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
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 23
Balaam’s First Oracle.[a] 1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven oxen and seven rams for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam had told him to do. Then Balak and Balaam offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your offerings, and I will go off a bit. Perhaps the Lord will come to visit me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” He then went off to a high place.
4 God visited Balaam. He said, “I have prepared seven altars and I have offered a young bull and a ram upon each altar.” 5 The Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and proclaim this.”
6 So he returned to him and found him standing by his sacrifice, he and the leaders of Moab. 7 Then he proclaimed his oracle:
“Balak has brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains saying,
‘Come, and curse Jacob,
come and denounce Israel!’
8 How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed,
how shall I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?[b]
9 From the top of the rocks I see him,
from the hills I behold him.
Behold, a people dwelling alone,
not counted among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
let my end be like his.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have bountifully blessed them.” 12 But he answered, “Must I not proclaim what the Lord has put into my mouth?”
13 Balaam’s Second Oracle. Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place. There you will be able to see them, but only their outposts; you will not see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”
14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars, and he offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 15 He said to Balak, “Stand here by your offering, and I will meet the Lord over there.” 16 The Lord visited Balaam and put a word in his mouth saying, “Go back again to Balak and proclaim this.”
17 He returned to him. He was standing by his offering, he and the leaders of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?” 18 He took up his oracle and said,
“Arise, Balak, and hear;
listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 God is not human, that he should lie,[c]
or the son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act,
does he promise and then not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I have received a blessing;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery is seen in Israel.
The Lord, their God, is with them;
the shout of a king is among them.
22 God has brought them out of Egypt;
they are as strong as a wild ox.
23 There is truly no sorcery against Jacob,
nor any divination against Israel.
Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What God has done!’
24 Behold, a people rises up like a lioness,
like a young lion it lifts itself up.
It will not lie down again until it eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Then do not either curse them in any way or bless them in any way!” 26 But Balaam answered Balak saying, “Did I not tell you: ‘All that the Lord says I must do!’ ”
27 Balaam’s Third Oracle. Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will allow you to curse them for me here.” 28 Then Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, to a place that faced Jeshimon. 29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did what Balaam had told him to do, and he offered a young bull and a ram on each of the altars.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:1 The story of Balaam is told here chiefly in order to bring in the oracles of blessing. What is reported here is certainly very ancient traditions, comparable to the blessings of Jacob (Gen 49) and of Moses (Deut 33).
- Numbers 23:8 Balaam cannot do what Balak asks of him because God is protecting his people. None of Balaam’s tricks can negate God’s blessing on them.
- Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie: Balaam’s lack of integrity and honesty are far removed from the steadfast mercy and goodness of God.
Numbers 23
King James Version
23 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11 And 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, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder.
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word 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. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: 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 great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward jeshimon.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build 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.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
