1 Balaam dit à Balak: “Élève ici sept autels et prépare-moi sept jeunes taureaux et sept béliers.!” | 1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.” |
2 Balak fit ce que Balaam lui avait dit, et Balak et Balaam sacrifièrent un jeune taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel. | 2 And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar. |
3 Balaam dit à Balak: “Reste là près de ton holocauste et moi je vais faire un tour. Peut-être Yahvé viendra-t-il à ma rencontre et je te révélerai alors ce qu’il m’aura fait connaître.” Et Balaam s’en fut sur une crête. | 3 And Balaam said to Balak: “Stand for a little while next to your holocaust, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet with me. And whatever he will command, I shall speak to you.” |
4 Dieu se présenta à Balaam qui lui dit: “J’ai préparé sept autels, et sur chaque autel, j’ai fait monter un jeune taureau et un bélier!” | 4 And after he had quickly departed, God met with him. And Balaam, speaking to him, said: “I have set up seven altars, and I have placed a calf and a ram on each.” |
5 Alors Yahvé mit une parole dans la bouche de Balaam et lui dit: “Retourne vers Balak et tu lui transmettras cette parole.” | 5 Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.” |
6 Il revint donc vers Balak qui se tenait toujours près de son holocauste avec tous les chefs de Moab. | 6 Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites. |
7 Et Balaam proclama son poème: “D’Aram, Balak me fait venir, des monts de l’Orient le roi de Moab m’appelle: ‘Viens, et maudis-moi Jacob! viens et menace Israël!’ | 7 And taking up his parable, he said: “Balak, king of the Moabites, has led me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘and curse Jacob. Hurry and condemn Israel.’ |
8 Comment maudire si Dieu ne maudit pas, ou menacer, si Yahvé ne menace pas? | 8 How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn? |
9 Je le vois du haut des rochers et du haut des collines je le contemple: ce peuple demeure à part, on ne peut le compter parmi les nations! | 9 I will look upon him from the tops of the stones, and I will consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and they shall not be counted among the nations. |
10 Qui pourra calculer la poussière de Jacob, dénombrer seulement le quart d’Israël? Que je meure de la mort des justes et que ma fin soit semblable à la leur!” | 10 Who can number the dust that is Jacob, and who can know the number of the stock of Israel? May my soul die a just death, and may my end be like theirs.” |
11 Balak dit à Balaam: “Quel coup m’as-tu fait? Je te prends pour maudire mes ennemis et tu les bénis!” | 11 And Balak said to Balaam: “What is this that you are doing? I called for you, in order to curse my enemies, and to the contrary, you bless them.” |
12 Il répondit: “Ne dois-je pas te dire ce que Yahvé a mis dans ma bouche?” | 12 He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?” |
13 Alors Balak lui dit: “Viens donc avec moi à un autre endroit. De là tu verras le peuple, mais pas encore tout entier, et tu me le maudiras.” | 13 Therefore, Balak said: “Come with me to another place, from where you may see a portion of Israel, though you cannot see them all. Curse them from there.” |
14 Il le conduisit donc au Champ-des-Guetteurs, au sommet du Pisga. Il bâtit là sept autels et fit monter un jeune taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel. | 14 And when he had led him to a lofty place, on the top of mount Pisgah, Balaam built seven altars, and placing upon each a calf and a ram, |
15 Balaam dit alors à Balak: “Reste ici près de ton holocauste, et moi, je m’avancerai un peu plus loin.” | 15 he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.” |
16 Yahvé se présenta à Balaam et mit une parole dans sa bouche, puis il lui dit: “Retourne vers Balak et tu lui transmettras cette parole.” | 16 And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said, “Return to Balak, and you shall say this to him.” |
17 Balaam revint donc vers lui, tandis qu’il était toujours debout près de son holocauste avec les chefs de Moab. Balak demanda à Balaam: “Qu’a dit Yahvé?” | 17 Returning, he found him standing next to his holocaust, and the leaders of the Moabites were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” |
18 Et Balaam proclama son poème: “Lève-toi Balak, écoute! Prête-moi l’oreille, fils de Sipor! | 18 But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you son of Zippor. |
19 Dieu n’est pas un homme pour mentir, il n’est pas un fils d’homme pour revenir en arrière. Dit-il quelque chose sans le faire? Ou parle-t-il sans agir? | 19 God is not like a man, so that he would lie, nor is he like a son of man, so that he would be changed. Therefore, having spoken, will he not act? Has he ever spoken, and not fulfilled? |
20 Regarde! Il m’a pris pour bénir, s’il bénit, comment dire autrement? | 20 I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing. |
21 Il n’a pas vu de faute en Jacob, il n’a pas perçu de mal en Israël. Yahvé son Dieu est avec lui, chez lui on entend acclamer un roi. | 21 There is no idol in Jacob; neither is there a false image to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the resound of royal victory is in him. |
22 Dieu le fait sortir d’Égypte, et lui donne les cornes du buffle! | 22 God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros. |
23 Point n’est besoin de magie en Jacob, ni de sorcellerie en Israël: car en temps voulu sera prédit à Jacob, à Israël, ce que Dieu prépare. | 23 There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor any divination in Israel. In their times, it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought. |
24 Ce peuple se lève comme une lionne, se dresse comme un lion. Il ne revient pas sans avoir dévoré sa proie, sans avoir bu le sang de ses victimes.” | 24 Behold, the people will rise up like a lioness, and lie down like a lion. But they will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.” |
25 Balak dit à Balaam: “Si tu ne le maudis pas, du moins ne le bénis pas!” | 25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.” |
26 Mais Balaam répondit à Balak: “Je te l’ai bien dit: ce que Yahvé dira, je le ferai.” | 26 And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would do?” |
27 Balak dit à Balaam: “Viens, je t’emmène autre part, et là peut-être ton Dieu trouvera-t-il bon de me le maudire!” | 27 And Balak said to him: “Come and I will lead you to another place. If perhaps it may please God, then you may curse them from there.” |
28 Alors Balak conduisit Balaam au sommet du Péor, face au désert. | 28 And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness, |
29 Balaam dit à Balak: “Construis sept autels à cet endroit, et prépare sept jeunes taureaux et sept béliers.” | 29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.” |
30 Balak fit comme Balaam le lui avait dit et sacrifia un jeune taureau et un bélier sur chaque autel. | 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram. |