And first, Balaam would have Balac raise seven altars there, and provide him with as many bullocks and as many rams.

Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.

And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.

When his bidding was done, they offered a bullock and a ram on each altar.

Cumque fecisset juxta sermonem Balaam, imposuerunt simul vitulum et arietem super aram.

And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar.

Wait here by the sacrifice, he told Balac; I will go and meet the Lord, if he will, and tell thee what message he has charged me with.

Dixitque Balaam ad Balac: Sta paulisper juxta holocaustum tuum, donec vadam, si forte occurrat mihi Dominus, et quodcumque imperaverit, loquar tibi.

And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.

No sooner had he withdrawn than the Lord came to meet him, and Balaam told him how he had raised seven altars, offering a bullock and a ram on each.

Cumque abiisset velociter, occurrit illi Deus. Locutusque ad eum Balaam: Septem, inquit, aras erexi, et imposui vitulum et arietem desuper.

And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on every one a calf and a ram.

With that, the Lord put a message on his lips, bidding him return to Balac and deliver it;

Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore ejus, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris.

And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

so he returned, to find Balac standing beside the burnt-sacrifice he had made, with the Moabite chiefs about him.

Reversus invenit stantem Balac juxta holocaustum suum, et omnes principes Moabitarum:

Returning he found Balac standing by his burnt offering, with all the princes of the Moabites:

Then Balaam prophesied: I have come from Aram, from the hills out in the east; it was Balac summoned me, the king of the Moabites. He bade me come and curse Jacob, come with all speed, and lay my ban on Israel.

assumptaque parabola sua, dixit: De Aram adduxit me Balac rex Moabitarum, de montibus orientis: Veni, inquit, et maledic Jacob; propera, et detestare Israël.

And taking up his parable, he said: Balac king of the Moabites hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, said he, and curse Jacob: make haste and detest Israel.

Curse them, I, when God’s curse does not light on them? I lay a ban, where ban from the Lord is none?

Quomodo maledicam, cui non maledixit Deus? qua ratione detester, quem Dominus non detestatur?

How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?

I will climb the high rocks to see them, the hills shall enlarge my view; here is a people destined to dwell apart, not counted among the muster-roll of the nations.

De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.

I shall see him from the tops of the rocks, and shall consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Sons of Israel, countless as the dust, line of Jacob, past all numbering, may death find me faithful as these, be my end like theirs!

Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Jacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israël? Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.

Who can count the dust of Jacob, and know the number of the stock of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the just, and my last end be like to them.

And Balac asked Balaam, What trick is this thou hast played on me? I sent for thee to curse my enemies; wilt thou bless them instead?

Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis.

And Balac said to Balaam: What is this that thou dost? I sent for thee to curse my enemies: and thou contrariwise blessest them.

But he answered, What words should I use, save what the Lord bids me utter?

Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod jusserit Dominus?

He answered him: Can I speak any thing else but what the Lord commandeth?

Nay, said Balac, come with me to another spot, from which thou wilt only be able to see a part of Israel, not the whole people; from this thou shalt lay a curse on them.

Dixit ergo Balac: Veni mecum in alterum locum unde partem Israël videas, et totum videre non possis: inde maledicito ei.

Balac therefore said: Come with me to another place from whence thou mayest see part of Israel, and canst not see them all: curse them from thence.

So he took him to the high ground at the top of mount Phasga; and there, when Balaam had raised seven altars with an offering of bullocks and rams,

Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete,

And when he had brought him to a high place, upon the top of mount Phasga, Balaam built seven altars, and laying on every one a calf and a ram,

he would have Balac wait by the burnt-sacrifice, while he kept his tryst.

dixit ad Balac: Sta hic juxta holocaustum tuum, donec ego obvius pergam.

He said to Balac: Stand here by thy burnt offering while I go to meet him.

The Lord met him and put a message on his lips to give Balac.

Cui cum Dominus occurrisset, posuissetque verbum in ore ejus, ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris ei.

And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou say to him.

And Balac, waiting there with the chiefs of Moab by the burnt-sacrifice, asked him what the Lord’s word was.

Reversus invenit eum stantem juxta holocaustum suum, et principes Moabitarum cum eo. Ad quem Balac: Quid, inquit, locutus est Dominus?

Returning he found him standing by his burnt sacrifice, and the princes of the Moabites with him. And Balac said to him: What hath the Lord spoken?

And again he prophesied: Stand there, Balac, and listen; a message for thee, son of Sephor!

At ille, assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta, Balac, et ausculta; audi, fili Sephor:

But he taking up his parable, said: Stand, O Balac, and give ear: hear, thou son of Sephor:

It is not for God to gainsay himself, as men do, to alter, like the things of earth; must he not make good his word, fulfil his promise?

non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur, nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet? locutus est, et non implebit?

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfil?

My errand is to bless, and I cannot retract the blessing.

Ad benedicendum adductus sum: benedictionem prohibere non valeo.

I was brought to bless, the blessing I am not able to hinder.

It is no false God that Jacob worships, no senseless image that has its shrine in Israel; the Lord dwells with them as their God; his royal trumpets sound for victory.

Non est idolum in Jacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israël. Dominus Deus ejus cum eo est, et clangor victoriæ regis in illo.

There is no idol in Jacob, neither is there an image god to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the sound of the victory of the king in him.

This is the God that brought them out of Egypt, and made them like a wild ox for strength.

Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.

God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros.

Jacob needs no soothsayer, Israel no divination; time will reveal the marvellous things God does for them;

Non est augurium in Jacob, nec divinatio in Israël: temporibus suis dicetur Jacob et Israëli quid operatus sit Deus.

There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor divination in Israel. In their times it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God hath wrought.

a people that is like a lioness roused, a lion ready to spring, never resting till it has devoured its prey, drunk the blood of slaughtered men.

Ecce populus ut leæna consurget, et quasi leo erigetur: non accubabit donec devoret prædam, et occisorum sanguinem bibat.

Behold the people shall rise up as a lioness, and shall lift itself up as a lion: it shall not lie down till it devour the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

And now Balac would have no more, either of curse or of blessing;

Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Nec maledicas ei, nec benedicas.

And Balac said to Balaam: Neither curse, nor bless him.

but Balaam said, Did I not warn thee that I must needs carry out God’s bidding?

Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?

And he said: Did I not tell thee, that whatsoever God should command me, that I would do?

Come, said Balac, let me find thee another vantage-point; from this perhaps, God will allow thee to curse them.

Et ait Balac ad eum: Veni, et ducam te ad alium locum: si forte placeat Deo ut inde maledicas eis.

And Balac said to him: Come and I will bring thee to another place; if peradventure it please God that thou mayest curse them from thence.

And he took him up to the top of mount Phogor, looking out towards the desert.

Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,

And when he had brought him upon the top of mount Phogor, which looketh towards the wilderness,

Here too Balaam must have seven altars, seven bullocks, and seven rams;

dixit ei Balaam: Ædifica mihi hic septem aras, et para totidem vitulos, ejusdemque numeri arietes.

Balaam said to him: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.

and Balac did as he was bidden, offering a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Fecit Balac ut Balaam dixerat: imposuitque vitulos et arietes per singulas aras.

Balac did as Balaam had said: and he laid on every altar, a calf and a ram.