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Primera profecía de Balaam

23 Entonces Balaam dijo a Balac: Constrúyeme aquí siete altares y prepárame aquí siete novillos y siete carneros. Y Balac hizo tal como Balaam le había dicho, y Balac y Balaam ofrecieron un novillo y un carnero en cada altar. Entonces Balaam dijo a Balac: Ponte junto a tu holocausto, y yo iré; quizá el Señor venga a mi encuentro, y lo que me manifieste te lo haré saber. Y se fue a un cerro pelado. Dios salió al encuentro de Balaam, y este le dijo: He preparado los siete altares y he ofrecido un novillo y un carnero sobre cada altar. Y el Señor puso palabra en la boca de Balaam(A), y le dijo: Vuelve a Balac y así hablarás. Él entonces volvió a Balac[a], y he aquí que estaba junto a su holocausto, él y todos los jefes de Moab. Y comenzó su profecía[b], y dijo:

Desde Aram me ha traído Balac(B),
rey de Moab, desde los montes del oriente:
«Ven, y maldíceme a Jacob;
ven, y condena a Israel(C)».
¿Cómo maldeciré a quien Dios no ha maldecido?
¿Cómo condenaré a quien el Señor no ha condenado(D)?
Porque desde la cumbre de las peñas lo veo,
y desde los montes lo observo.
He aquí, es un pueblo que mora aparte(E),
y que no será contado entre las naciones.
10 ¿Quién puede contar el polvo de Jacob,
o numerar la cuarta parte de Israel(F)?
Muera yo[c] la muerte de los rectos(G),
y sea mi fin como el suyo(H).

Segunda profecía

11 Entonces Balac dijo a Balaam: ¿Qué me has hecho? Te tomé para maldecir a mis enemigos, pero mira, ¡los has llenado de bendiciones(I)! 12 Y él respondió y dijo: ¿No debo tener cuidado de hablar lo que el Señor pone en mi boca(J)?

13 Balac le dijo entonces: Te ruego que vengas conmigo a otro sitio desde donde podrás verlos, aunque solo verás el extremo de ellos, y no los verás a todos; y desde allí maldícemelos. 14 Lo llevó al campo de Zofim, sobre la cumbre del Pisga, y edificó siete altares y ofreció un novillo y un carnero en cada altar. 15 Y él dijo a Balac: Ponte aquí junto a tu holocausto, mientras voy allá a encontrarme con el Señor. 16 El Señor salió al encuentro de Balaam y puso palabra en su boca(K) y le dijo: Vuelve a Balac y así hablarás. 17 Y él volvió a Balac[d], y he aquí, estaba de pie junto a su holocausto, y los jefes de Moab con él. Y Balac le dijo: ¿Qué ha dicho el Señor? 18 Y comenzó su profecía, y dijo:

Levántate, Balac, y escucha;
dame oídos, hijo de Zipor.
19 Dios no es hombre, para que mienta(L),
ni hijo de hombre, para que se arrepienta.
¿Lo ha dicho Él, y no lo hará(M)?,
¿ha hablado, y no lo cumplirá?
20 Mira, he recibido orden de bendecir(N);
si Él ha bendecido, yo no lo puedo anular(O).
21 Él no ha observado iniquidad en Jacob(P),
ni ha visto malicia en Israel(Q);
está en él el Señor su Dios(R),
y el júbilo[e] de un rey está en él(S).
22 Dios lo[f] saca de Egipto(T);
es para él como los cuernos del búfalo(U).
23 Porque no hay agüero contra Jacob,
ni hay adivinación contra Israel(V).
A su tiempo se le dirá a Jacob
y a Israel: ¡Ved lo que ha hecho Dios!
24 He aquí, un pueblo se levanta como leona,
y se yergue como león(W);
no se echará hasta que devore la presa
y beba la sangre de los que ha matado.

25 Entonces Balac dijo a Balaam: ¡De ninguna manera los maldigas ni los bendigas! 26 Pero Balaam respondió y dijo a Balac: ¿No te dije[g] que todo lo que el Señor habla, eso debo hacer(X)?

27 Y Balac dijo a Balaam: Ven, te ruego, te llevaré a otro lugar; quizá le plazca a[h] Dios que me los maldigas desde allí. 28 Entonces Balac llevó a Balaam a la cumbre del Peor, que da hacia el desierto[i]. 29 Y Balaam dijo a Balac: Constrúyeme aquí siete altares y prepárame aquí siete novillos y siete carneros. 30 Balac hizo tal como Balaam le había dicho y ofreció un novillo y un carnero en cada altar.

Footnotes

  1. Números 23:6 Lit., él
  2. Números 23:7 Lit., Y tomó su parábola, y así en el vers. 18
  3. Números 23:10 Lit., mi alma
  4. Números 23:17 Lit., él
  5. Números 23:21 Lit., grito
  6. Números 23:22 Así en un ms. y en algunas versiones antiguas; en el T.M., los
  7. Números 23:26 Lit., dije, diciendo
  8. Números 23:27 Lit., sea recto a los ojos de
  9. Números 23:28 O, Jesimón

Yahweh Speaks Through Balaam

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” So Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a bare hill.

Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.” Then Yahweh (A)put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.” So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab. Then he took up his [a]discourse and said,

“From (B)Aram Balak has brought me,
Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,
(C)Come curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
(D)How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
For I see him from the top of the rocks,
And I look at him from the hills;
(E)Behold, a people who dwells alone,
And will not be reckoned among the nations.
10 (F)Who can number the dust of Jacob,
Or count the fourth part of Israel?
(G)Let [b]me die the death of the upright,
(H)And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (I)I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have blessed them repeatedly!” 12 And he replied, “Must I not be careful to speak (J)what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Discourse

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, but you will only see the end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet Yahweh over there.” 16 Then Yahweh met Balaam and (K)put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 17 So he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh spoken?” 18 Then he took up his [c]discourse and said,

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;
Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
19 (L)God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
(M)Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not establish it?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;
(N)When He has blessed, then (O)I cannot revoke it.
21 (P)He has not observed [d]misfortune in Jacob;
(Q)Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;
(R)Yahweh his God is with him,
(S)And the shout of a king is among them.
22 (T)God brings them out of Egypt,
He is for them like the (U)horns of the wild ox.
23 (V)For there is no omen against Jacob,
Nor is there any divination against Israel;
At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob
And to Israel, what God has done!
24 (W)Behold, a people rises like a lioness,
And as a lion it lifts itself;
It will not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘(X)Whatever Yahweh speaks, that I must do’?”

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be right in the eyes of God that you curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the [e]wasteland. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 30 And Balak did just as Balaam had said and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 23:7 Lit parable
  2. Numbers 23:10 Lit my soul
  3. Numbers 23:18 Lit parable
  4. Numbers 23:21 Or wickedness
  5. Numbers 23:28 Or Jeshimon

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