Liber Numeri 23

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

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

2 Cumque fecisset iuxta 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 iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go: possibly the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he shows me I will tell you. And he went to an high place.

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 unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

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

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus you shall speak.

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

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, 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.

And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

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

How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD 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, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned 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 count the dust of Jacob, and the number of 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 econtrario benedicis eis.

And Balak said unto Balaam, What have you done unto me? I took you to curse mine enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.

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

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD has 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 said unto him, Come, I pray you, with me unto another place, from whence you may see them: you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

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 the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

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

And he said unto Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

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

And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto 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, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What has the LORD spoken?

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

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, you 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 shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

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

He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

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

God brought them out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of an unicorn (ox).

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

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has 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 up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

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

And Balak said unto 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 unto Balak, Told not I you, saying, All that the LORD 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 unto Balaam, Come, I pray you, I will bring you unto another place; possibly it will please God that you may curse me them from thence.

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

And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looks toward Jeshimon.

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

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare 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 a bullock and a ram on every altar.