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, voyant que l’Éternel se plaisait à bénir Israël, n’eut plus recours, comme précédemment, à des opérations magiques, mais 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.

En y portant ses regards, Balaam vit Israël, dont les tribus s’y déployaient; et l’esprit divin s’empara de 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 proféra son oracle en ces termes: "Parole de Balaam, fils de Beor, parole de l’homme au clairvoyant regard,

4 The saying of him who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:

de celui qui entend le verbe divin, qui perçoit la vision du Tout-Puissant il fléchit, mais son œil reste ouvert:

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 se développent comme des vallées, comme des vergers le long d’un fleuve; Dieu les a plantées comme des aloès, comme des cèdres au 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.

La sève ruisselle de ses branches, et sa graine est abondamment arrosée; son roi est plus grand que n’est Agag, sa royauté est souveraine!

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.

Quand Dieu le fit sortir de l’Egypte, son élan fut celui du réêm; iI dévore les peuples qui l’attaquent, il brise leurs os, trempe ses flèches dans leur sang.

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 se couche, il repose comme le lion et le léopard: qui osera le réveiller? Heureux ceux qui te bénissent! Malheur à qui te maudit."

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.

Balak, enflammé de colère contre Balaam, frappa des mains, et il dit à Balaam: "C’Est pour maudire mes ennemis que je t’avais appelé, et tu as persisté à les bénir, par 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.'

Eh bien donc, fuis dans ton pays; je voulais te combler d’honneurs, et voici que l’Éternel t’en a frustré!"

12 And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:

Balaam repartit à Balak: "N’Avais-je pas déjà, aux messagers que tu m’avais envoyés, répondu en ces termes:

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 Balak me donnerait de l’argent et de l’or plein son palais, je ne saurais désobéir à la voix de l’Éternel, en agissant bien ou mal de mon chef; ce que dira l’Éternel, 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, je m’en retourne chez mon peuple; mais écoute, je veux t’avertir de ce que ce peuple-ci fera au tien 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 il proféra son oracle de la sorte: "Parole de Balaam, fils de Beor, parole de l’homme au lucide regard,

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:

de celui qui entend le verbe divin et connaît le secret du Très-Haut qui perçoit la vision du Tout-Puissant, qui fléchit, mais dont l’œil reste ouvert:

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 ce n’est pas encore l’heure; je le distingue; mais il n’est pas proche: un astre s’élance de Jacob, et une comète surgit du sein d’Israël, qui écrasera les sommités de Moab et renversera tous les enfants de l’orgueil,

18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel doeth valiantly.

fera sa proie de l’Idumée, sa proie de Séir, ses ennemis; et Israël triomphera.

19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.

Oui, un dominateur naîtra de Jacob, qui balaiera des villes leurs derniers habitants."

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.

Puis il vit Amalec, et il proféra son oracle en disant: "Amalec était le premier des peuples; mais son avenir est voué à la perdition."

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;

Il vit le Kénéen, et il proféra son oracle en disant: "Fortifie ta demeure! Pose ton nid sur le rocher!

22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

Car, s’il est consumé, ô Kénéen, en combien peu de temps Assur te fera captif!"

23 And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live after God hath appointed him?

Il proféra encore son oracle et il dit: "Hélas! Qui peut vivre quand Dieu ne l’a pas voulu?

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 flottes, parties de la côte de Kitttm, subjugueront Assur, subjugueront Héber mais 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.

Alors Balaam se leva et reprit le chemin de son pays; et Balak aussi se remit en route.