1 Dijo Balaam a Balaq: «Constrúyeme aquí siete altares y prepárame siete novillos y siete carneros.» | 1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.” |
2 Balaq hizo lo que le había dicho Balaam, y ofreció en holocausto un novillo y un carnero en cada altar. | 2 And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar. |
3 Dijo entonces Balaam a Balaq: «Quédate junto a tus holocaustos, mientras yo voy a ver si me sale al encuentro Yahveh. La palabra que me manifieste, te la comunicaré.» Y se fue a un monte pelado. | 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 Salió Dios al encuentro de Balaam y éste le dijo: «Siete altares he preparado y he ofrecido en holocausto un novillo y un carnero sobre cada altar.» | 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 Yahveh entonces puso una palabra en la boca de Balaam y le dijo: «Vuelve donde Balaq y esto le dirás.» | 5 Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.” |
6 Volvió donde él y estaba aún de pie junto a su holocausto, con todos los príncipes de Moab. | 6 Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites. |
7 El entonó su trova y dijo: «De Aram me hace venir Balaq, el rey de Moab desde los montes de Quédem: “Ven, maldíceme a Jacob; ven, execra a Israel.” | 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 ¿Cómo maldeciré, si no maldice Dios? ¿Cómo execraré, si no execra Yahveh? | 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 De la cumbre de las peñas lo diviso, de lo alto de las colinas lo contemplo: es un pueblo que vive aparte; no es contado entre las naciones. | 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 ¿Quién contará el polvo de Jacob, quién numerará la polvareda de Israel? Muera mi alma con la muerte de los justos, Sea mi paradero como el suyo.» | 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 Dijo Balaq a Balaam: «¿Qué me has hecho? ¡Para maldecir a mis enemigos te he traído y los has colmado de bendiciones!» | 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 Le respondió diciendo: «¿No tengo yo que esmerarme en hablar todo lo que Yahveh me pone en la boca?» | 12 He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?” |
13 Le respondió Balaq: «Ven, pues, a otro sitio conmigo porque lo que ves desde aquí no es más que un extremo, no lo ves entero. Maldícemelo desde allí.» | 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 Y le llevó al Campo de los Centinelas, hacia la cumbre del Pisgá. Construyó siete altares y ofreció en holocausto un novillo y un carnero en cada altar. | 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 dijo a Balaq: «Quédate aquí junto a tus holocaustos, mientras yo salgo al encuentro.» | 15 he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.” |
16 Salió Yahveh al encuentro de Balaam, puso una palabra en su boca y le dijo: «Vuelve donde Balaq y esto le dirás.» | 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 Volvió donde él y lo encontró aún de pie junto a sus holocaustos, con los príncipes de Moab. Le dijo Balaq: «¿Qué ha dicho Yahveh?» | 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 El entonó su trova diciendo: «Levántate, Balaq, y escucha, prestame oídos, hijo de Sippor. | 18 But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you son of Zippor. |
19 No es Dios un hombre, para mentir, ni hijo de hombre, para volverse atrás. ¿Es que él dice y no hace, habla y no lo mantiene? | 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 He aquí que me ha tocado bendecir; bendeciré y no me retractaré. | 20 I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing. |
21 No he divisado maldad en Jacob, ni he descubierto infortunio en Israel. Yahveh su Dios está con él, y en él se oye proclamar a un rey. | 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 Dios le hace salir de Egipto, como cuernos de búfalo es para él. | 22 God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros. |
23 No hay presagio contra Jacob, ni sortilegio contra Israel. Según se le está diciendo a Jacob y a Israel: «¿Qué hace tu Dios?», | 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 he aquí que un pueblo se levanta como leona, se yergue como león: no se acostará hasta devorar la presa y beber la sangre de sus víctimas.» | 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 Balaq dijo a Balaam: «Ya que no le maldices, por lo menos no le bendigas.» | 25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.” |
26 Respondió Balaam y dijo a Balaq: «¿No te he dicho que hago todo lo que me dice Yahveh?» | 26 And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would do?” |
27 Dijo Balaq a Balaam: «Ven, por favor, que te lleve a otro sitio, a ver si le place a Dios que me lo maldigas desde allí.» | 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 Llevó Balaq a Balaam a la cumbre del Peor, que domina la parte del desierto. | 28 And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness, |
29 Dijo Balaam a Balaq: «Constrúyeme aquí siete altares y prepárame aquí siete novillos y siete carneros.» | 29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.” |
30 Balaq hizo lo que le había dicho Balaam, y ofreció en holocausto un novillo y un carnero en cada altar. | 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram. |