Liber Numeri 23

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

Then said Balaam unto Balak: Build me here seven altars, —and prepare me here, seven bullocks 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 caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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

Then said Balaam unto Balak: Station thyself by thine ascending-sacrifice, and let me go my way—peradventure Yahweh may come and meet me, and what thing soever he may show me, I will tell thee. So he went his way 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 came unto Balaam, —so he said unto him The seven altars, have I built in a row, and have caused to ascend, bullock and a ram on each altar.

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

And Yahweh put a word into the mouth of Balaam, —and said—Return unto Balak, and, thus, shalt thou speak.

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

So he returned unto him, and lo! he was stationed by his ascending-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.

So he took up his parable and said, —From Aram, doth Balak conduct me, The king of Moab, from the mountains of the East, Come thou! curse me Jacob, Yea, come thou! rage on Israel.

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

How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged?

9 De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.

Surely from the head of the rocks, do I see him, Yea, from the hills, do I observe him, —Lo! a people, who alone doth dwell, And among the nations, he doth not reckon himself.

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

Who hath counted the dust of Jacob? Or who hath numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my hereafter 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 said Balak unto Balaam, What hast thou done for me? To revile mine enemies, I summoned thee, and lo! thou hast kept on blessing.

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

And he answered and said, —Was it not to be so that whatsoever Yahweh should put into my mouth, the same, should I take heed to speak?

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

Then said Balak unto him—Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see him, nothing but his utmost part, shalt thou see, but all of him, shalt thou not see, —and so revile me him 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 took him to the field of Zophim, unto the head of Pisgah, —and built seven altars, and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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

Then said he to Balak, Station thyself here by thine ascending-sacrifice, —while, I, meet him yonder.

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

And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, —and said—Return unto Balak and thus shalt thou speak.

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

So he came in unto him and, there he was-stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Yahweh spoken?

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

Then took he up his parable and said, —Rise, Balak, and hear, Give ear unto 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, that he should lie, Nor a son of Adam, that he should repent, —Hath, he, said, and will not perform? Yea spoken, and will not make it stand fast?

20 Ad benedicendum adductus sum, benedictionem prohibere non valeo.

Lo! to bless, have I received [command], —And I will bless, nor will I take it back.

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

He hath not discovered trouble in Jacob, Neither hath he seen wretchedness in Israel, —Yahweh, his God, is with him, And, the acclaim of a king, in his midst:

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

GOD having brought them forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his:

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, Nor divination against Israel, —Now, shall it be said—Of Jacob 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.

Lo, a people, like a lioness, shall rise, And like a strong lion, shall rouse himself up; He will not lie down till he eat the torn, And the blood of the slain, he drink.

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

Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, —nor bless him.

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

And Balaam responded, and said unto Balak, —Spake I not unto thee, saying, All that Yahweh shall speak, 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.

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee! let me take thee unto another place, —peradventure, it may be right in the eyes of God, that thou revile me him. from thence.

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

So Balak took Balaam, —unto the head of Peor, that looketh over the face of the 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 said, —and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.