Numbers 1 Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless 巴郎见祝福以色列,为上主所喜悦,就不再像前几次一样先去探求预示,只转面向旷野。 2 When he raised his eyes and saw 巴郎一举目,看见了按支派扎营的以色列人;那时天主的神降在他身上, 3 and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, 他遂吟诗说:"贝敖尔的儿子巴郎的神谕,明眼男子的神谕, 4 The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled: 那听到天主的话,得见全能者的神视,在沉睡中开了神眼的神谕: 5 How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel! 雅各伯,你的帐幕,何其壮观!以色列,你的居所,何其美好! 6 They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the LORD. 如扩展的棕林,似河畔的花园,像上主栽种的沉香,似临水的香柏。 7 His wells shall yield free-flowing waters, he shall have the sea within reach; His king shall rise higher than. . . . and his royalty shall be exalted. 英雄由他的后裔而出,他将治理许多民族;他的君王超越阿加格,他的王国必受举扬。 8 It is God who brought him out of 领他出埃及的天主,为他有如野牛的角。他要吞灭那敌对他的人民,粉碎他们的骨骸,折断他们的箭矢。 9 He lies crouching like a lion, or like a lioness; who shall arouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you! 他蹲伏卧下有如雄狮,又似母狮;谁敢令他起立?祝福你的,必受祝福;咒骂你的,必受咒骂。" 10 1 Balak beat his palms together in a blaze of anger at Balaam and said to him, "It was to curse my foes that I summoned you here; yet three times now you have even blessed them instead! 巴拉克对巴郎大发忿怒,拍手向他说:"我请你来是为咒骂我的仇敌;看,你反祝福他们,且已三次。 11 Be off at once, then, to your home. I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has withheld the reward from you!" 现在你快回你故乡去!我原想丰富地酬谢你,但是,上主夺去了你的酬报。" 12 Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not warn the very messengers whom you sent to me, 巴郎回答巴拉克说:"我不是已对你遣来的使者声明过: 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord to anything, good or evil, contrary to the command of the LORD'? Whatever the LORD says I must repeat. 即使巴拉克给我满屋金银,我也不能违犯上主的命令,任意去行善或作恶,而只能说上主所吩咐的吗? 14 "But now that I am about to go to my own people, let me first warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come." 现在我就要回到我民族那里去;来,让我告诉你这民族日后对你的民族所要做的事。" 15 Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, 于是他吟诗说:"贝敖尔的儿子巴郎的神谕,明眼男子的神谕, 16 The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured and with eyes unveiled. 那听到天主的话,深知至高者的思虑,得见全能者的神视,在沉睡中开了神眼的神谕: 17 2 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from 我看见衪,却不是在现在;我望见衪,却不是在近处:由雅各伯将出现一颗星,由以色列将兴起一权杖,击碎摩阿布的额角,粉碎舍特一切子民的脑盖。 18 Till 厄东将成为他的属地,色依尔将成为他的辖境;以色列必行使威权。 19 and Jacob shall overcome his foes. 由雅各伯将出生一位统治仇敌者,衪要除灭依尔的遗民。" 20 3 Upon seeing Amalek, Balaam gave voice to his oracle: First of the peoples was Amalek, but his end is to perish forever. 以后他望见阿肋玛克,遂吟诗说:"阿肋玛克原是众民之首,但他的结局是永远的灭亡。" 21 4 Upon seeing the Kenites, he gave voice to his oracle: Your abode is enduring, O smith, and your nest is set on a cliff; 后又望见刻尼人,遂吟诗说:"你的居所固然巩固,你的巢穴纵然建在盘石间; 22 Yet destined for burning-- even as I watch--are your inhabitants. 但刻尼人仍要被毁灭,到何时亚述才将你掳去?" 23 5 Upon seeing. . . . he gave voice to his oracle: Alas, who shall survive of Ishmael, 他又吟诗说:"呜呼!若天主履行此事,谁还能生存! 24 to deliver his people from the hands of the Kittim? When they have conquered Asshur and conquered Eber, He too shall perish forever. 从基廷有船来,征服亚述,征服厄贝尔;他们也要永远灭亡。" 25 Then Balaam set out on his journey home; and Balak also went his way. 然后巴郎起身回了本乡;巴拉克也回去了。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [10] Balak beat his palms: a sign of disclaiming any responsibility for paying the promised reward. 2 [17] A star . . . a staff: many of the Fathers have understood this as a Messianic prophecy, although it is not referred to anywhere in the New Testament; in this sense the star is Christ himself, just as he is the staff from Israel; cf Isaiah 11:1. But it is doubtful whether this passage is to be connected with the "star of the Magi" in Matthew 2:1-12. The Shuthites: mentioned in other documents of this period as nomads on the borders of 3 [20] First: literally "the beginning." Amalek was an aboriginal people in 4 [21] The Kenites lived in high strongholds in the mountains of southern 5 [23-24] The translation of this short oracle is based on a reconstructed text and is rather uncertain. Ishmael: the survival of Ishmael is indicated in Genesis 17:20; 21:13, 18. |