Balak: "Tiens-toi ici, près de ton holocauste, et moi, j’attendrai là-bas la rencontre."

Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”

16 L’Éternel se présenta à Balaam, inspira un discours à ses lèvres, lui disant: "Va rejoindre Balak, et tu parleras ainsi…"

The Lord met Balaam and gave him a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”

17 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?"

So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.

18 Il proféra son oracle en ces termes: "Prépare-toi, Balak, à m’entendre; prête-moi l’oreille, fils de Cippor!

This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered: “Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 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?

God isn't a human being who would lie. He's not a mere mortal who changes his mind. Does he say he's going to do something but doesn't? Does he make promises he doesn't carry out?

20 Oui, j’ai reçu mission de bénir; il a béni, je ne puis le dédire.

Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that.

21 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.

He's not expecting anything bad will happen to Jacob; he doesn't foresee any trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them; they celebrate him as their king.

22 Délivré, par ce Dieu, de l’Egypte, il a le vigoureux élan du réêm.

God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.

23 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.

No spell can be cast against Jacob; no magic can be used against Israel. People will talk about Jacob and Israel, saying, ‘What amazing things God has done for them!’

24 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!"

Look! The Israelites go out hunting like a lioness; they chase like a lion. They don't rest until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of their dead victim.”

25 Balak dit à Balaam: "Ne le maudis point, soit, mais ne le bénis point non plus."

Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”

26 Balaam répondit à Balak: "Ne t’avais-je pas fait cette déclaration: tout ce que dira l’Éternel, je dois le faire?"

But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”

27 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."

“Please come with me and I will take you somewhere else,” Balak said. “Maybe God would let you curse them for me from there.”

28 Et Balak emmena Balaam sur la cime du Peor, qui domine la surface du désert.

Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.

29 Balaam dit à Balak: "Construis-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers."

Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”

30 Balak fit ce qu’avait dit Balaam, et il offrit un taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel.

Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.