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23 巴蘭巴勒說:「你要在這裏為我築七座壇,又要在這裏為我預備七頭公牛、七隻公羊。」 巴勒巴蘭的話做了。巴勒巴蘭在每座壇上獻一頭公牛、一隻公羊。 巴蘭巴勒說:「你站在你的燔祭旁邊,我要往前去,或許耶和華會向我顯現。他指示我甚麼事,我必告訴你。」於是巴蘭上到一個光禿的高地。

 神向巴蘭顯現。巴蘭對他說:「我預備了七座壇,在每座壇上獻了一頭公牛、一隻公羊。」 耶和華把話放在巴蘭口中,說:「你回到巴勒那裏,要這樣說。」 他就回到巴勒那裏,看哪,巴勒摩押的眾官員站在燔祭旁邊。 巴蘭唱起詩歌說:

巴勒領我出亞蘭
摩押王領我出東方的山脈:
『來啊,為我詛咒雅各
來啊,怒罵以色列。』
 神沒有詛咒的,
我焉能詛咒?
耶和華沒有怒罵的,
我豈能怒罵?
我從磐石的巔峯看到他,
我從山丘望見他。
看哪,這是獨居的民,
不算在列國中。
10 誰能數點雅各的塵土?
誰能計算以色列的塵沙[a]
我願如正直人之死而死;
我願如正直人之終而終。」

11 巴勒巴蘭說:「你向我做的是甚麼呢?我帶你來詛咒我的仇敵,看哪,你竟為他們祝福。」 12 他回答說:「耶和華放在我口中的話,我豈能不謹慎地說呢?」 13 巴勒對他說:「請你跟我到別的地方,在那裏可以看見他們。你只能看見他們的一部分,卻不能看見全部。請你在那裏為我詛咒他們。」

巴蘭第二次預言

14 於是巴勒巴蘭到了瑣腓的田野,上了毗斯迦山[b],築了七座壇,在每座壇上獻一頭公牛、一隻公羊。 15 巴蘭巴勒說:「你站在你的燔祭旁邊,我要到那邊去看看。」 16 耶和華向巴蘭顯現,把話放在他口中,說:「你回到巴勒那裏,要這樣說。」 17 他回到巴勒那裏,看哪,巴勒站在燔祭旁邊,摩押的官員也和他在一起。巴勒對他說:「耶和華說了甚麼呢?」 18 巴蘭唱起詩歌說:

巴勒啊,起來,聽;
西撥的兒子啊,側耳聽我。
19  神非人,必不致說謊,
也非人子,必不致後悔。
他說了豈不照着做呢?
他發了言豈不實現呢?
20 看哪,我奉命祝福;
 神賜福,我不能扭轉。
21 他未見雅各中有災難[c]
也未見以色列中有禍患[d]
耶和華—他的 神和他同在;
在他中間有歡呼王的聲音。
22  神領他們出埃及
以色列有如野牛的角。
23 絕沒有法術可以傷雅各
沒有占卜可以害以色列
現在,人論及雅各,論及以色列必說:
『 神成就了何等的事啊!』
24 看哪,這百姓興起如母獅,
挺身像公獅,
未曾吃獵物,
未曾喝被殺者的血,
絕不躺臥。」

25 巴勒巴蘭說:「你一點也不要詛咒他們,一點也不要為他們祝福!」 26 巴蘭回答巴勒說:「我不是告訴過你:『凡耶和華所說的,我必須遵行』嗎?」 27 巴勒巴蘭說:「來,我領你到別的地方,或許 神喜歡你在那裏為我詛咒他們。」 28 巴勒就領巴蘭到那可瞭望曠野的毗珥山頂。 29 巴蘭巴勒說:「你要在這裏為我築七座壇,又要在這裏為我預備七頭公牛、七隻公羊。」 30 巴勒就照巴蘭的話做,在每座壇上獻一頭公牛、一隻公羊。

Footnotes

  1. 23.10 「塵沙」或譯「四分之一」。
  2. 23.14 「到了…頂」或譯「到了毗斯迦山頂上的瞭望臺」。
  3. 23.21 「災難」或譯「罪孽」。
  4. 23.21 「禍患」或譯「奸惡」。

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(A) for me.” Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(B)

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(C) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

God met with him,(D) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(F)

So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(G) Then Balaam(H) spoke his message:(I)

“Balak brought me from Aram,(J)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(K)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’(L)
How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?(M)
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?(N)
From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.(O)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(P)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(Q)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(R)
    and may my final end be like theirs!(S)

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(T) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(U)

12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(V)

Balaam’s Second Message

13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(W) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(X) And from there, curse them for me.(Y) 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(Z) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(AA)

15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”

16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(AB) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(AC) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

18 Then he spoke his message:(AD)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.(AE)
19 God is not human,(AF) that he should lie,(AG)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AH)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise(AI) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(AJ)
    he has blessed,(AK) and I cannot change it.(AL)

21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(AM)
    no misery observed[a] in Israel.(AN)
The Lord their God is with them;(AO)
    the shout of the King(AP) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(AQ)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.(AR)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens(AS) against[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(AT)
    they rouse themselves like a lion(AU)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood(AV) of its victims.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(AW)

Balaam’s Third Message

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(AX) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(AY) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(AZ) overlooking the wasteland.

29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
  2. Numbers 23:23 Or in
  3. Numbers 23:23 Or in