¹ ولما رأى الشعب ان موسى ابطأ في النزول من الجبل اجتمع الشعب على هرون. وقالوا له قم اصنع لنا آلهة تسير امامنا. لان هذا موسى الرجل الذي اصعدنا من ارض مصر لا نعلم ماذا اصابه.

² فقال لهم هرون انزعوا اقراط الذهب التي في آذان نسائكم وبنيكم وبناتكم وأتوني بها.

³ فنزع كل الشعب اقراط الذهب التي في آذانهم وأتوا بها الى هرون.

⁴ فاخذ ذلك من ايديهم وصوّره بالازميل وصنعه عجلا مسبوكا. فقالوا هذه آلهتك يا اسرائيل التي اصعدتك من ارض مصر.

⁵ فلما نظر هرون بنى مذبحا امامه. ونادى هرون وقال غدا عيد للرب.

⁶ فبكروا في الغد واصعدوا محرقات وقدموا ذبائح سلامة. وجلس الشعب للاكل والشرب ثم قاموا للّعب

⁷ فقال الرب لموسى اذهب انزل. لانه قد فسد شعبك الذي اصعدته من ارض مصر.

⁸ زاغوا سريعا عن الطريق الذي اوصيتهم به. صنعوا لهم عجلا مسبوكا وسجدوا له وذبحوا له وقالوا هذه آلهتك يا اسرائيل التي اصعدتك من ارض مصر.

⁹ وقال الرب لموسى رأيت هذا الشعب واذا هو شعب صلب الرقبة.

¹⁰ فالآن اتركني ليحمى غضبي عليهم وافنيهم. فاصيّرك شعبا عظيما.

¹¹ فتضرع موسى امام الرب الهه. وقال لماذا يا رب يحمى غضبك على شعبك الذي اخرجته من ارض مصر بقوّة عظيمة ويد شديدة.

¹² لماذا يتكلم المصريون قائلين اخرجهم بخبث ليقتلهم في الجبال ويفنيهم عن وجه الارض. ارجع عن حمو غضبك واندم على الشر بشعبك.

¹³ اذكر ابراهيم واسحق واسرائيل عبيدك الذين حلفت لهم بنفسك وقلت لهم اكثر نسلكم كنجوم السماء واعطي نسلكم كل هذه الارض الذي تكلمت عنها فيملكونها الى الابد.

¹⁴ فندم الرب على الشر الذي قال انه يفعله بشعبه.

¹⁵ فانصرف موسى ونزل من الجبل ولوحا الشهادة في يده. لوحان مكتوبان على جانبيهما. من هنا ومن هنا كانا مكتوبين.

¹⁶ واللوحان هما صنعة الله والكتابة كتابة الله منقوشة على اللوحين.

¹⁷ وسمع يشوع صوت الشعب في هتافه. فقال لموسى صوت قتال في المحلّة.

¹⁸ فقال ليس صوت صياح النصرة ولا صوت صياح الكسرة. بل صوت غناء انا سامع.

¹⁹ وكان عندما اقترب الى المحلّة انه ابصر العجل والرقص. فحمي غضب موسى وطرح اللوحين من يديه وكسرهما في اسفل الجبل.

²⁰ ثم اخذ العجل الذي صنعوا واحرقه بالنار وطحنه حتى صار ناعما وذراه على وجه الماء وسقى بني اسرائيل

²¹ وقال موسى لهرون ماذا صنع بك هذا الشعب حتى جلبت عليه خطية عظيمة.

²² فقال هرون لا يحم غضب سيدي. انت تعرف الشعب انه في شر.

²³ فقالوا لي اصنع لنا آلهة تسير امامنا. لان هذا موسى الرجل الذي اصعدنا من ارض مصر لا نعلم ماذا اصابه.

²⁴ فقلت لهم من له ذهب فلينزعه ويعطيني. فطرحته في النار فخرج هذا العجل.

²⁵ ولما رأى موسى الشعب انه معرّى. لان هرون قد عرّاه للهزء بين مقاوميه.

²⁶ وقف موسى في باب المحلّة. وقال من للرب فإليّ. فاجتمع اليه جميع بني لاوي.

²⁷ فقال لهم هكذا قال الرب اله اسرائيل ضعوا كل واحد سيفه على فخذه ومرّوا وارجعوا من باب الى باب في المحلّة واقتلوا كل واحد اخاه وكل واحد صاحبه وكل واحد قريبه.

²⁸ ففعل بنو لاوي بحسب قول موسى. ووقع من الشعب في ذلك اليوم نحو ثلاثة آلاف رجل.

²⁹ وقال موسى املأوا ايديكم اليوم للرب حتى كل واحد بابنه وباخيه. فيعطيكم اليوم بركة.

³⁰ وكان في الغد ان موسى قال للشعب انتم قد اخطأتم خطية عظيمة. فاصعد الآن الى الرب لعلي اكفّر خطيتكم.

³¹ فرجع موسى الى الرب. وقال آه قد اخطأ هذا الشعب خطية عظيمة وصنعوا لانفسهم آلهة من ذهب.

³² والآن ان غفرت خطيتهم. والا فامحني من كتابك الذي كتبت.

³³ فقال الرب لموسى من اخطأ اليّ امحوه من كتابي.

³⁴ والآن اذهب اهد الشعب الى حيث كلمتك. هوذا ملاكي يسير امامك. ولكن في يوم افتقادي افتقد فيهم خطيتهم.

³⁵ فضرب الرب الشعب. لانهم صنعوا العجل الذي صنعه هرون

²¹ والأموريين والكنعانيين والجرجاشيين واليبوسيين

¹ The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.

² Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

³ Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

⁴ Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

⁵ He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, there is a people who came out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me.

⁶ Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

⁷ The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.

⁸ He said to them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me." The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹ God came to Balaam, and said, "Who are these men with you?"

¹⁰ Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, [saying],

¹¹ 'Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covers the surface of the earth: now, come curse me them; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.'"

¹² God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed."

¹³ Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to Go with you."

¹⁴ The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."

¹⁵ Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

¹⁶ They came to Balaam, and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me:

¹⁷ for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.'"

¹⁸ Balaam answered the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more.

¹⁹ Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what Yahweh will speak to me more."

²⁰ God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do."

²¹ Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

²² God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Yahweh placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

²³ The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.

²⁴ Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

²⁵ The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he struck her again.

²⁶ The angel of Yahweh went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

²⁷ The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"

²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you."

³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?" He said, "No."

³¹ Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.

³² The angel of Yahweh said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me:

³³ and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive."

³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, "I have sinned; for I didn't know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again."

³⁵ The angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.

³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I earnestly send to you to call you? Why didn't you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?"

³⁸ Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak."

³⁹ Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.

⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.

⁴¹ It happened in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there the utmost part of the people.