Liber Numeri 24
1 cumque vidisset Balaam quod placeret Domino ut benediceret Israheli 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 Israhel in tentoriis commorantem per tribus suas et inruente 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 adsumpta 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 Israhel
How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;
6 ut valles nemorosae ut horti iuxta fluvios inrigui ut tabernacula quae fixit Dominus quasi cedri propter 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 rinocerotis 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 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 conplosis manibus ait ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te quibus e contrario 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 nuntiis 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 suam argenti et auri non potero praeterire sermonem Domini Dei mei ut vel boni quid vel mali proferam ex corde meo sed quicquid 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 huic populo 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 Israhel 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 Idumea possessio eius hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis Israhel 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 Amalech adsumens parabolam ait principium gentium Amalech 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 Cineum et adsumpta parabola ait robustum est quidem 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 Cain quamdiu poteris permanere Assur enim capiet te
But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'
23 adsumptaque 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.
