Numbers 24
1 And when Balaam had seen that it was pleasing to the Lord that he should bless Israel, he by no means went out as he had gone before, to seek divination. But directing his face opposite the desert,
Lorsque Balaam vit qu'il plaisait à Yahvé de bénir Israël, il n'alla pas, comme les autres fois, recourir à la divination, mais il tourna son visage vers le désert.
2 and lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel dwelling in tents by their tribes. And with the Spirit of God rushing into him,
Balaam leva les yeux, et il vit Israël habitant selon ses tribus; et l'Esprit de Dieu vint sur lui.
3 taking up his parable, he said: “Balaam, the son of Beor, the man whose eye has been obstructed,
Il reprit sa parabole, et dit, « Balaam, fils de Beor, dit, l'homme dont les yeux sont ouverts dit;
4 the hearer of the sermon of God, he who has gazed upon a vision of the Almighty, he who falls down and so his eyes are opened, has declared:
dit-il, qui entend les paroles de Dieu, qui voit la vision du Tout-Puissant, en tombant, et en ayant les yeux ouverts:
5 ‘How beautiful are your tabernacles, O Jacob, and your tents, O Israel!
Que tes tentes sont belles, Jacob! et tes habitations, Israël!
6 They are like forested valleys, like gardens irrigated next to rivers, like tabernacles which the Lord has fixed, like cedars close to waters.
Ils s'étendent comme des vallées, comme des jardins au bord de la rivière, comme des aloès que Yahvé a plantés, comme des cèdres au bord de l'eau.
7 Water shall flow from his jar, and his offspring shall be amid many waters, because Agag, his king, shall be taken, and his kingdom shall be removed.
L'eau coulera de ses seaux. Sa semence sera dans de nombreuses eaux. Son roi sera plus haut qu'Agag. Son royaume sera exalté.
8 Away from Egypt, God has led him, whose strength is like the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.
Dieu le fait sortir d'Égypte. Il a pour ainsi dire la force du bœuf sauvage. Il consumera les nations, ses adversaires, brisera leurs os en morceaux, et les transpercer de ses flèches.
9 Lying down, he has slept like a lion, and like a lioness, whom no one would dare to awaken. He who blesses you, shall himself also be blessed. He who curses you, shall be considered cursed.”
Il s'est couché, il s'est couché comme un lion, comme une lionne; qui le réveillera? Tous ceux qui vous bénissent sont bénis. Tous ceux qui te maudissent sont maudits. »
10 And Balak, being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: “I called you to curse my enemies, and, to the contrary, you have blessed them three times.
La colère de Balak s'enflamma contre Balaam, et il frappa ses mains l'une contre l'autre. Balak dit à Balaam: « Je t'ai appelé pour que tu maudisses mes ennemis, et voici que tu les as tous bénis ces trois fois.
11 Return to your place. I had decided, indeed, to honor you greatly, but the Lord has deprived you of the designated honor.”
C'est pourquoi, fuis à ta place, maintenant! Je pensais te promouvoir à de grands honneurs, mais voici que Yahvé t'en a empêché. »
12 Balaam responded to Balak: “Did I not say to your messengers, whom you sent to me:
Balaam dit à Balak: « N'ai-je pas dit à tes messagers que tu m'as envoyés:
13 Even if Balak would give me his house, filled with silver and gold, I still could not go away from the word of the Lord my God, so as to offer anything, either good or evil, from my own heart; but whatever the Lord will speak, this, too, I shall speak.
« Si Balak me donne sa maison pleine d'argent et d'or, je ne peux pas aller au-delà de la parole de Yahvé, pour faire du bien ou du mal de mon propre chef. Je dirai ce que dit l'Éternel »?
14 Yet truly, as I continue on to my own people, I will give you counsel as to what this people shall do to your people in the end times.”
Maintenant, voici que je vais vers mon peuple. Viens, je vais t'informer de ce que ce peuple fera à ton peuple dans la suite des temps. »
15 Therefore, taking up his parable, he again spoke: “Balaam the son of Beor, the man whose eye has been obstructed,
Il reprit sa parabole, et dit, « Balaam, fils de Beor, dit, l'homme dont les yeux sont ouverts dit;
16 the hearer of the sermon of God, he who knows the doctrine of the Most High, and who sees the visions of the Almighty, who, falling down, has his eyes opened, has declared:
il dit, qui entend les paroles de Dieu, connaît la connaissance du Très-Haut, et qui voit la vision du Tout-Puissant, en tombant, et en ayant les yeux ouverts:
17 I shall see him, but not presently. I shall gaze upon him, but not soon. A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall spring up from Israel. And he shall strike down the commanders of Moab, and he shall devastate all the sons of Seth.
Je le vois, mais pas maintenant. Je le vois, mais pas près. Une étoile sortira de Jacob. Un sceptre s'élèvera d'Israël, et il frappera les coins de Moab, et écraser tous les fils de Sheth.
18 And he shall possess Idumea; the inheritance of Seir shall fall to their enemies. Yet truly, Israel shall act with strength.
Edom sera une possession. Séir, son ennemi, sera aussi une possession, alors qu'Israël le fait vaillamment.
19 From Jacob will be he who shall be ruler. And he shall perish the remnants of the city.”
De Jacob, un seul dominera, et détruira le reste de la ville. »
20 And when he saw Amalek, taking up his parable, he said: “Amalek, first among the Gentiles, whose very end shall be perdition.”
Il regarda Amalek, et reprit sa parabole, et dit, « Amalek était la première des nations, mais sa finalité sera la destruction. »
21 Likewise, he saw the Kainites, and taking up his parable, he said: “Robust, indeed, is your habitation. But though you will set your nest in a rock,
Il regarda le Kenite, et reprit sa parabole, et dit, « Ta demeure est forte. Votre nid est fixé dans la roche.
22 and you will be elect among the stock of Kain, how long will you be able to remain? For Assur shall take you captive.”
Cependant, Kain sera perdue, jusqu'à ce qu'Asshur vous emmène en captivité. »
23 And taking up his parable once more he said: “Alas! Who will be able to survive, when God will do these things?
Il reprit sa parabole, et dit, « Hélas, qui vivra quand Dieu fera cela?
24 They shall arrive in Greek warships from Italy. They shall overcome the Assyrians, and they shall devastate the Hebrews, and yet, at the very end, even they themselves shall perish.”
Mais des navires viendront de la côte de Kittim. Ils feront souffrir Asshur, et ils feront souffrir Eber. Lui aussi viendra à la destruction. »
25 And Balaam rose up, and he returned to his place. Likewise, Balak went back, along the way by which he had arrived.
Balaam se leva, et s'en alla et retourna à sa place; et Balak aussi s'en alla.
