Numbers 24
1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Balaam vit que Yahweh avait pour agréable de bénir Israël, et il n’alla pas, comme les autres fois, à la rencontre des signes magiques; mais il tourna son visage du côté du désert.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him.
Ayant levé les yeux, il vit Israël campé par tribus; et l’Esprit de Dieu fut sur lui,
3 And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;
et il prononça son discours, en disant: Oracle de Balaam fils de Béor, oracle de l’homme dont l’œil est fermé;
4 The saying of him who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
oracle de celui qui entend les paroles de Dieu, qui contemple la vision du Tout-Puissant, qui tombe, et dont les yeux s’ouvrent.
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
Qu’elles sont belles tes tentes, ô Jacob, tes demeures, ô Israël!
6 As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as aloes planted of the LORD, as cedars beside the waters;
Elles s’étendent comme des vallées, comme des jardins au bord d’un fleuve, comme des aloès que Yahweh a plantés, comme des cèdres sur le bord des eaux.
7 Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
L’eau déborde de ses deux seaux, sa race croît sur des eaux abondantes, son roi s’élève au-dessus d’Agag, et son royaume est exalté!
8 God who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows.
Dieu le fait sortir d’Égypte: il lui donne la vigueur du buffle. Il dévore les nations qui lui font la guerre. Il brise leurs os et les foudroie de ses flèches.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, and cursed be every one that curseth thee.
Il ploie les genoux, il se couche comme un lion, comme une lionne; qui le fera lever? Béni soit qui te bénira et maudit soit qui te maudira!
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam: 'I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
La colère de Balac s’enflamma contre Balaam, et il frappa des mains; et Balac dit à Balaam: « Je t’ai appelé pour maudire mes ennemis, et voici, tu n’as fait que les bénir ces trois fois!
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place; I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.'
Et maintenant fuis, va-t’en chez toi! J’avais dit que je te comblerais d’honneur; et voici, Yahweh t’écarte de l’honneur. »
12 And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:
Balaam répondit à Balac: « N’ai-je pas dit à tes messagers que tu m’as envoyés:
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what the LORD speaketh, that will I speak?
Quand Balac me donnerait plein sa maison d’argent et d’or, je ne pourrai transgresser l’ordre de Yahweh, en faisant de moi-même une chose bonne ou mauvaise; mais ce que Yahweh me dira, je le dirai?
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.'
Et maintenant, voici, je m’en vais vers mon peuple; viens donc, que je t’annonce ce que ce peuple fera à ton peuple dans la suite des jours. »
15 And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;
Et Balaam prononça son discours et dit: Oracle de Balaam, fils de Béor, oracle de l’homme dont l’œil est fermé;
16 The saying of him who heareth the words of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
oracle de celui qui entend les paroles de Dieu, qui connaît la science du Très-Haut, qui contemple la vision du Tout-puissant, qui tombe, et dont les yeux s’ouvrent.
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth.
Je le vois, mais non comme présent; je le contemple, mais non de près. Un astre sort de Jacob, un sceptre s’élève d’Israël. Il brise les deux flancs de Moab, il extermine tous les fils du tumulte.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel doeth valiantly.
Edom est sa possession; Séïr, son ennemi, est sa possession, et Israël déploie sa vaillance.
19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.
De Jacob sort un dominateur, il fait périr dans les villes ce qui reste d’Edom.
20 And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction.
Balaam vit Amalec, et il prononça son discours et dit: Amalec est la première des nations et sa fin sera la ruine.
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;
Balaam vit le Cinéen, et il prononça son discours et dit: Ta demeure est solide, et ton nid posé sur le roc.
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
Toutefois le Cinéen ira se consumant; jusqu’à quand? Assur l’emmènera en captivité.
23 And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live after God hath appointed him?
Balaam prononça son discours et dit: Hélas! qui subsistera quand Dieu fera cela?
24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, and they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.
Des navires viennent de Citthim; ils oppriment Assur, ils oppriment Héber, et lui aussi est voué à la ruine.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
Balaam s’étant levé, se mit en route et s’en retourna chez lui; Balac s’en alla aussi de son côté.
