Números 23
1 Y Balaam dijo a Balac: Edifícame aquí siete altares, y aparéjame aquí siete becerros, y siete carneros.
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Y Balac hizo como le dijo Balaam, y ofrecieron Balac y Balaam un becerro y un carnero en cada altar.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Y Balaam dijo a Balac: Pónte junto a tu holocausto, y yo iré, quizá Jehová me vendrá al encuentro, y cualquiera cosa que me mostrare yo te la denunciaré. Y así se fue solo.
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 Y encontróse Dios con Balaam, y él le dijo: Siete altares he ordenado, y en cada altar he ofrecido un becerro, y un carnero.
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 Y Jehová puso palabra en la boca de Balaam, y díjole: Vuelve a Balac, y hablar le has así.
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Y volvió a él, y, he aquí, él 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 Y él tomó su parábola, y dijo: De Aram me trajo Balac rey de Moab, de los montes del oriente, diciendo: Ven, maldíceme a Jacob; y, ven, detesta 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 ¿Por qué maldeciré yo al que Dios no maldijo? ¿Y por qué detestaré yo al que Jehová no detestó?
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 de la cumbre de las peñas le veré, y desde los collados le miraré: he aquí un pueblo que habitará confiado, y no será contado entre las gentes.
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 contará el polvo de Jacob, o el número del cuarto de Israel? Muera mi alma de la muerte de los rectos, y mi postrimería sea como él.
(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 Entonces Balac dijo a Balaam: ¿Qué me has hecho? yo te he tomado para que maldigas a mis enemigos, y, he aquí, tú has bendecido bendiciendo.
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 Y él respondió, y dijo: ¿No guardaré yo lo que Jehová pusiere en mi boca para decirlo?
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Y díjole Balac: Ruégote que vengas conmigo a otro lugar desde el cual lo veas: su cabo solamente verás que no lo verás todo, y desde allí me lo maldecirás.
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 Y tomóle y llevóle al campo de Sofim a la cumbre de Fasga, y edificó siete altares, y ofreció un becerro 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 Entonces él dijo a Balac: Pónte aquí junto a tu holocausto, y yo iré a encontrar a Dios allí.
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Y Jehová se encontró con Balaam, y puso palabra en su boca, y díjole: Vuelve a Balac, y decir le has así.
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 Y vino a él, y he aquí, que él estaba junto a su holocausto, y con él los príncipes de Moab: y díjole Balac: ¿Qué ha dicho Jehová?
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 Entonces él tomó su parábola, y dijo: Balac levántate, y oye: escucha mis palabras, hijo de Sefor:
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Dios no es hombre para que mienta; ni hijo de hombre para que se arrepienta: ¿El dijo, y no hará? ¿Habló, y no lo ejecutará?
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, yo he tomado bendición; y él bendijo, y no la revocaré.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 No ha mirado iniquidad en Jacob, ni ha visto rebelión en Israel, Jehová su Dios es con él, y jubilación de rey en él.
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 ha sacado de Egipto, tiene fuerzas como el unicornio.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Porque en Jacob no hay agüero, ni adivinación en Israel: como ahora será dicho de Jacob y de Israel lo que 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 el pueblo, que como león se levantará, y como león, se ensalzará; no se echará, hasta que coma la presa, y beba sangre de 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 Entonces Balac dijo a Balaam: Si maldiciendo no lo maldices, no lo bendigas tampoco bendiciendo.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Y Balaam respondió, y dijo a Balac: ¿No te he dicho, que todo lo que Jehová me dijere, aquello tengo de hacer?
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Y dijo Balac a Balaam: Ruégote que vengas, llevarte he a otro lugar; por ventura parecerá bien a Dios que desde allí me lo maldigas.
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 Y Balac tomó a Balaam y trájole a la cumbre de Fogor, que mira hacia Jesimón.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Entonces Balaam dijo a Balac: Edifícame aquí siete altares, y aparéjame 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 Y Balac hizo como Balaam le dijo; 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.
