Liber Numeri 24
Clementine Vulgate, 1598Translation
Clementine Vulgate, 1598
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
1Cumque vidisset Balaam quod placeret Domino ut benediceret Israëli, nequaquam abiit ut ante perrexerat, ut augurium quæreret: sed dirigens contra desertum vultum suum,
1And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2et elevans oculos, vidit Israël in tentoriis commorantem per tribus suas: et irruente in se spiritu Dei,
2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3assumpta parabola, ait: [Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cujus obturatus est oculus:
3And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;
4dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui visionem Omnipotentis intuitus est, qui cadit, et sic aperiuntur oculi ejus:
4The saying of him who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
5Quam pulchra tabernacula tua, Jacob, et tentoria tua, Israël !
5How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
6ut valles nemorosæ, ut horti juxta fluvios irrigui, ut tabernacula quæ fixit Dominus, quasi cedri prope aquas.
6As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as aloes planted of the LORD, as cedars beside the waters;
7Fluet aqua de situla ejus, et semen illius erit in aquas multas. Tolletur propter Agag, rex ejus, et auferetur regnum illius.
7Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis. Devorabunt gentes hostes illius, ossaque eorum confringent, et perforabunt sagittis.
8God who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9Accubans dormivit ut leo, et quasi leæna, quam suscitare nullus audebit. Qui benedixerit tibi, erit et ipse benedictus: qui maledixerit, in maledictione reputabitur.]
9He 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.
10Iratusque Balac contra Balaam, complosis manibus ait: Ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te, quibus e contrario tertio benedixisti:
10And 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.
11revertere ad locum tuum. Decreveram quidem magnifice honorare te, sed Dominus privavit te honore disposito.
11Therefore now flee thou to thy place; I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.'
12Respondit Balaam ad Balac: Nonne nuntiis tuis, quos misisti ad me, dixi:
12And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:
13Si 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?
13If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what the LORD speaketh, that will I speak?
14verumtamen pergens ad populum meum, dabo consilium, quid populus tuus populo huic faciat extremo tempore.
14And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.'
15Sumpta igitur parabola, rursum ait: [Dixit Balaam filius Beor: dixit homo, cujus obturatus est oculus:
15And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;
16dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet oculos:
16The saying of him who heareth the words of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
17Videbo eum, sed non modo: intuebor illum, sed non prope. Orietur stella ex Jacob, et consurget virga de Israël: et percutiet duces Moab, vastabitque omnes filios Seth.
17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth.
18Et erit Idumæa possessio ejus: hæreditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Israël vero fortiter aget.
18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel doeth valiantly.
19De Jacob erit qui dominetur, et perdat reliquias civitatis.]
19And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.
20Cumque vidisset Amalec, assumens parabolam, ait: [Principium gentium Amalec, cujus extrema perdentur.]
20And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction.
21Vidit quoque Cinæum: et assumpta parabola, ait: [Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum: sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum,
21And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;
22et fueris electus de stirpe Cin, quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.]
22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est: [Heu ! quis victurus est, quando ista faciet Deus?
23And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live after God hath appointed him?
24Venient in trieribus de Italia: superabunt Assyrios, vastabuntque Hebræos, et ad extremum etiam ipsi peribunt.]
24But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, and they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.
25Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.
25And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
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