< عَدَد 24 >
وَلَمَّا رَأَى بَلْعَامُ أَنَّ الرَّبَّ يُسَرُّ بِمُبَارَكَةِ إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمْ يَمْضِ كَالْمَرَّتَيْنِ السَّابِقَتَيْنِ لِمُلاقَاةِ الرَّبِّ، لَكِنَّهُ تَوَجَّهَ بِنَظَرِهِ نَحْوَ الصَّحْرَاءِ، | ١ 1 |
Balaam now realized that Yahweh wanted to bless the Israeli people, [not curse them]. So he did not use magic/divination [like a shaman would do] to find out what Yahweh wanted, as he often did. Instead, he turned toward the desert.
وَهُنَاكَ شَاهَدَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُخَيِّمِينَ حَسَبَ أَسْبَاطِهِمْ، فَحَلَّ عَلَيْهِ رُوحُ اللهِ، | ٢ 2 |
He saw the Israeli people camped there [in their tents], with each tribe gathered in its own group. Then the Spirit of God took control of him,
وَتَنَبَّأَ قَائِلاً: «كَلامُ بَلْعَامَ بْنِ بَعُورَ، كَلامُ الرَّجُلِ الْمَفْتُوحِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ. | ٣ 3 |
and enabled him to give this prophetic message to Balak: “I, Balaam, the son of Beor, am giving this prophecy; I am speaking as a man who sees [what will happen in the future] clearly speaks.
كَلامُ مَنْ يَسْمَعُ أَقْوَالَ اللهِ، الَّذِي يُشَاهِدُ رُؤْيَا الْقَدِيرِ. الَّذِي يَنْطَرِحُ فَتَنْفَتِحُ عَيْنَاهُ. | ٤ 4 |
I hear this message from God; I see a vision from him who is all-powerful. My eyes are open as I prostrate myself in front of him.
مَا أَجْمَلَ خِيَامَكَ يَا يَعْقُوبُ، وَمَا أَبْهَى مَسَاكِنَكَ يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ! | ٥ 5 |
You descendants of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful; they are truly lovely!
هِيَ مِثْلُ أَوْدِيَةٍ مُمْتَدَّةٍ، وَكَجَنَّاتٍ عَلَى مَجْرَى نَهْرٍ، وَكَشَجَرَاتِ صَبَّارٍ غَرَسَهَا الرَّبُّ، وَمِثْلُ أَشْجَارِ الأَرْزِ النَّامِيَةِ بِجُوَارِ الْمِيَاهِ. | ٦ 6 |
Your tents are spread out [in front of me like groves of palm trees in] valleys, like gardens alongside a river. They are like strong aloe trees/plants that Yahweh has planted, like [strong] cedar trees [that grow] along the rivers.
تَجْرِي مِيَاهٌ مِنْ مَسَاقِيهِ، وَلِزَرْعِهِ يَتَوَافَرُ مَاءٌ غَزِيرٌ. يَكُونُ مَلِكُهُ أَعْظَمَ شَأْناً مِنْ أَجَاجَ وَتَتَسَامَى مَمْلَكَتُهُ. | ٧ 7 |
Your water buckets will always be full; the seeds [that you plant] will always have plenty of water [to make them grow]. The Israelis’ king will be greater than [King] Agag; the kingdom that he rules will be honored.
اللهُ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ، وَقُوَّتُهُ مِثْلُ الثَّوْرِ الْوَحْشِيِّ. يَفْتَرِسُ خُصُومَهُ مِنَ الأُمَمِ، وَيَقْضَمُ عِظَامَهُمْ وَيُثْخِنُهُمْ بِسِهَامِهِ. | ٨ 8 |
God brought the Israelis out of Egypt, [leading them along] with his great power [MTY] like a wild ox has. He devastates all the nations that oppose him; he breaks all those people’s bones into pieces, and shoots them with his arrows.
يَجْثِمُ كَأَسَدٍ، وَيَرْبِضُ كَلَبْوَةٍ. فَمَنْ يَجْرُؤُ عَلَى إِثَارَتِهِ؟ مَنْ يُبَارِكُكَ يَكُونُ مُبَارَكاً، وَمَنْ يَلْعَنُكَ يَكُونُ مَلْعُوناً». | ٩ 9 |
The Israelis are like lions that crouch and lie down, [ready to pounce on their prey] [SIM]. They are like lionesses [that are resting, but ready to attack]; no one [RHQ] would dare to arouse them! [God] will bless everyone who blesses you Israelis, and he will curse everyone who curses you.”
فَاسْتَشَاطَ بَالاقُ غَضَباً عَلَى بَلْعَامَ، وَضَرَبَ كَفّاً عَلَى كَفٍّ قَائِلاً لَهُ: «دَعَوْتُكَ لِتَشْتِمَ أَعْدَائِي، وَهَا أَنْتَ قَدْ بَارَكْتَهُمْ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ! | ١٠ 10 |
Then King Balak was extremely angry with Balaam. He showed with his hands that he was very angry, and he [shouted at Balaam], “I summoned you here to curse my enemies! Instead, you have (blessed/asked God to bless) them three times!
وَالآنَ اغْرُبْ عَنْ وَجْهِي وَامْضِ إِلَى بَيْتِكَ، فَقَدْ كَانَ فِي عَزْمِي إِكْرَامُكَ وَلَكِنَّ الرَّبَّ شَاءَ أَنْ لَا تَحْظَى بِهِ». | ١١ 11 |
So now, get out of here! Go back home! I said that I would pay you a lot of money [if you cursed them], but Yahweh has prevented you from getting any pay!”
فَأَجَابَهُ بَلْعَامُ: «أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لِرُسُلِكَ الَّذِينَ بَعَثْتَهُمْ إِلَيَّ | ١٢ 12 |
Balaam said to Balak, “[Do you not remember what] [RHQ] I told the messengers that you sent to me? I said,
إِنَّهُ وَلَوْ أَغْدَقَ عَلَيَّ بَالاقُ مِلْءَ قَصْرِهِ ذَهَباً وَفِضَّةً فَلَنْ أَعْصَى أَمْرَ الرَّبِّ، فَأَصْنَعَ خَيْراً أَوْ شَرّاً مِنْ نَفْسِي؟ فَإِنَّ مَا يُعْلِنُهُ لِي الرَّبُّ فَإِيَّاهُ أُبَلِّغُ. | ١٣ 13 |
‘Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not disobey Yahweh. I cannot do anything bad or anything that is good [that he does not approve of].’ And I told you that I could say only what Yahweh says to me.
وَالآنَ أَعُودُ إِلَى شَعْبِي، وَلَكِنْ دَعْنِي أُنْبِئُكَ بِمَا سَيُنْزِلُهُ هَذَا الشَّعْبُ بِقَوْمِكَ فِي آخِرِ الأَيَّامِ». | ١٤ 14 |
So yes, I will return to my people, but first, allow me to tell you what will happen to you Moab people in the future.”
ثُمَّ تَنَبَّأَ قَائِلاً: «كَلامُ بَلْعَامَ بْنِ بَعُورَ، كَلامُ الرَّجُلِ الْمَفْتُوحِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ. | ١٥ 15 |
So Balaam said this [to Balak]: “I, Balaam, son of Beor, am again giving a prophecy, speaking as a man who sees [what will happen in the future] clearly speaks.
كَلامُ مَنْ يَسْمَعُ أَقْوَالَ اللهِ، وَيَتَلَقَّى الْمَعْرِفَةَ مِنَ الْعَلِيِّ، الَّذِي يُشَاهِدُ رُؤْيَا الْقَدِيرِ، الَّذِي يَنْطَرِحُ فَتَنْفَتِحُ عَيْنَاهُ. | ١٦ 16 |
I hear a message from God; I know things that God, who lives in heaven, has [revealed to me]. I see a vision from him who is all-powerful. My eyes are open as I prostrate myself in front of him.
أَرَاهُ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ حَاضِراً، وَأُبْصِرُهُ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ قَرِيباً. يَخْرُجُ نَجْمٌ مِنْ يَعْقُوبَ، وَيَظْهَرُ مَلِكٌ مِنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ فَيُحَطِّمُ طَرَفَيْ مُوآبَ، وَيُهْلِكُ كُلَّ رِجَالِ الْحَرْبِ. | ١٧ 17 |
The things that I see [in the vision] are not [going to happen] now; I see things [that God will cause to happen] in the future. A man who is [a descendant of] Jacob will appear like a star [MET]; a king who holds a scepter will be one of the Israeli people. He will crush the heads of you people of Moab; he will wipe out the descendants of Seth.
وَيَرِثُ أَرْضَ أَدُومَ، وَيَتَمَلَّكُ دِيَارَ سَعِيرَ. أَمَّا إِسْرَائِيلُ فَيَزْدَادُ قُوَّةً. | ١٨ 18 |
The Israelis will occupy Edom, and they will conquer their enemies [who live near] Seir [Mountain]. The Israeli people will be victorious/strong.
وَيَبْرُزُ حَاكِمٌ مِنْ يَعْقُوبَ فَيُدَمِّرُ مَا تَبَقَّى مِنْ مُدُنٍ». | ١٩ 19 |
A ruler who is a descendant of Jacob will come; he will get rid of the people who still live in the city [where Balaam first met Balak].”
ثُمَّ تَطَلَّعَ بَلْعَامُ نَحْوَ مَسَاكِنِ أَهْلِ عَمَالِيقَ فَتَنَبَّأَ: «كَانَ عَمَالِيقُ أَوَّلَ الشُّعُوبِ، أَمَّا عَاقِبَتُهُ فَإِلَى الْهَلاكِ». | ٢٠ 20 |
Then Balaam looked out over where the Amalek people-group [lived], and he prophesied this: “The Amalek people-group were the greatest nation, but they will be wiped out.”
ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ نَحْوَ الْقَيْنِيِّينَ فَأَنْبَأَ: «لِيَكُنْ مَسْكَنُكَ مَنِيعاً، وَعُشُّكَ مَوْضُوعاً فِي صَخْرَةٍ. | ٢١ 21 |
Then he looked out over the area where the Ken people-group [lived], and he prophesied this: “You [think that] the place where you live is secure/safe like a nest that is made in the cliffs [MET],
وَإِنَّمَا سَتُدَمَّرُونَ عِنْدَمَا يَطْرُدُكُمُ الأَشُّورِيُّونَ». | ٢٢ 22 |
but you will be wiped out when the army of Assyria conquers you.”
ثُمَّ تَنَبَّأَ قَائِلاً: «مَنْ لَهُ طَاقَةٌ عَلَى الْعَيْشِ حِينَ يُجْرِي الرَّبُّ ذَلِكَ؟ | ٢٣ 23 |
Balaam ended his prophecies by saying, “Also, (who can (survive/escape) when God does all these things?/no one will be able to (survive/escape) when God does all these things!) [RHQ]
تُقْبِلُ سُفُنٌ مِنْ كِتِّيمَ، وَتُخْضِعُ أَشُورَ وَتُذِلُّ عَابِرَ، فَهُمَا أَيْضاً يَهْلِكَانِ». | ٢٤ 24 |
Ships will come from Cyprus [Island], and [the men in those ships] will defeat [the armies of] Assyria and Eber. But God will get rid of those men, too.”
ثُمَّ رَجَعَ بَلْعَامُ إِلَى دِيَارِهِ، وَأَمَّا بَالاقُ فَمَضَى فِي سَبِيلِهِ. | ٢٥ 25 |
Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.