巴蘭的預言

23 巴蘭對巴勒說:「你在這裡為我築七座祭壇,預備七頭公牛和七隻公綿羊。」 巴勒就照巴蘭的話做了。他們二人在每座壇上獻上一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊, 巴蘭對巴勒說:「你留在燔祭旁邊,我到前面去,也許耶和華會來見我。無論祂有什麼指示,我必告訴你。」 上帝果然向巴蘭顯現。巴蘭對上帝說:「我已經預備了七座祭壇,每座祭壇上獻了一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。」 耶和華告訴他當說的話,命他回去轉告巴勒。 巴蘭就回到巴勒那裡,看見他和摩押的臣僕們都站在燔祭旁邊。 巴蘭吟詩預言說:

「巴勒引我出亞蘭,
摩押王請我出東山,
說,『來為我咒詛雅各,
來斥責以色列!』
上帝沒有咒詛的,
我怎能咒詛?
耶和華沒有斥責的,
我怎能斥責?
我從峰頂觀看他們,
從高崗眺望他們,
這獨居一方之民,
不與萬國同列。
10 雅各的子孫多如塵土,
誰能數得清?
誰能數清以色列人的四分之一?
我願像義人一樣死去,
如義人般終此一生。」

11 巴勒對巴蘭說:「你這是做什麽?我請你來咒詛我的仇敵,你竟祝福他們!」 12 巴蘭說:「耶和華讓我說的話,我豈能不說?」

巴蘭第二次預言

13 巴勒說:「請你跟我去另一個地方,那裡看不見全部以色列人,只能看見一部分,你要在那裡為我咒詛他們。」 14 他領巴蘭上到毗斯迦山頂的瑣腓田,在那裡築了七座祭壇,每座壇上都獻了一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。 15 巴蘭對巴勒說:「你留在這些燔祭旁邊,我到那邊去見耶和華。」 16 耶和華向巴蘭顯現,告訴他當說的話,讓他轉告巴勒。 17 巴蘭回到巴勒那裡,看見他和摩押的臣僕們都站在燔祭旁邊。巴勒問道:「耶和華說了什麼?」 18 巴蘭吟詩預言說:

「巴勒啊,要留心聽!
西撥的兒子啊,請聽我言。
19 上帝並非世人,祂不撒謊;
上帝不是凡人,祂不反悔。
祂言出必行,信守承諾。
20 我奉命祝福,祂已賜福,
我不能改變。
21 雅各的子孫中未見有罪惡,
以色列人中看不見有禍患。
他們的上帝耶和華與他們同在,
他們向自己的君王歡呼。
22 上帝把他們帶出埃及,
[a]的力量如野牛之角。
23 沒有邪術能害雅各,
沒有咒語可傷以色列。
時候一到,人們必談論雅各,
談論以色列,說,『看啊,
上帝的作為何等偉大!』
24 看啊,這民族挺身如母獅,
又像雄獅一躍而起,
不吞掉獵物不甘休,
不喝飽獵物的血不躺臥。」

25 巴勒對巴蘭說:「你可以不咒詛他們,但也不該為他們祝福啊!」 26 巴蘭回答說:「我不是說過,我必須按耶和華的指示做嗎?」

27 巴勒說:「來吧,我帶你去另一個地方,也許上帝會同意你在那裡為我咒詛他們。」 28 他領著巴蘭登上俯瞰曠野的毗珥山頂。 29 巴蘭對巴勒說:「你在這裡為我築七座祭壇,預備七頭公牛和七隻公綿羊。」 30 巴勒就照巴蘭的話在每座祭壇上獻了一頭公牛和一隻公綿羊。

Footnotes

  1. 23·22 」或譯「他們」。

23 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here shivah mizbechot, and prepare for me here shivah bulls and shivah rams.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on each mizbe’ach a bull and a ram.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy olah, and I will go; perhaps Hashem will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a barren height.

And Elohim met Balaam, and he said unto Him, I have prepared shivah hamizbechot, and I have offered upon each mizbe’ach a bull and a ram.

And Hashem put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

And he returned unto him, and, hinei, he stood by his olah, he, and all the sarim of Moav.

And he took up his mashal, and said, Balak Melech Moav hath brought me from Aram (Syria), out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse for me Ya’akov, and come, denounce Yisroel.

How shall I curse, whom El hath not cursed? Or how shall I denounce, whom Hashem hath not denounced?

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the heights I behold him; see, the people shall live apart, and shall not be reckoned among the Goyim.

10 Who can count the dust of Ya’akov, and the number of the fourth part of Yisroel? Let my nefesh die the death of the yesharim (righteous ones), and let my latter end be like his!

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I brought thee to curse mine enemies, and, hinei, thou hast altogether put a brocha on them.

12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Hashem hath put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said unto him, Come with me unto another place, from where thou mayest see them; thou shalt see part but not all of them, and curse them for me from there.

14 And he brought him into the sadeh of Tzophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built shivah mizbechot, and offered a bull and a ram on each mizbe’ach.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy olah, while I meet Hashem over there.

16 And Hashem 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, hinei, he stood by his olah, and the sarim of Moav with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Hashem spoken?

18 And he took up his mashal, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; pay heed unto me, thou son of Tzippor.

19 El is not an ish, that He should lie; neither a ben adam, that He should change His mind; hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not carry it out?

20 Hinei, I have received commandment to make brocha; and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld avon in Ya’akov, neither hath He seen amal (trouble) in Yisroel. Hashem Elohav is with him, and the [jubilant] shout of a melech is about him.

22 El brought them out of Mitzrayim; He is for them like the strength of a wild ox.

23 Surely there is no nachash (augury) in Ya’akov; neither is there any kesem (divination) in Yisroel; at the time it is spoken to Ya’akov and to Yisroel what El doeth!

24 See, the people shall rise up as a lioness, and lift up himself as an ari; he shall not lie down until he devours the prey, and drinks the dahm of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor at all make a brocha on them.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Hashem speaketh, that I must do?

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will bring thee unto another place; perhaps it will please HaElohim that thou mayest curse them for me from there.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that overlooks Yeshimon.

29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here shivah mizbechot, and prepare here shivah bulls and shivah rams for me.

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each mizbe’ach.