Liber Numeri 23
1 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.
And Balaam says to Balak, “Build seven altars for me in this [place], and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me in this [place].”
2 Cumque fecisset iuxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.
And Balak does as Balaam has spoken, and Balak—Balaam also—offers a bullock and a ram on the altar,
3 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.
and Balaam says to Balak, “Station yourself by your burnt-offering and I go on, it may be YHWH comes to meet me, and the thing which He shows me I have declared to you”; and he goes [to] a 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 comes to Balaam, and he says to Him, “I have arranged the seven altars, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar”;
5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris.
and YHWH puts a word in the mouth of Balaam and says, “Return to Balak, and thus you speak.”
6 Reversus invenit stantem Balac iuxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:
And he returns to him, and behold, he is standing 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.
And he takes up his allegory and says: “Balak king of Moab leads me from Aram; From mountains of the east. Come—curse Jacob for me, And come—be indignant [with] Israel.
8 Quo modo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? Qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?
How do I pierce [when] God has not pierced? And how am I indignant [when] YHWH has not been indignant?
9 De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.
For from the top of rocks I see him, And from heights I behold him; Behold a people! He dwells alone, And does not reckon himself among nations.
10 Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Iacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israel? Moriatur anima mea morte iustorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.
Who has counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, 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 says to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I have taken you to pierce my enemies, and behold, you have certainly blessed”;
12 Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod iusserit Dominus?
and he answers and says, “That which YHWH puts in my mouth—do I not take heed to speak it?”
13 Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israel videas, et totum videre non possis, inde maledicito ei.
And Balak says to him, “Come! Come to another place with me, from where you see it—you see only its extremity, and you do not see all of it, and pierce it for me there”;
14 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, aedificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulis atque arietibus,
and he takes him [to] the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and builds seven altars, and offers a bullock and a ram on the altar.
15 dixit ad Balac: Sta hic iuxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.
And he says to Balak, “Station yourself here by your burnt-offering, and I meet [Him] there”;
16 Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore eius, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et haec loqueris ei.
and YHWH comes to Balaam, and sets a word in his mouth, and says, “Return to Balak, and thus you speak.”
17 Reversus invenit eum stantem iuxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?
And he comes to him, and behold, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab [are] with him, and Balak says to him: “What has YHWH spoken?”
18 At ille assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta Balac, et ausculta, audi fili Sephor:
And he takes up his allegory and says: “Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, 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—and lies, And a son of man—and relents! Has He said—and He does not do [it]? And spoken—and He does not confirm it?
20 Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.
Behold, I have received [only] to bless; Indeed, He blesses, 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, Nor has He seen perverseness in Israel; His God YHWH [is] with him, And a shout of a king [is] in him.
22 Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.
God is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a wild ox for him;
23 Non est augurium in Iacob, nec divinatio in Israel. Temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israeli quid operatus sit Deus.
For no enchantment [is] against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel; At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, O what God has worked!
24 Ecce populus ut leaena consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret praedam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.
Behold, the people rises as a lioness, And he lifts himself up as a lion; He does not lie down until he eats prey, And drinks blood of pierced ones.”
25 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.
And Balak says to Balaam, “Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all”;
26 Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?
and Balaam answers and says to Balak, “Have I not spoken to you, saying, All that YHWH speaks—I do it?”
27 Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.
And Balak says to Balaam, “Please come, I take you to another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God to pierce it for me from there.”
28 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,
And Balak takes Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness,
29 dixit ei Balaam: Aedifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, eiusdemque numeri arietes.
and Balaam says to Balak, “Build seven altars for me in this [place], and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me in this [place]”;
30 Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.
and Balak does as Balaam said, and he offers a bullock and a ram on an altar.
