Liber Numeri 23
1 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
2 Cumque fecisset juxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken. And Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper juxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.
And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.
4 Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.
And God met Balaam, and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore ejus, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris.
And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shall speak.
6 Reversus invenit stantem Balac juxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:
And he returned to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the rulers of Moab.
7 assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Jacob; propera, et detestare Israël.
And he took up his oracle, and said, From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.
8 Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah has not defied?
9 De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Jacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israël? Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.
Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis.
And Balak said to Balaam, What have thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou have blessed them altogether.
12 Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod jusserit Dominus?
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah puts in my mouth?
13 Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israël videas, et totum videre non possis: inde maledicito ei.
And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from where thou may see them. Thou shall see but the outmost part of them, and shall not see them all, and curse them for me from there.
14 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete,
And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 dixit ad Balac: Sta hic juxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.
And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.
16 Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore ejus, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris ei.
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall thou speak.
17 Reversus invenit eum stantem juxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?
And he came to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the rulers of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has Jehovah spoken?
18 At ille, assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta, Balac, et ausculta; audi, fili Sephor:
And he took up his oracle, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear. Hearken to me, thou son of Zippor.
19 non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur, nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet? locutus est, et non implebit?
God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
20 Ad benedicendum adductus sum: benedictionem prohibere non valeo.
Behold, I have received to bless. And he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 Non est idolum in Jacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israël. Dominus Deus ejus cum eo est, et clangor victoriæ regis in illo.
He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Jehovah his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.
God brings them forth out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
23 Non est augurium in Jacob, nec divinatio in Israël: temporibus suis dicetur Jacob et Israëli quid operatus sit Deus.
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 wrought!
24 Ecce populus ut leæna consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret prædam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.
Behold, the people rise up as a lioness, and 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.
25 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.
And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26 Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?
But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaks, that I must do?
27 Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.
And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take thee to another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou may curse them for me from there.
28 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,
And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down upon the desert.
29 dixit ei Balaam: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.
And Balaam said to Balak, Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30 Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.
And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
