Números 23
1 Balaam dijo a Balac: “Construye aquí siete altares para mí, y prepara aquí siete becerros y siete carneros para mí”.
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Balac hizo lo que Balaam había dicho; y Balac y Balaam ofrecieron en cada altar un becerro y un carnero.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Balaam le dijo a Balac: “Quédate junto a tu holocausto, y yo me iré. Tal vez el Señor venga a mi encuentro. Lo que él me muestre te lo diré”. Se dirigió a una altura despojada.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,
4 Dios salió al encuentro de Balaam y le dijo: “He preparado los siete altares y he ofrecido un becerro y un carnero en cada altar.”
and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”
5 Yahvé puso una palabra en la boca de Balaam y le dijo: “Vuelve a Balac y así hablarás”.
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Volvió a él, y he aquí que estaba junto a su holocausto, él y todos los príncipes de Moab.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
7 Tomó su parábola y dijo, “De Aram me ha traído Balak, el rey de Moab desde las montañas del Este. Ven, maldice a Jacob por mí. Ven, desafía a Israel.
This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’
8 ¿Cómo voy a maldecir a quien Dios no ha maldecido? ¿Cómo voy a desafiar a quien Yahvé no ha desafiado?
But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]
9 Porque desde lo alto de las rocas lo veo. Desde las colinas lo veo. He aquí que es un pueblo que habita solo, y no será catalogado entre las naciones.
I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.
10 Quién puede contar el polvo de Jacob, o contar la cuarta parte de Israel? ¡Dejadme morir como los justos! ¡Que mi último final sea como el suyo!”
(Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”
11 Balac dijo a Balaam: “¿Qué me has hecho? Te tomé para maldecir a mis enemigos, y he aquí que los has bendecido por completo”.
Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”
12 Respondió y dijo: “¿No debo tener cuidado de decir lo que Yahvé pone en mi boca?”
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Balac le dijo: “Por favor, ven conmigo a otro lugar, donde puedas verlos. Sólo verás una parte de ellos, y no los verás todos. Maldícelos desde allí por mí”.
Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”
14 Lo llevó al campo de Zofim, a la cima del Pisga, y construyó siete altares, y ofreció un toro y un carnero en cada altar.
So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
15 Le dijo a Balac: “Quédate aquí con tu holocausto, mientras yo me encuentro con Dios allá”.
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Yahvé salió al encuentro de Balaam y puso una palabra en su boca, diciendo: “Vuelve a Balac y dile esto”.
So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”
17 Se acercó a él, y he aquí que estaba de pie junto a su holocausto, y los príncipes de Moab con él. Balac le dijo: “¿Qué ha dicho Yahvé?”
So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”
18 Retomó su parábola y dijo, “¡Levántate, Balak, y escucha! Escúchame, hijo de Zippor.
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Dios no es un hombre, para que mienta, ni hijo de hombre, que se arrepienta. ¿Ha dicho, y no lo hará? ¿O ha hablado y no lo hará bien?
God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.
20 He aquí que he recibido la orden de bendecir. Ha bendecido, y no puedo revertirlo.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 No ha visto iniquidad en Jacob. Tampoco ha visto perversidad en Israel. Yahvé, su Dios, está con él. El grito de un rey está entre ellos.
Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].
22 Dios los saca de Egipto. Tiene como la fuerza del búfalo salvaje.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Seguramente no hay ningún encantamiento con Jacob; tampoco hay adivinación con Israel. Ahora se dirá de Jacob y de Israel, “¡Qué ha hecho Dios!
When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’
24 He aquí que un pueblo se levanta como una leona. Como un león se levanta. No se echará hasta que coma de la presa, y beba la sangre de los muertos”.
They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”
25 Balac dijo a Balaam: “Ni los maldigas, ni los bendigas”.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Pero Balaam respondió a Balac: “¿No te dije que todo lo que diga Yahvé lo tengo que hacer?”
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Balac dijo a Balaam: “Ven ahora, te llevaré a otro lugar; tal vez le plazca a Dios que los maldigas por mí desde allí”.
Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”
28 Balac llevó a Balaam a la cima de Peor, que da al desierto.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Balaam le dijo a Balac: “Construye aquí siete altares para mí, y prepara aquí siete becerros y siete carneros”.
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Balac hizo lo que había dicho Balaam, y ofreció un becerro y un carnero en cada altar.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
