Liber Numeri

Numeri, chapter 22, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 22 Vulgate

   1 Profectique castrametati sunt filii Israel in campestri bus Moab, ubi trans Iordanem Iericho sita est.
   2 Videns autem Balac filius Sephor omnia, quae fecerat Israel Amorraeo,
   3 valde metuit Moab populum, quia multus erat. Et cum pertimeret Moab filios Israel,
   4 dixit ad maiores natu Madian: "Nunc carpet haec congregatio omnem regionem per circuitum, quomodo solet bos herbas campi carpere" Balac filius Sephor erat eo tempore rex in Moab.
   5 Misit ergo nuntios ad Balaam filium Beor in Phethor, quae est super flumen in terra filiorum Ammau, ut vocarent eum et dicerent: "Ecce egressus est populus ex Aegypto, qui operuit superficiem terrae sedens contra me.
   6 Veni igitur et maledic populo huic, quia fortior me est; si quo modo possim percutere et eicere eum de terra mea. Novi enim quod benedictus sit, cui benedixeris, et maledictus, in quem maledicta congesseris"
   7 Perrexeruntque seniores Moab et maiores natu Madian habentes divinationis pretium in manibus. Cumque venissent ad Balaam et narrassent ei omnia verba Balac,
   8 ille respondit: "Manete hic nocte, et respondebo quidquid mihi dixerit Dominus" Manentibus illis apud Balaam,
   9 venit Deus et ait ad eum: "Quid sibi volunt homines isti apud te?"
   10 Respondit: "Balac filius Sephor rex Moabitarum misit ad me
   11 dicens: "Ecce populus, qui egressus est de Aegypto, operuit superficiem terrae; veni et maledic ei pro me, si quo modo possim pugnans abigere eum".
   12 Dixitque Deus ad Balaam: "Noli ire cum eis neque maledicas populo, quia benedictus est"
   13 Qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes: "Ite in terram vestram, quia prohibuit me Dominus venire vobiscum"
   14 Reversi principes dixerunt ad Balac: "Noluit Balaam venire nobiscum"
   15 Rursum ille multo plures et nobiliores, quam ante miserat, misit.
   16 Qui cum venissent ad Balaam, dixerunt: "Sic dicit Balac filius Sephor: "Ne cuncteris venire ad me;
   17 paratus sum honorare te et, quidquid volueris, dabo tibi. Veni et maledic pro me populo isti" "
   18 Respondit Balaam: "Si dederit mihi Balac plenam domum suam argenti et auri, non potero transgredi verbum Domini Dei mei, ut vel plus vel minus loquar.
   19 Obsecro, ut hic maneatis etiam hac nocte, et scire queam quid mihi rursum respondeat Dominus"
   20 Venit ergo Deus ad Balaam nocte et ait ei: "Si vocare te venerunt homines isti, surge et vade cum eis, ita dumtaxat, ut, quod tibi praecepero, facias"
   21 Surrexit Balaam mane et, strata asina sua, profectus est cum eis.
   22 Et iratus est Deus, cum profectus esset; stetitque angelus Domini in via contra Balaam, ut adversaretur ei, qui insidebat asinae et duos pueros habebat secum.
   23 Cernens asina angelum Domini stantem in via, evaginato gladio in manu sua, avertit se de itinere et ibat per agrum. Quam cum verberaret Balaam et vellet ad semitam reducere,
   24 stetit angelus Domini in angustiis duarum maceriarum, quibus vineae cingebantur.
   25 Quem videns asina iunxit se parieti et attrivit sedentis pedem. At ille iterum verberabat eam;
   26 et angelus Domini iterum transiens ad locum angustum, ubi nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram poterat deviare, obvius stetit.
   27 Cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum Domini, concidit sub pedibus sedentis; qui iratus vehementius caedebat fuste latera eius.
   28 Aperuitque Dominus os asinae, et locuta est: "Quid feci tibi? Cur percutis me ecce iam tertio?"
   29 Respondit Balaam: "Quia illusisti mihi. Utinam haberem gladium, ut te interficerem!"
   30 Dixit asina: "Nonne animal tuum sum, cui semper sedere consuevisti usque in praesentem diem? Dic quid simile umquam fecerim tibi" At ille ait: "Numquam"
   31 Protinus aperuit Dominus oculos Balaam, et vidit angelum Domini stantem in via, evaginato gladio in manu eius; adoravitque eum pronus in terram.
   32 Cui angelus Domini: "Cur, inquit, tertio verberas asinam tuam? Ego veni, ut adversarer tibi, quia perversa est via tua mihique contraria.
   33 Et videns me asina declinavit ter a me; nisi declinasset, te occidissem et illam vivam reliquissem"
   34 Dixit Balaam: "Peccavi nesciens quod tu stares contra me in via; et nunc, si displicet tibi, revertar"
   35 Ait angelus Domini: "Vade cum istis et cave, ne aliud, quam praecepero tibi, loquaris" Ivit igitur cum principibus Balac.
   36 Quod cum audisset Balac, venisse scilicet Balaam, egressus est in occursum eius in Irmoab, quod situm est in extremis finibus Arnon;
   37 dixitque ad Balaam: "Nonne misi nuntios, ut vocarem te? Cur non statim venisti ad me? An quia honorare te nequeo?"
   38 Cui ille respondit: "Ecce adsum; numquid loqui potero aliud, nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo?"
   39 Perrexerunt ergo simul et venerunt in Cariathusoth.
   40 Cumque occidisset Balac boves et oves, misit ad Balaam et principes, qui cum eo erant.
   41 Mane autem facto, duxit eum ad excelsa Baal et intuitus est extremam partem populi.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
   2 ¶ And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
   3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
   4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
   5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
   6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
   7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
   8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
   9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
   10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
   11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
   12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
   13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
   14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
   15 ¶ And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
   16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
   17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
   18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
   19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
   20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
   21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
   22 ¶ And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
   23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
   24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
   25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
   26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
   27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
   28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
   29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
   30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
   31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
   32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
   33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
   34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
   35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
   36 ¶ And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
   37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
   38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
   39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath-huzoth.
   40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
   41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.