Numeri 22

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Profectique castrametati sunt in campestribus Moab, ubi trans Jordanem Jericho sita est.	1 Then the Israelites moved on and encamped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jericho stretch of the Jordan.
2 Videns autem Balac filius Sephor omnia quæ fecerat Israël Amorrhæo,	2 Now Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel did to the Amorites.
3 et quod pertimuissent eum Moabitæ, et impetum ejus ferre non possent,	3 Indeed, Moab feared the Israelites greatly because of their numbers, and detested them.
4 dixit ad majores natu Madian : Ita delebit hic populus omnes, qui in nostris finibus commorantur, quomodo solet bos herbas usque ad radices carpere. Ipse erat eo tempore rex in Moab.	4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Soon this horde will devour all the country around us as an ox devours the grass of the field." And Balak, Zippor's son, who was king of Moab at that time,
5 Misit ergo nuntios ad Balaam filium Beor ariolum, qui habitabat super flumen terræ filiorum Ammon, ut vocarent eum, et dicerent : Ecce egressus est populus ex Ægypto, qui operuit superficiem terræ, sedens contra me.	5 sent messengers to Balaam, son of Beor, at Pethor on the Euphrates, in the land of the Amawites, summoning him with these words, "A people has come here from Egypt who now cover the face of the earth and are settling down opposite us!
6 Veni igitur, et maledic populo huic, quia fortior me est : si quomodo possim percutere et ejicere eum de terra mea. Novi enim quod benedictus sit cui benedixeris, et maledictus in quem maledicta congesseris.	6 Please come and curse this people for us; they are stronger than we are. We may then be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed."
7 Perrexeruntque seniores Moab, et majores natu Madian, habentes divinationis pretium in manibus. Cumque venissent ad Balaam, et narrassent ei omnia verba Balac,	7 Then the elders of Moab and of Midian left with the divination fee in hand and went to Balaam. When they had given him Balak's message,
8 ille respondit : Manete hic nocte, et respondebo quidquid mihi dixerit Dominus. Manentibus illis apud Balaam, venit Deus, et ait ad eum :	8 he said to them in reply, "Stay here overnight, and I will give you whatever answer the LORD gives me." So the princes of Moab lodged with Balaam.
9 Quid sibi volunt homines isti apud te ?	9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men visiting you?"
10 Respondit : Balac filius Sephor rex Moabitarum misit ad me,	10 Balaam answered God, "Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me the message:
11 dicens : Ecce populus qui egressus est de Ægypto, operuit superficiem terræ : veni, et maledic ei, si quomodo possim pugnans abigere eum.	11 'This people that came here from Egypt now cover the face of the earth. Please come and lay a curse on them for us; we may then be able to give them battle and drive them out.'"
12 Dixitque Deus ad Balaam : Noli ire cum eis, neque maledicas populo : quia benedictus est.	12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them and do not curse this people, for they are blessed."
13 Qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes : Ite in terram vestram, quia prohibuit me Dominus venire vobiscum.	13 The next morning Balaam arose and told the princes of Balak, "Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."
14 Reversi principes dixerunt ad Balac : Noluit Balaam venire nobiscum.	14 So the princes of Moab went back to Balak with the report, "Balaam refused to come with us."
15 Rursum ille multo plures et nobiliores quam ante miserat, misit.	15 Balak again sent princes, who were more numerous and more distinguished than the others.
16 Qui cum venissent ad Balaam, dixerunt : Sic dicit Balac filius Sephor : Ne cuncteris venire ad me :	16 On coming to Balaam they told him, "This is what Balak, son of Zippor, has to say: Please do not refuse to come to me.
17 paratus sum honorare te, et quidquid volueris, dabo tibi : veni, et maledic populo isti.	17 I will reward you very handsomely and will do anything you ask of me. Please come and lay a curse on this people for me."
18 Respondit Balaam : Si dederit mihi Balac plenam domum suam argenti et auri, non potero immutare verbum Domini Dei mei, ut vel plus, vel minus loquar.	18 But Balaam replied to Balak's officials, "Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD, my God.
19 Obsecro ut hic maneatis etiam hac nocte, et scire queam quid mihi rursum respondeat Dominus.	19 But, you too shall stay here overnight, till I learn what else the LORD may tell me."
20 Venit ergo Deus ad Balaam nocte, et ait ei : Si vocare te venerunt homines isti, surge, et vade cum eis : ita dumtaxat, ut quod tibi præcepero, facias.	20 That night God came to Balaam and said to him, "If these men have come to summon you, you may go with them; yet only on the condition that you do exactly as I tell you."
21 Surrexit Balaam mane, et strata asina sua profectus est cum eis.	21 So the next morning when Balaam arose, he saddled his ass, and went off with the princes of Moab.
22 Et iratus est Deus. Stetitque angelus Domini in via contra Balaam, qui insidebat asinæ, et duos pueros habebat secum.	22 But now the anger of God flared up at him for going, and the angel of the LORD stationed himself on the road to hinder him as he was riding along on his ass, accompanied by two of his servants.
23 Cernens asina angelum stantem in via, evaginato gladio, avertit se de itinere, et ibat per agrum. Quam cum verberaret Balaam, et vellet ad semitam reducere,	23 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing on the road with sword drawn, she turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam had to beat her to bring her back on the road.
24 stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum, quibus vineæ cingebantur.	24 Then the angel of the LORD took his stand in a narrow lane between vineyards with a stone wall on each side.
25 Quem videns asina, junxit se parieti, et attrivit sedentis pedem. At ille iterum verberabat eam :	25 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD there, she shrank against the wall; and since she squeezed Balaam's leg against it, he beat her again.
26 et nihilominus angelus ad locum angustum transiens, ubi nec ad dexteram, nec ad sinistram poterat deviare, obvius stetit.	26 The angel of the LORD then went ahead, and stopped next in a passage so narrow that there was no room to move either to the right or to the left.
27 Cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum, concidit sub pedibus sedentis : qui iratus, vehementius cædebat fuste latera ejus.	27 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD there, she cowered under Balaam. So, in anger, he again beat the ass with his stick.
28 Aperuitque Dominus os asinæ, et locuta est : Quid feci tibi ? cur percutis me ecce jam tertio ?	28 But now the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that you should beat me these three times?"
29 Respondit Balaam : Quia commeruisti, et illusisti mihi : utinam haberem gladium, ut te percuterem !	29 "You have acted so willfully against me," said Balaam to the ass, "that if I but had a sword at hand, I would kill you here and now."
30 Dixit asina : Nonne animal tuum sum, cui semper sedere consuevisti usque in præsentem diem ? dic quid simile umquam fecerim tibi. At ille ait : Numquam.	30 But the ass said to Balaam, "Am I not your own beast, and have you not always ridden upon me until now? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way before?" "No," replied Balaam.
31 Protinus aperuit Dominus oculos Balaam, et vidit angelum stantem in via, evaginato gladio, adoravitque eum pronus in terram.	31 Then the LORD removed the veil from Balaam's eyes, so that he too saw the angel of the LORD standing on the road with sword drawn; and he fell on his knees and bowed to the ground.
32 Cui angelus : Cur, inquit, tertio verberas asinam tuam ? ego veni ut adversarer tibi, quia perversa est via tua, mihique contraria :	32 But the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you beaten your ass these three times? It is I who have come armed to hinder you because this rash journey of yours is directly opposed to me.
33 et nisi asina declinasset de via, dans locum resistenti, te occidissem, et illa viveret.	33 When the ass saw me, she turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you; her I would have spared."
34 Dixit Balaam : Peccavi, nesciens quod tu stares contra me : et nunc si displicet tibi ut vadam, revertar.	34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. Yet I did not know that you stood against me to oppose my journey. Since it has displeased you, I will go back home."
35 Ait angelus : Vade cum istis, et cave ne aliud quam præcepero tibi loquaris. Ivit igitur cum principibus.	35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but you may say only what I tell you." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.
36 Quod cum audisset Balac, egressus est in occursum ejus in oppido Moabitarum, quod situm est in extremis finibus Arnon.	36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the boundary city Ir-Moab on the Arnon at the end of the Moabite territory.
37 Dixitque ad Balaam : Misi nuntios ut vocarent te : cur non statim venisti ad me ? an quia mercedem adventui tuo reddere nequeo ?	37 And he said to Balaam, "I sent an urgent summons to you! Why did you not come to me? Did you think I could not reward you?"
38 Cui ille respondit : Ecce adsum : numquid loqui potero aliud, nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo ?	38 Balaam answered him, "Well, I have come to you after all. But what power have I to say anything? I can speak only what God puts in my mouth."
39 Perrexerunt ergo simul, et venerunt in urbem, quæ in extremis regni ejus finibus erat.	39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
40 Cumque occidisset Balac boves et oves, misit ad Balaam, et principes qui cum eo erant, munera.	40 Here Balak slaughtered oxen and sheep, and sent portions to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
41 Mane autem facto, duxit eum ad excelsa Baal, et intuitus est extremam partem populi.	41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up on Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw some of the clans.