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 Bil'am saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for 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 Bil'am lifted up his eyes, and when he saw Israel encamped according to their tribes, there came upon him the spirit of God.
3 assumpta parabola ait: Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cuius obturatus est oculus:
And he took up his parable, and said, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;
4 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui visionem Omnipotentis intuitus est, qui cadit, et sic aperiuntur oculi eius:
Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed eyes:
5 Quam pulchra tabernacula tua Iacob, et tentoria tua Israel!
How beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwelling, O Israel!
6 ut valles nemorosae, ut horti iuxta fluvios irrigui, ut tabernacula quae fixit Dominus, quasi cedri prope aquas.
As streams are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as aloe-trees, which the Lord 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 runneth out of His buckets, that his seed may be moistened by abundance of water; and exalted above Agag shall be his king, and raised on high shall be his kingdom.
8 Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis. Devorabunt gentes hostes illius, ossaque eorum confringent, et perforabunt sagittis.
God, who brought him forth out of Egypt, is to him like the heights of the reem; he will devour nations, his oppressors, and their bones will he break, and pierce [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 coucheth, he lieth down as a lion, and as a lioness: who shall make him rise up? They that bless thee be blessed, and they that curse thee be cursed.
10 Iratusque Balac contra Balaam, complosis manibus ait: Ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te, quibus econtrario tertio benedixisti:
And the anger of Balak was kindled against Bil'am, and he struck his hands together: and Balak said unto Bil'am, To denounce my enemies did I call thee, and, behold, thou hast even blessed them these three times.
11 revertere ad locum tuum. Decreveram quidem magnifice honorare te, sed Dominus privavit te honore disposito.
And now flee thou to thy place: I thought to honor thee greatly; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.
12 Respondit Balaam ad Balac: Nonne nunciis tuis, quos misisti ad me, dixi:
And Bil'am said unto Balak, Did I not already speak to thy messengers, whom 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 could not transgress the order of the Lord, to do good or evil out of my own heart: what the Lord will speak, that must I speak?
14 Verumtamen pergens ad populum meum, dabo consilium, quid populus tuus populo huic faciat extremo tempore.
And now, behold, I am going unto my people: come, I will advise thee against what this people will do to thy people in the end of 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, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;
16 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet oculos.
Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed eyes:
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 steppeth forth a star out of Jacob, and there ariseth a sceptre out of Israel, and he pierceth the chiefs of Moab, and destroyeth all the children of Sheth.
18 Et erit Idumaea possessio eius: hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Israel vero fortiter aget.
And Edom shall be a conquest, and Seir shall be a conquest for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 De Iacob erit qui dominetur. et perdat reliquias civitatis.
And there shall rule the one from Jacob, and he shall destroy whatever escapeth out of the city.
20 Cumque vidisset Amalec, assumens parabolam, ait: Principium Gentium Amalec, cuius extrema perdentur.
And he looked on Amalek, and he took up his parable, and said, The first of nations is Amalek; but his latter end shall be destruction for ever.
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 Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and placed on the rock is thy nest.
22 et fueris electus de stirpe Cin, quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.
Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted: whither will Asshur 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 doth appoint this one?
24 Venient in trieribus de Italia, superabunt Assyrios, vastabuntque Hebraeos, et ad extremum etiam ipsi peribunt.
But ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict 'Eber; and he also will be given to destruction for ever.
25 Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.
And Bil'am rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
