Liber Numeri 23

1 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.

And Balaam sayd vnto Balak, Builde me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullockes, and seuen rammes.

2 Cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.

And Balak did as Balaam sayd, and Balak and Balaam offred on euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

3 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.

Then Balaam sayde vnto Balak, Stande by the burnt offring, and I will goe, if so be that the Lord will come and meete me: and whatsoeuer he sheweth me, I will tell thee: so he went forth alone.

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 Balaam sayd vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and haue offred vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris.

And the Lord put an answere in Balaams mouth, and sayde, Go againe to Balak, and say on this wise.

6 Reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:

So when he returned vnto him, loe, hee stoode by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus Orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Iacob: propera, et detestare Israel.

Then he vttered his parable, and sayde, Balak the king of Moab hath brought mee from Aram out of the mountaines of the East, saying, Come, curse Iaakob for my sake: come, and detest Israel.

8 Quo modo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? Qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?

How shall I curse, where God hath not cursed? or howe shall I detest, where the Lord hath not detested?

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 did see him, and from the hils I did beholde him: lo, the people shall dwell by themselues, and shall not be reckened among the nations.

10 Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israel? Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.

Who can tell the dust of Iaakob, and the nomber of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last ende be like his.

11 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? Ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te: et tu econtrario benedicis eis.

Then Balak saide vnto Balaam, What hast thou done vnto mee? I tooke thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them altogether.

12 Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod iusserit Dominus?

And he answered, and said, Must I not take heede to speake that, which the Lord hath put in my mouth?

13 Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israel videas, et totum videre non possis, inde maledicito ei.

And Balak sayde vnto him, Come, I pray thee, with mee vnto another place, whence thou mayest see them, and thou shalt see but the vtmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: therefore curse them out of that place for my sake.

14 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, aedificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulis atque arietibus,

And he brought him into Sede-sophim to the top of Pisgah, and built seuen altars, and offred a bullocke, and a ramme on euery altar.

15 dixit ad Balac: Sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.

After, he sayde vnto Balak, Stande here by thy burnt offring, and I wil meete the Lord yonder.

16 Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore eius, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris ei.

And the Lord mette Balaam, and put an answere in his mouth, and sayd, Goe againe vnto Balak, and say thus.

17 Reversus invenit eum stantem iuxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?

And when he came to him, beholde, hee stoode by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him: so Balak sayde vnto him, What hath the Lord sayd?

18 At ille assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta Balac, et ausculta, audi fili Sephor:

And he vttered his parable, and sayde, Rise vp, Balak, and heare: hearken vnto me, thou sonne 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 as man, that he should lie, neither as the sonne of man that he shoulde repent: hath he sayde and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it?

20 Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.

Behold, I haue receiued commandement to blesse: for he hath blessed, and I cannot alter it.

21 Non est idolum in Iacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israel. Dominus Deus eius cum eo est, et clangor victoriae regis in illo.

Hee seeth none iniquitie in Iaakob, nor seeth no transgression in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the ioyfull shoute of a king is among them.

22 Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.

God brought them out of Egypt: their strength is as an vnicorne.

23 Non est augurium in Iacob, nec divinatio in Israel. Temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israeli quid operatus sit Deus.

For there is no sorcerie in Iaakob, nor soothsaying in Israel: according to this time it shalbe sayde of Iaakob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?

24 Ecce populus ut leaena consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret praedam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.

Behold, the people shall rise vp as a lyon, and lift vp himselfe as a yong lyon: hee shall not lye downe, till he eate of the pray, and till he drinke the blood of the slayne.

25 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.

Then Balak sayde vnto Balaam, Neither curse, nor blesse them at all.

26 Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?

But Balaam answered, and saide vnto Balak, Tolde not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that must I do?

27 Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.

Againe Balak sayd vnto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I wil bring thee vnto another place, if so be it wil please God, that thou mayest thence curse them for my sake.

28 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,

So Balak brought Balaam vnto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Ieshmon.

29 dixit ei Balaam: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.

Then Balaam sayde vnto Balak, Make me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullocks, and seuen rammes.

30 Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.

And Balak did as Balaam had sayd, and offred a bullocke and a ram on euery altar.