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Numbers 23

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1 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ τῷ Βαλακ οἰκοδόμησόν μοι ἐνταῦθα ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἑτοίμασόν μοι ἐνταῦθα ἑπτὰ μόσχους καὶ ἑπτὰ κριούς 2 καὶ ἐποίησεν Βαλακ ὃν τρόπον εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλααμ καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν 3 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου καὶ πορεύσομαι εἴ μοι φανεῖται ὁ θεὸς ἐν συναντήσει καὶ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐάν μοι δείξῃ ἀναγγελῶ σοι καὶ παρέστη Βαλακ ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ καὶ Βαλααμ ἐπορεύθη ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐπορεύθη εὐθεῖαν 4 καὶ ἐφάνη ὁ θεὸς τῷ Βαλααμ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Βαλααμ τοὺς ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς ἡτοίμασα καὶ ἀνεβίβασα μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν 5 καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ὁ θεὸς ῥῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα Βαλααμ καὶ εἶπεν ἐπιστραφεὶς πρὸς Βαλακ οὕτως λαλήσεις 6 καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωαβ με{T'} αὐτοῦ

1 And first, Balaam would have Balac raise seven altars there, and provide him with as many bullocks and as many rams. 2 When his bidding was done, they offered a bullock and a ram on each altar. 3 Wait here by the sacrifice, he told Balac; I will go and meet the Lord, if he will, and tell thee what message he has charged me with.[1] 4 No sooner had he withdrawn than the Lord came to meet him, and Balaam told him how he had raised seven altars, offering a bullock and a ram on each. 5 With that, the Lord put a message on his lips, bidding him return to Balac and deliver it; 6 so he returned, to find Balac standing beside the burnt-sacrifice he had made, with the Moabite chiefs about him.

1 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes. 2 Cumque fecisset juxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram. 3 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper juxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi. 4 Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper. 5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore ejus, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris. 6 Reversus invenit stantem Balac juxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:

7 καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐ{P'} αὐτῷ καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ἐκ Μεσοποταμίας μετεπέμψατό με Βαλακ βασιλεὺς Μωαβ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀ{P'} ἀνατολῶν λέγων δεῦρο ἄρασαί μοι τὸν Ιακωβ καὶ δεῦρο ἐπικατάρασαί μοι τὸν Ισραηλ 8 τί ἀράσωμαι ὃν μὴ καταρᾶται κύριος ἢ τί καταράσωμαι ὃν μὴ καταρᾶται ὁ θεός 9 ὅτι ἀπὸ κορυφῆς ὀρέων ὄψομαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπὸ βουνῶν προσνοήσω αὐτόν ἰδοὺ λαὸς μόνος κατοικήσει καὶ ἐν ἔθνεσιν οὐ συλλογισθήσεται 10 τίς ἐξηκριβάσατο τὸ σπέρμα Ιακωβ καὶ τίς ἐξαριθμήσεται δήμους Ισραηλ ἀποθάνοι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων καὶ γένοιτο τὸ σπέρμα μου ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων

7 Then Balaam prophesied: I have come from Aram, from the hills out in the east; it was Balac summoned me, the king of the Moabites. He bade me come and curse Jacob, come with all speed, and lay my ban on Israel. 8 Curse them, I, when God’s curse does not light on them? I lay a ban, where ban from the Lord is none? 9 I will climb the high rocks to see them, the hills shall enlarge my view; here is a people destined to dwell apart, not counted among the muster-roll of the nations. 10 Sons of Israel, countless as the dust, line of Jacob, past all numbering, may death find me faithful as these, be my end like theirs!

7 assumptaque parabola sua, dixit:

De Aram adduxit me Balac
rex Moabitarum, de montibus orientis:
Veni, inquit, et maledic Jacob;
propera, et detestare Israël. 8
Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus?
qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur? 9
De summis silicibus videbo eum,
et de collibus considerabo illum.
Populus solus habitabit,
et inter gentes non reputabitur. 10
Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Jacob,
et nosse numerum stirpis Israël?
Moriatur anima mea morte justorum,
et fiant novissima mea horum similia.

11 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ τί πεποίηκάς μοι εἰς κατάρασιν ἐχθρῶν μου κέκληκά σε καὶ ἰδοὺ εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν 12 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ οὐχὶ ὅσα ἐὰν ἐμβάλῃ ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸ στόμα μου τοῦτο φυλάξω λαλῆσαι 13 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Βαλακ δεῦρο ἔτι με{T'} ἐμοῦ εἰς τόπον ἄλλον ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ὄψῃ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν ἀλ{L'} ἢ μέρος τι αὐτοῦ ὄψῃ πάντας δὲ οὐ μὴ ἴδῃς καὶ κατάρασαί μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν 14 καὶ παρέλαβεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἀγροῦ σκοπιὰν ἐπὶ κορυφὴν λελαξευμένου καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἀνεβίβασεν μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν 15 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου ἐγὼ δὲ πορεύσομαι ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν θεόν 16 καὶ συνήντησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Βαλααμ καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ῥῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἀποστράφητι πρὸς Βαλακ καὶ τάδε λαλήσεις 17 καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωαβ με{T'} αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλακ τί ἐλάλησεν κύριος

11 And Balac asked Balaam, What trick is this thou hast played on me? I sent for thee to curse my enemies; wilt thou bless them instead? 12 But he answered, What words should I use, save what the Lord bids me utter? 13 Nay, said Balac, come with me to another spot, from which thou wilt only be able to see a part of Israel, not the whole people; from this thou shalt lay a curse on them. 14 So he took him to the high ground at the top of mount Phasga; and there, when Balaam had raised seven altars with an offering of bullocks and rams, 15 he would have Balac wait by the burnt-sacrifice, while he kept his tryst. 16 The Lord met him and put a message on his lips to give Balac. 17 And Balac, waiting there with the chiefs of Moab by the burnt-sacrifice, asked him what the Lord’s word was.

11 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis. 12 Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod jusserit Dominus? 13 Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israël videas, et totum videre non possis: inde maledicito ei. 14 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete, 15 dixit ad Balac: Sta hic juxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam. 16 Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore ejus, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris ei. 17 Reversus invenit eum stantem juxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?

18 καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ἀνάστηθι Βαλακ καὶ ἄκουε ἐνώτισαι μάρτυς υἱὸς Σεπφωρ 19 οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεὸς διαρτηθῆναι οὐδὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀπειληθῆναι αὐτὸς εἴπας οὐχὶ ποιήσει λαλήσει καὶ οὐχὶ ἐμμενεῖ 20 ἰδοὺ εὐλογεῖν παρείλημμαι εὐλογήσω καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστρέψω 21 οὐκ ἔσται μόχθος ἐν Ιακωβ οὐδὲ ὀφθήσεται πόνος ἐν Ισραηλ κύριος ὁ θεὸς αὐτοῦ με{T'} αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔνδοξα ἀρχόντων ἐν αὐτῷ 22 θεὸς ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ὡς δόξα μονοκέρωτος αὐτῷ 23 οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οἰωνισμὸς ἐν Ιακωβ οὐδὲ μαντεία ἐν Ισραηλ κατὰ καιρὸν ῥηθήσεται Ιακωβ καὶ τῷ Ισραηλ τί ἐπιτελέσει ὁ θεός 24 ἰδοὺ λαὸς ὡς σκύμνος ἀναστήσεται καὶ ὡς λέων γαυριωθήσεται οὐ κοιμηθήσεται ἕως φάγῃ θήραν καὶ αἷμα τραυματιῶν πίεται

18 And again he prophesied: Stand there, Balac, and listen; a message for thee, son of Sephor! 19 It is not for God to gainsay himself, as men do, to alter, like the things of earth; must he not make good his word, fulfil his promise? 20 My errand is to bless, and I cannot retract the blessing. 21 It is no false God that Jacob worships, no senseless image that has its shrine in Israel; the Lord dwells with them as their God; his royal trumpets sound for victory. 22 This is the God that brought them out of Egypt, and made them like a wild ox for strength. 23 Jacob needs no soothsayer, Israel no divination; time will reveal the marvellous things God does for them; 24 a people that is like a lioness roused, a lion ready to spring, never resting till it has devoured its prey, drunk the blood of slaughtered men.

18 At ille, assumpta parabola sua, ait:

Sta, Balac, et ausculta; audi, fili Sephor: 19
non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur,
nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur.
Dixit ergo, et non faciet?
locutus est, et non implebit? 20
Ad benedicendum adductus sum:
benedictionem prohibere non valeo. 21
Non est idolum in Jacob,
nec videtur simulacrum in Israël.
Dominus Deus ejus cum eo est,
et clangor victoriæ regis in illo. 22
Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto,
cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis. 23
Non est augurium in Jacob,
nec divinatio in Israël:
temporibus suis dicetur Jacob et Israëli quid operatus sit Deus. 24
Ecce populus ut leæna consurget,
et quasi leo erigetur:
non accubabit donec devoret prædam,
et occisorum sanguinem bibat.

25 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ οὔτε κατάραις καταράσῃ μοι αὐτὸν οὔτε εὐλογῶν μὴ εὐλογήσῃς αὐτόν 26 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς Βαλααμ εἶπεν τῷ Βαλακ οὐκ ἐλάλησά σοι λέγων τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐὰν λαλήσῃ ὁ θεός τοῦτο ποιήσω 27 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ δεῦρο παραλάβω σε εἰς τόπον ἄλλον εἰ ἀρέσει τῷ θεῷ καὶ καταρᾶσαί μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν 28 καὶ παρέλαβεν Βαλακ τὸν Βαλααμ ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τοῦ Φογωρ τὸ παρατεῖνον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον 29 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ οἰκοδόμησόν μοι ὧδε ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἑτοίμασόν μοι ὧδε ἑπτὰ μόσχους καὶ ἑπτὰ κριούς 30 καὶ ἐποίησεν Βαλακ καθάπερ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλααμ καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν

25 And now Balac would have no more, either of curse or of blessing; 26 but Balaam said, Did I not warn thee that I must needs carry out God’s bidding? 27 Come, said Balac, let me find thee another vantage-point; from this perhaps, God will allow thee to curse them. 28 And he took him up to the top of mount Phogor, looking out towards the desert. 29 Here too Balaam must have seven altars, seven bullocks, and seven rams; 30 and Balac did as he was bidden, offering a bullock and a ram on every altar.

25 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas. 26 Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem? 27 Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis. 28 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem, 29 dixit ei Balaam: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes. 30 Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.

[1] It is not certain what is meant, here and in verse 16, by God meeting the prophet; it should perhaps be inferred from 24.1 that some form of divination by signs is intended.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd