1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel, he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert, 2 And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him, 3 He took up his parable and said:
Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye is stopped up:
4 The bearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened:
5 How beautiful are thy tabernacles O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!
6 As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside.
7 Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken away.
8 God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.
9 Lying down he hath slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom none shall dare to rouse. He that blesseth thee, shall also himself be blessed: he that curseth thee shall be reckoned accursed.
10 And Balac being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou on the contrary hast blessed them three times. 11 Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee. 12 Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me: 13 If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to utter any thing of my own head either good or evil: but whatsoever the Lord shall say, that I will speak? 14 But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. 15 Therefore taking up his parable, again he said:
Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said:
16 The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened:
17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A star shall rise out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth
18 And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully.
19 Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city.
20 And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.
21 He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said:
Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,
22 And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive.
23 And taking up his parable, again he said:
Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things?
24 They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.
25 And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.
Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899
1 Cumque vidisset Balaam quod placeret Domino ut benediceret Israëli, nequaquam abiit ut ante perrexerat, ut augurium quæreret: sed dirigens contra desertum vultum suum, 2 et elevans oculos, vidit Israël in tentoriis commorantem per tribus suas: et irruente in se spiritu Dei, 3 assumpta parabola, ait:
Dixit Balaam filius Beor:
dixit homo, cujus obturatus est oculus:
4 dixit auditor sermonum Dei,
qui visionem Omnipotentis intuitus est,
qui cadit, et sic aperiuntur oculi ejus:
5 Quam pulchra tabernacula tua, Jacob,
et tentoria tua, Israël!
6 ut valles nemorosæ,
ut horti juxta fluvios irrigui,
ut tabernacula quæ fixit Dominus,
quasi cedri prope aquas.
7 Fluet aqua de situla ejus,
et semen illius erit in aquas multas.
Tolletur propter Agag, rex ejus,
et auferetur regnum illius.
8 Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto,
cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.
Devorabunt gentes hostes illius,
ossaque eorum confringent, et perforabunt sagittis.
9 Accubans dormivit ut leo,
et quasi leæna, quam suscitare nullus audebit.
Qui benedixerit tibi, erit et ipse benedictus:
qui maledixerit, in maledictione reputabitur.
10 Iratusque Balac contra Balaam, complosis manibus ait: Ad maledicendum inimicis meis vocavi te, quibus e contrario tertio benedixisti: 11 revertere ad locum tuum. Decreveram quidem magnifice honorare te, sed Dominus privavit te honore disposito. 12 Respondit Balaam ad Balac: Nonne nuntiis tuis, quos misisti ad me, dixi: 13 Si 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? 14 verumtamen pergens ad populum meum, dabo consilium, quid populus tuus populo huic faciat extremo tempore. 15 Sumpta igitur parabola, rursum ait:
Dixit Balaam filius Beor:
dixit homo, cujus obturatus est oculus:
16 dixit auditor sermonum Dei,
qui novit doctrinam Altissimi,
et visiones Omnipotentis videt,
qui cadens apertos habet oculos:
17 Videbo 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.
18 Et erit Idumæa possessio ejus:
hæreditas Seir cedet inimicis suis:
Israël vero fortiter aget.
19 De Jacob erit qui dominetur,
et perdat reliquias civitatis.
20 Cumque vidisset Amalec, assumens parabolam, ait:
Principium gentium Amalec,
cujus extrema perdentur.
21 Vidit quoque Cinæum: et assumpta parabola, ait:
Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum:
sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum,
22 et fueris electus de stirpe Cin,
quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.
23 Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est:
Heu! quis victurus est,
quando ista faciet Deus?
24 Venient in trieribus de Italia:
superabunt Assyrios, vastabuntque Hebræos, et ad extremum etiam ipsi peribunt.
25 Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.
Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition