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 inposuerunt 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 abisset velociter occurrit ei Deus locutusque ad eum Balaam septem inquit aras erexi et inposui 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 adsumptaque parabola sua dixit de Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum de montibus orientis veni inquit et maledic Iacob propera et detestare Israhel

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 quomodo 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 Israhel 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 vocavi te et tu e contrario 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 Israhelis 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 inpositis supra vitulo atque ariete

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 pergam obvius

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 adsumpta parabola sua ait sta Balac et ausculta audi fili Sepphor

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 Israhel 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 eum de Aegypto cuius fortitudo similis est rinocerotis

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

23 non est augurium in Iacob nec divinatio in Israhel temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israheli 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 nonne ait dixi tibi quod quicquid 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 inposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras

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