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 Balaam seeth that [it is] good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face;
2 et elevans oculos, vidit Israel in tentoriis commorantem per tribus suas: et irruente in se spiritu Dei,
and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,
3 assumpta parabola ait: Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cuius obturatus est oculus:
and he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor — And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut —
4 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui visionem Omnipotentis intuitus est, qui cadit, et sic aperiuntur oculi eius:
An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God — Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling — and eyes uncovered:
5 Quam pulchra tabernacula tua Iacob, et tentoria tua Israel!
How good have been 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 they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;
7 Fluet aqua de situla eius, et semen illius erit in aquas multas. Tolletur propter Agag, rex eius, et auferetur regnum illius.
He maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed [is] in many waters; And higher than Agag [is] his king, And exalted is his kingdom.
8 Deus eduxit illum de Aegypto, cuius fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis. Devorabunt gentes hostes illius, ossaque eorum confringent, et perforabunt sagittis.
God is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And [with] his arrows he smiteth,
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 hath bent, he hath lain down as a lion, And as a lioness: who doth raise him up? He who is blessing thee [is] blessed, And he who is cursing thee [is] cursed.'
10 Iratusque Balac contra Balaam, complosis manibus ait: Ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te, quibus econtrario tertio benedixisti:
And the anger of Balak burneth against Balaam, and he striketh his hands; and Balak saith unto Balaam, 'To pierce mine enemies I called thee, and lo, thou hast certainly blessed — these three times;
11 revertere ad locum tuum. Decreveram quidem magnifice honorare te, sed Dominus privavit te honore disposito.
and now, flee for thyself unto thy place; I have said, I do greatly honour thee, and lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honour.'
12 Respondit Balaam ad Balac: Nonne nunciis tuis, quos misisti ad me, dixi:
And Balaam saith unto Balak, 'Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, 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 doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah, to do good or evil of mine own heart — that which Jehovah speaketh — it I speak?
14 Verumtamen pergens ad populum meum, dabo consilium, quid populus tuus populo huic faciat extremo tempore.
and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee [concerning] that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.'
15 Sumpta igitur parabola, rursum ait: Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cuius obturatus est oculus:
And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor — And an affirmation of the man whose eyes [are] shut —
16 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet oculos.
An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God — And knowing knowledge of the Most High; A vision of the Almighty he seeth, Falling — and eyes uncovered:
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 it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.
18 Et erit Idumaea possessio eius: hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Israel vero fortiter aget.
And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, [for] its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;
19 De Iacob erit qui dominetur. et perdat reliquias civitatis.
And [one] doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'
20 Cumque vidisset Amalec, assumens parabolam, ait: Principium Gentium Amalec, cuius extrema perdentur.
And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'A beginning of the Goyim [is] Amalek; And his latter end — for ever he perisheth.'
21 Vidit quoque Cinaeum: et assumpta parabola, ait: Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum: sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum,
And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Enduring [is] thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,
22 et fueris electus de stirpe Cin, quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.
But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'
23 Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est: Heu, quis victurus est, quando ista faciet Deus?
And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Alas! who doth live when God doth this?
24 Venient in trieribus de Italia, superabunt Assyrios, vastabuntque Hebraeos, et ad extremum etiam ipsi peribunt.
And — ships [are] from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.'
25 Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.
And Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.
