民数记 23
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
巴勒和巴蘭獻祭
23 巴蘭對巴勒說:“你要在這裡給我築七座祭壇,給我預備七頭公牛,七隻公綿羊。” 2 巴勒照著巴蘭吩咐的行了;巴勒和巴蘭在每座祭壇上獻一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。 3 巴蘭對巴勒說:“你要站在你的燔祭旁邊,我要往前去,或者耶和華會來迎見我;他指示我甚麼,我必告訴你。”於是巴蘭上了一塊高地。 4 神迎見巴蘭;巴蘭對 神說:“我已經預備了七座祭壇,在各座祭壇上獻了一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。” 5 耶和華把話傳給巴蘭,又說:“你要回到巴勒那裡去,要這樣這樣說。” 6 他就回到巴勒那裡,見他和摩押所有的領袖都站在燔祭旁邊。
巴蘭第一次預言
7 巴蘭就作歌,說:
“巴勒把我從亞蘭領出來,
摩押王引我出東山,說:
‘來吧,為我咒罵雅各,
來啊,咒罵以色列。’
8 神沒有咒詛的,我怎能咒詛呢?
耶和華沒有咒罵的,我怎能咒罵呢?
9 我從高峰觀看他們,
從山上眺望他們;
這是獨居的民族,
不列在萬國之中。
10 誰能數算雅各的灰塵?
誰能計算以色列的四分之一呢?
願我的死像正直人的死,
願我之終如正直人之終。”
11 巴勒對巴蘭說:“你向我作的是甚麼事呢?我領你來咒詛我的仇敵,你反倒給他們祝福。” 12 巴蘭回答,說:“耶和華傳給我的話,我怎能不謹慎說呢?”
13 巴勒對巴蘭說:“請你與我到另一個地方去,從那裡你可以看見他們;不過你不能看見他們全部,只能看見他們邊界的一部分;在那裡你要為我咒詛他們。” 14 於是巴勒帶巴蘭到了瑣腓田,上了毘斯迦山頂,築了七座祭壇,在每座祭壇上獻了一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。 15 巴蘭對巴勒說:“你要在這裡站在你的燔祭旁邊,等我到那邊去迎見耶和華。” 16 耶和華見了巴蘭,把話傳給他,說:“你回到巴勒那裡去,要這樣這樣說。” 17 巴蘭回到巴勒那裡,見他站在自己的燔祭旁邊,摩押的領袖也與他在那裡。巴勒問巴蘭:“耶和華說了甚麼話呢?”
巴蘭第二次預言
18 巴蘭作歌,說:
“巴勒啊,要起來聽;
西撥的兒子啊,側耳聽我。
19 神不是人,必不致說謊,
也不是人子,必不致後悔。
他說話,怎能不作?
他發言,怎能不作成?
20 我奉命來祝福;
神要賜福,我不能改變。
21 在雅各中不見罪孽,
在以色列中也不見患難;
耶和華他們的 神與他們同在,
有君王歡呼的聲音在他們中間。
22 領他們出埃及的 神,
對他們有如野牛的角。
23 在雅各中沒有觀兆的,
在以色列中也沒有占卜;
到了適當的時候,必有話對雅各和以色列說:
‘ 神為他們行了何等的大事!’
24 這民族起來有如母獅,
挺身好像公獅;
不吃下獵物,不喝被殺的人的血,
決不臥下。”
25 巴勒對巴蘭說:“你一點不要咒詛他們,也不要祝福他們。” 26 巴蘭回答巴勒說:“我不是告訴過你說:‘耶和華吩咐我的,我都必要遵行’嗎?”
27 巴勒對巴蘭說:“你來,我領你到另一個地方去,或者 神喜歡你,你就可以在那裡為我咒詛他們。” 28 於是,巴勒領巴蘭到了俯視曠野的毘珥山頂去。 29 巴蘭對巴勒說:“你要在這裡給我築七座祭壇,也要為我預備七頭公牛和七隻公綿羊。” 30 巴勒就照著巴蘭所說的行了,在每座祭壇上,獻上一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。
Numbers 23
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Balaam’s Oracles
23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2 So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord[a] will meet with me. I will tell you whatever He reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill.
4 God[b] met with him and Balaam said to Him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5 Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.
Balaam’s First Oracle
7 Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak brought me from Aram;(A)
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:
“Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel!”(B)
8 How can I curse someone God has not cursed?
How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
9 I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,
and I watch them from the hills.
There is a people living alone;(C)
it does not consider itself among the nations.
10 Who has counted the dust of Jacob
or numbered the dust clouds[c] of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright;
let the end of my life be like theirs.
11 “What have you done to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!”
12 He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(D)
Balaam’s Second Oracle
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.” 14 So Balak took him to Lookout Field[d] on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak, get up and listen;
son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
19 God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?(E)
20 I have indeed received a command to bless;
since He has blessed,[e] I cannot change it.
21 He considers no disaster for Jacob;
He sees no trouble for Israel.[f]
The Lord their God is with them,(F)
and there is rejoicing over the King among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.[g](G)
23 There is no magic curse against Jacob
and no divination against Israel.
It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,
“What great things God has done!”
24 A people rise up like a lioness;
They rouse themselves like a lion.(H)
They will not lie down until they devour the prey
and drink the blood of the slain.
25 Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”
26 But Balaam answered him, “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the Lord says, I must do?”(I)
Balaam’s Third Oracle
27 Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.[h](J)
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”(K) 30 So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:3 DSS, LXX, Sam read Maybe God
- Numbers 23:4 DSS, Sam read The Angel of God
- Numbers 23:10 Or numbered a fourth
- Numbers 23:14 Or to the field of Zophim
- Numbers 23:20 Sam, LXX read since I will bless
- Numbers 23:21 Or not observe sin in Jacob; not see wrongdoing
- Numbers 23:22 Or Egypt; they have the horns of a wild ox
- Numbers 23:28 Or overlooks Jeshimon
Numbers 23
1599 Geneva Bible
23 1 Balaam causeth seven altars to be built. 5 God teacheth him what to answer. 8 Instead of cursing he blesseth Israel. 19 God is not like man.
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks, and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam said, and [a]Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 Then Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go, if so be that the Lord will come and meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me, I will tell thee: so he [b]went forth alone.
4 And God [c]met Balaam, and Balaam said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the Lord [d]put an answer in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say on this wise.
6 So when he turned unto him, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 Then he uttered his [e]parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from [f]Aram out of the mountains of the East, saying, Come, curse Jacob for my sake: come, and [g]detest Israel.
8 How shall I curse, where God hath not cursed? or how shall I detest, where the Lord hath not detested?
9 For from the top of the rocks I did see him, and from the hills I did behold him: lo, the people shall dwell by themselves, and shall not be reckoned among the [h]nations.
10 Who can tell the [i]dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me [j]die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.
11 Then Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered, and said, Must I not take heed to speak that, which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou mayest see them, and thou shalt see but the utmost part of them and shalt not see them all: therefore curse them out of that place for my sake.
14 ¶ And he brought him into [k]Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 After, he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, and I will meet the Lord yonder.
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and (A)put an answer in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him: so Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord said?
18 And he uttered his parable, and said, Rise up Balak, and hear: hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor.
19 [l]God is not as man, that he should lie, neither as the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: for he hath blessed, and I cannot alter it.
21 He seeth none iniquity in Jacob, nor seeth no transgression in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the [m]joyful shout of a King is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt: their strength is as an unicorn.
23 For there is no sorcery in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel, [n]according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?
24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down, till he eat of the prey, and till he drink the blood of the slain.
25 Then Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse, nor bless them at all.
26 But Balaam answered, and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that must I do?
27 ¶ Again Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another [o]place, if so be it will please God, that thou mayest thence curse them for my sake.
28 So Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29 Then Balaam said unto Balak, Make me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks, and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:2 For among the Gentiles the kings oft times used to sacrifice, as did the Priests.
- Numbers 23:3 Or, went up higher.
- Numbers 23:4 Appeared unto him.
- Numbers 23:5 Taught him what to say.
- Numbers 23:7 Or, prophecy.
- Numbers 23:7 Or, Syria.
- Numbers 23:7 Cause that all may hate and detest them.
- Numbers 23:9 But shall have religion and laws apart.
- Numbers 23:10 The infinite multitude, as the dust of the earth.
- Numbers 23:10 The fear of God’s judgment caused him to wish to be joined to the household of Abraham: thus the wicked have their consciences wounded when they consider God’s judgments.
- Numbers 23:14 Or, into the field of them that spied: to wit, lest the enemy should approach.
- Numbers 23:19 God’s enemies are compelled to confess that his government is just, constant, and without change or repentance.
- Numbers 23:21 They triumph as victorious kings over their enemies.
- Numbers 23:23 Considering what God shall work this time for the deliverance of his people, all the world shall wonder.
- Numbers 23:27 Thus the wicked imagine of God, that that which he will not grant in one place, he will do it in another.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
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