Numeri 23

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac : Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.	1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
2 Cumque fecisset juxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.	2 And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar.
3 Dixitque Balaam ad Balac : Sta paulisper juxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.	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 Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam : Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.	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 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore ejus, et ait : Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris.	5 Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.”
6 Reversus invenit stantem Balac juxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum :	6 Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites.
7 assumptaque parabola sua, dixit : De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus orientis : Veni, inquit, et maledic Jacob ; propera, et detestare 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 Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus ? qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur ?	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 summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.	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 Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Jacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israël ? Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.	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 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam : Quid est hoc quod agis ? ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis.	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 Cui ille respondit : Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod jusserit Dominus ?	12 He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?”
13 Dixit ergo Balac : Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israël videas, et totum videre non possis : inde maledicito ei.	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 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete,	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 dixit ad Balac : Sta hic juxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.	15 he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.”
16 Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore ejus, ait : Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris ei.	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 Reversus invenit eum stantem juxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac : Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus ?	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 At ille, assumpta parabola sua, ait : Sta, Balac, et ausculta ; audi, fili Sephor :	18 But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you son of Zippor.
19 non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur, nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet ? locutus est, et non implebit ?	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 Ad benedicendum adductus sum : benedictionem prohibere non valeo.	20 I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing.
21 Non est idolum in Jacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israël. Dominus Deus ejus cum eo est, et clangor victoriæ regis in illo.	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 Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.	22 God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros.
23 Non est augurium in Jacob, nec divinatio in Israël : temporibus suis dicetur Jacob et Israëli quid operatus sit Deus.	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 Ecce populus ut leæna consurget, et quasi leo erigetur : non accubabit donec devoret prædam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.	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 Dixitque Balac ad Balaam : Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.	25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.”
26 Et ille ait : Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem ?	26 And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would do?”
27 Et ait Balac ad eum : Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum : si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.	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 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,	28 And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness,
29 dixit ei Balaam : Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.	29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
30 Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat : imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.	30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram.