Liber Numeri 24
1 Cumque vidisset Balaam quod placeret Domino ut benediceret Israeli, nequaquam abiit ut ante perrexerat, ut augurium quaereret: sed dirigens contra desertum vultum suum,
And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 et elevans oculos, vidit Israel in tentoriis commorantem per tribus suas: et irruente in se spiritu Dei,
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 assumpta parabola ait: Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cuius obturatus est oculus:
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;
4 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui visionem Omnipotentis intuitus est, qui cadit, et sic aperiuntur oculi eius:
He saith, who heareth the words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:
5 Quam pulchra tabernacula tua Iacob, et tentoria tua Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 ut valles nemorosae, ut horti iuxta fluvios irrigui, ut tabernacula quae fixit Dominus, quasi cedri prope aquas.
As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the river-side, As lign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted, As cedar-trees beside the waters.
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 from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis. Devorabunt gentes hostes illius, ossaque eorum confringent, et perforabunt sagittis.
God bringeth him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite [them] through with his arrows.
9 Accubans dormivit ut leo, et quasi leaena, quam suscitare nullus audebit. Qui benedixerit tibi, erit et ipse benedictus: qui maledixerit, in maledictione reputabitur.
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.
10 Iratusque Balac contra Balaam, complosis manibus ait: Ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te, quibus econtrario tertio benedixisti:
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.
11 revertere ad locum tuum. Decreveram quidem magnifice honorare te, sed Dominus privavit te honore disposito.
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honor.
12 Respondit Balaam ad Balac: Nonne nunciis tuis, quos misisti ad me, dixi:
And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 Si dederit mihi Balac: plenam domum argenti et auri, non potero praeterire sermonem Domini Dei mei, ut vel boni quid, vel mali proferam ex corde meo: sed quidquid Dominus dixerit, hoc loquar?
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Jehovah speaketh, that will I speak?
14 Verumtamen pergens ad populum meum, dabo consilium, quid populus tuus populo huic faciat extremo tempore.
And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, [and] I will advertise thee 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:
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;
16 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet oculos.
He saith, who heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:
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 see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.
18 Et erit Idumaea possessio eius: hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Israel vero fortiter aget.
And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, [who were] his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly.
19 De Iacob erit qui dominetur. et perdat reliquias civitatis.
And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city.
20 Cumque vidisset Amalec, assumens parabolam, ait: Principium Gentium Amalec, cuius extrema perdentur.
And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.
21 Vidit quoque Cinaeum: et assumpta parabola, ait: Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum: sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum,
And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.
22 et fueris electus de stirpe Cin, quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.
Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est: Heu, quis victurus est, quando ista faciet Deus?
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?
24 Venient in trieribus de Italia, superabunt Assyrios, vastabuntque Hebraeos, et ad extremum etiam ipsi peribunt.
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.
25 Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.
And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
