Saadia · Bamidbar 23
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- Bamidbar 23:1
וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל-בָּלָק בְּנֵה-לִי בָזֶה שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחֹת וְהָכֵן לִי בָּזֶה שִׁבְעָה פָרִים וְשִׁבְעָה אֵילִים
. . .
And he said to him: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.'
- Bamidbar 23:2
וַיַּעַשׂ בָּלָק כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בִּלְעָם וַיַּעַל בָּלָק וּבִלְעָם פָּר וָאַיִל בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ
. .
And he did so; and the two of them offered there a bull and a ram upon each altar.
- Bamidbar 23:3
וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם לְבָלָק הִתְיַצֵּב עַל-עֹלָתֶךָ וְאֵלְכָה אוּלַי יִקָּרֵה יְהוָה לִקְרָאתִי וּדְבַר מַה-יַּרְאֵנִי וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָךְ וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶׁפִי
. . . . .
Then he said to him: 'Stand by your offering, while I go on — perhaps the decree of God will come to meet me; and whatever word God instructs me with, I will tell you of it.' And he went in stillness.
- Bamidbar 23:4
וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-בִּלְעָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֶת-שִׁבְעַת הַמִּזְבְּחֹת עָרַכְתִּי וָאַעַל פָּר וָאַיִל בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ
. . .
And the decree of God came to Balaam; and he said: 'O Lord! I have already arranged seven altars, and offered there a bull and a ram upon each altar.'
- Bamidbar 23:5
וַיָּשֶׂם יְהוָה דָּבָר בְּפִי בִלְעָם וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוּב אֶל-בָּלָק וְכֹה תְדַבֵּר
. .
Then God instructed him with a word, and said: 'Return to Balak and speak thus.'
- Bamidbar 23:6
וַיָּשָׁב אֵלָיו וְהִנֵּה נִצָּב עַל-עֹלָתוֹ--הוּא וְכָל-שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב
. .
So he returned to him — and behold, he was standing by his offering, he and all the chiefs of Moab.
- Bamidbar 23:7
וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר מִן-אֲרָם יַנְחֵנִי בָלָק מֶלֶךְ-מוֹאָב מֵהַרְרֵי-קֶדֶם--לְכָה אָרָה-לִּי יַעֲקֹב וּלְכָה זֹעֲמָה יִשְׂרָאֵל
. . . .
And he spoke his parable and said: 'From Aram, Balak king of Moab brought me, from the mountains of the east, saying: Come, curse for me the house of Jacob, and bring reproach upon the house of Israel.'
- Bamidbar 23:8
מָה אֶקֹּב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל וּמָה אֶזְעֹם לֹא זָעַם יְהוָה
. . .
'How shall I curse him whom the All-Powerful has not cursed? And how shall I reproach him whom God has not reproached?'
- Bamidbar 23:9
כִּי-מֵרֹאשׁ צֻרִים אֶרְאֶנּוּ וּמִגְּבָעוֹת אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ הֶן-עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב
. . .
'For I see him from the tops of the mountains, and I discern him from the heights — that he is a people who shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the rest of the nations.'
- Bamidbar 23:10
מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב וּמִסְפָּר אֶת-רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים וּתְהִי אַחֲרִיתִי כָּמֹהוּ
. .
'O who can count the offspring of Jacob, and number the descendants of the house of Israel! I ask that I may die the death of the upright, and that my end may be like theirs.'
- Bamidbar 23:11
וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם מֶה עָשִׂיתָ לִי לָקֹב אֹיְבַי לְקַחְתִּיךָ וְהִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ
. . .
Balak said to Balaam: 'What have you done to me? I invited you to curse my enemies — and behold, you have blessed them!'
- Bamidbar 23:12
וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמַר הֲלֹא אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָשִׂים יְהוָה בְּפִי--אֹתוֹ אֶשְׁמֹר לְדַבֵּר
.
He answered, saying: 'Only that which God instructs me with — that I preserve and speak.'
- Bamidbar 23:13
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בָּלָק לְךָ-נָּא אִתִּי אֶל-מָקוֹם אַחֵר אֲשֶׁר תִּרְאֶנּוּ מִשָּׁם--אֶפֶס קָצֵהוּ תִרְאֶה וְכֻלּוֹ לֹא תִרְאֶה וְקָבְנוֹ-לִי מִשָּׁם
. . . .
Balak said to him: 'Come with me to another place, from which you will see him — yet you will see part of him and not all of him — and curse him for me from there.'
- Bamidbar 23:14
וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ שְׂדֵה צֹפִים אֶל-רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה וַיִּבֶן שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחֹת וַיַּעַל פָּר וָאַיִל בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ
. . .
And he took him to the estate overlooking the top of the citadel; and he built there seven altars, and offered there a bull and a ram upon each altar.
- Bamidbar 23:15
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-בָּלָק הִתְיַצֵּב כֹּה עַל-עֹלָתֶךָ וְאָנֹכִי אִקָּרֶה כֹּה
. .
He said to Balak: 'Stand here by your offering, while I go to receive over there.'
- Bamidbar 23:16
וַיִּקָּר יְהוָה אֶל-בִּלְעָם וַיָּשֶׂם דָּבָר בְּפִיו וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוּב אֶל-בָּלָק וְכֹה תְדַבֵּר
. .
And the decree of God came to Balaam; and He instructed him with a word, and said: 'Return to Balak and speak thus.'
- Bamidbar 23:17
וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו וְהִנּוֹ נִצָּב עַל-עֹלָתוֹ וְשָׂרֵי מוֹאָב אִתּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ בָּלָק מַה-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה
. . .
So he came to him — and behold, he was standing by his offering, and the chiefs of Moab with him. And he said to him: 'What has God said?'
- Bamidbar 23:18
וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר קוּם בָּלָק וּשְׁמָע הַאֲזִינָה עָדַי בְּנוֹ צִפֹּר
. .
And he spoke his parable and said: 'Arise, O Balak, and hear! Give ear to my words, O son of Zippor!'
- Bamidbar 23:19
לֹא אִישׁ אֵל וִיכַזֵּב וּבֶן-אָדָם וְיִתְנֶחָם הַהוּא אָמַר וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה וְדִבֶּר וְלֹא יְקִימֶנָּה
. . .
'The All-Powerful is not like men that He should lie, nor like the sons of Adam that He should repent. Do you think He would say and not act, or speak and not fulfill it?'
- Bamidbar 23:20
הִנֵּה בָרֵךְ לָקָחְתִּי וּבֵרֵךְ וְלֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנָּה
.
'Indeed, blessings I have received — and so I bless them, and I shall not reverse it.'
- Bamidbar 23:21
לֹא-הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא-רָאָה עָמָל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּוֹ
. . .
'Whereby no iniquity is seen in the house of Jacob, nor deceit in the house of Israel — for God is their Lord with them, and the companionship of the King is theirs.'
- Bamidbar 23:22
אֵל מוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרָיִם--כְּתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לוֹ
.
'The All-Powerful who brought them out of Egypt — like the vigilance of the wild ox, prevailing over them.'
- Bamidbar 23:23
כִּי לֹא-נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא-קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה-פָּעַל אֵל
. . .
'And no omen can take hold in the house of Jacob, nor divination take effect in the house of Israel — rather, what the All-Powerful has done alone is what is declared to them.'
- Bamidbar 23:24
הֶן-עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וְכַאֲרִי יִתְנַשָּׂא לֹא יִשְׁכַּב עַד-יֹאכַל טֶרֶף וְדַם-חֲלָלִים יִשְׁתֶּה
. . .
'For it is a people that rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion — that does not lie down until it has eaten its prey and drunk the blood of the slain.'
- Bamidbar 23:25
וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם גַּם-קֹב לֹא תִקֳּבֶנּוּ גַּם-בָּרֵךְ לֹא תְבָרְכֶנּוּ
. .
Balak said to him: 'Since you will not curse him with a curse, then do not bless him with a blessing either.'
- Bamidbar 23:26
וַיַּעַן בִּלְעָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-בָּלָק הֲלֹא דִּבַּרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-יְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֹתוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה
. .
He answered him, saying: 'Did I not already tell you that whatever God says — that I shall do?'
- Bamidbar 23:27
וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם לְכָה-נָּא אֶקָּחֲךָ אֶל-מָקוֹם אַחֵר אוּלַי יִישַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וְקַבֹּתוֹ לִי מִשָּׁם
. . .
He said: 'Come, let me take you to another place — perhaps it may be easy before God, and you shall curse him for me from there.'
- Bamidbar 23:28
וַיִּקַּח בָּלָק אֶת-בִּלְעָם רֹאשׁ הַפְּעוֹר הַנִּשְׁקָף עַל-פְּנֵי הַיְשִׁימֹן
. .
And he took him to the top of Peor, which overlooks the face of the vast expanse.
- Bamidbar 23:29
וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל-בָּלָק בְּנֵה-לִי בָזֶה שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחֹת וְהָכֵן לִי בָּזֶה שִׁבְעָה פָרִים וְשִׁבְעָה אֵילִם
. .
He said: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.'
- Bamidbar 23:36
ַיַּעַשׂ בָּלָק כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר בִּלְעָם וַיַּעַל פָּר וָאַיִל בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ
.
And he did as Balaam had told him; and he offered there a bull and a ram upon each altar.
English is a working draft — author revising