Liber Numeri 24
1 Cumque vidisset Balaam quod placeret Domino ut benediceret Israeli, nequaquam abiit ut ante perrexerat, ut augurium quæreret: sed dirigens contra desertum vultum suum,
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel. he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,
2 et elevans oculos, vidit Israel in tentoriis commorantem per tribus suas: et irruente in se Spiritu Dei,
And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him,
3 assumpta parabola, ait: Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cuius obturatus est oculus:
He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up:
4 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui visionem Omnipotentis intuitus est, qui cadit, et sic aperiuntur oculi eius:
The hearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened:
5 Quam pulchra tabernacula tua Iacob, et tentoria tua Israel!
How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!
6 ut valles nemorosæ, ut horti iuxta fluvios irrigui, ut tabernacula quæ fixit Dominus, quasi cedri prope aquas.
As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside.
7 Fluet aqua de situla eius, et semen illius erit in aquas multas. Tolletur propter Agag, rex eius, et auferetur regnum illius.
Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken awry.
8 Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis. Devorabunt gentes hostes illius, ossaque eorum confringent, et perforabunt sagittis.
God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.
9 Accubans dormivit ut leo, et quasi leæna, quam suscitare nullus audebit. Qui benedixerit tibi, erit et ipse benedictus: qui maledixerit, in maledictione reputabitur.
Lying down he hath slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom none shall dare to rouse. He that blesseth thee, shall also himself be blessed: he that curseth thee shall be reckoned accursed.
10 Iratusque Balac contra Balaam, complosis manibus ait: Ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te, quibus econtrario tertio benedixisti:
And Balac being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou on the contrary hast blessed them three times.
11 revertere ad locum tuum. Decreveram quidem magnifice honorare te, sed Dominus privavit te honore disposito.
Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee.
12 Respondit Balaam ad Balac: Nonne nunciis tuis, quos misisti ad me, dixi:
Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me:
13 Si dederit mihi Balac: plenam domum suam argenti et auri, non potero præterire sermonem Domini Dei mei, ut vel boni quid, vel mali proferam ex corde meo: sed quidquid Dominus dixerit, hoc loquar?
If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to utter any thing of my own head either good or evil: but whatsoever the Lord shall say, that I will speak?
14 Verumtamen pergens ad populum meum, dabo consilium, quid populus tuus populo huic faciat extremo tempore.
But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 Sumpta igitur parabola, rursum ait: Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cuius obturatus est oculus:
Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said:
16 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet oculos.
The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened:
17 Videbo eum, sed non modo: intuebor illum, sed non prope. Orietur stella ex Iacob, et consurget virga de Israel: et percutiet duces Moab, vastabitque omnes filios Seth.
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth.
18 Et erit Idumæa possessio eius: hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Israel vero fortiter aget.
And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully.
19 De Iacob erit qui dominetur. Et perdat reliquias civitatis.
Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city.
20 Cumque vidisset Amalec, assumens parabolam, ait: Principium Gentium Amalec, cuius extrema perdentur.
And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.
21 Vidit quoque Cinæum: et assumpta parabola, ait: Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum: sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum,
He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,
22 et fueris electus de stirpe Cin, quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.
And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive.
23 Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est: Heu, quis victurus est, quando ista faciet Deus?
And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things?
24 Venient in Trieribus de Italia, superabunt Assyrios, vastabuntque Hebræos, et ad extremum etiam ipsi peribunt.
They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.
25 Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.
And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.
