Saadia · Bamidbar 24
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- Bamidbar 24:1
וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא-הָלַךְ כְּפַעַם-בְּפַעַם לִקְרַאת נְחָשִׁים וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל-הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו
. . .
And when Balaam saw that it was more fitting before God to bless Israel, he did not proceed as in the first two times in seeking omens, but turned with his intent toward their wilderness.
- Bamidbar 24:2
וַיִּשָּׂא בִלְעָם אֶת-עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל שֹׁכֵן לִשְׁבָטָיו וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים
. .
And when he extended his gaze and saw them encamped according to the order of their tribes, the prophecy of God rested upon him.
- Bamidbar 24:3
וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנוֹ בְעֹר וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן
. .
And he uttered his parable and said: 'Speak, O Balaam son of Beor! And speak, O man of sharp sight!'
- Bamidbar 24:4
נְאֻם--שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי-אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם
. .
'And speak, O hearer of the words of the All-Powerful, and beholder of the visions of the All-Sufficient, who sleeps with open eyes!'
- Bamidbar 24:5
מַה-טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל
.
'How goodly are your tents, O house of Jacob, and your dwellings, O house of Israel!'
- Bamidbar 24:6
כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע יְהוָה כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי-מָיִם
. . .
'For they are like valleys stretched out, and like gardens along a river, and like encampments pitched by God, and like cedars beside water.'
- Bamidbar 24:7
יִזַּל-מַיִם מִדָּלְיָו וְזַרְעוֹ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים וְיָרֹם מֵאֲגַג מַלְכּוֹ וְתִנַּשֵּׂא מַלְכֻתוֹ
. . .
'Water drips from his branches, and his planting is in abundant water; and his king shall rise above Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.'
- Bamidbar 24:8
אֵל מוֹצִיאוֹ מִמִּצְרַיִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לוֹ יֹאכַל גּוֹיִם צָרָיו וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם יְגָרֵם--וְחִצָּיו יִמְחָץ
. . .
'The All-Powerful who brought them out of Egypt is like the wakefulness of the wild ox, a protection over them; and He shall consume his enemies among the nations, and their bones He shall gnaw, and His arrows shall strike them down.'
- Bamidbar 24:9
כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ מְבָרְכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר
. . .
'When he crouches and lies down, he is like a lion and a lioness — who shall rouse him? He who blesses you is blessed, and he who curses you is accursed.'
- Bamidbar 24:10
וַיִּחַר-אַף בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם וַיִּסְפֹּק אֶת-כַּפָּיו וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל-בִּלְעָם לָקֹב אֹיְבַי קְרָאתִיךָ וְהִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים
. . . .
And Balak's anger was greatly kindled against Balaam, and he clapped his two hands in fury, and said to him: 'I summoned you only to curse my enemies — and behold, you have blessed them altogether; this is the third time!'
- Bamidbar 24:11
וְעַתָּה בְּרַח-לְךָ אֶל-מְקוֹמֶךָ אָמַרְתִּי כַּבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ וְהִנֵּה מְנָעֲךָ יְהוָה מִכָּבוֹד
. .
'And now, depart to your place! I had resolved to honor you greatly, but God has withheld you from honor.'
- Bamidbar 24:12
וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל-בָּלָק הֲלֹא גַּם אֶל-מַלְאָכֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר-שָׁלַחְתָּ אֵלַי--דִּבַּרְתִּי לֵאמֹר
. .
Balaam said to him: 'Did I not already say to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying:'
- Bamidbar 24:13
אִם-יִתֶּן-לִי בָלָק מְלֹא בֵיתוֹ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב--לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲבֹר אֶת-פִּי יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹבָה אוֹ רָעָה מִלִּבִּי אֲשֶׁר-יְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֹתוֹ אֲדַבֵּר
. . . . .
'Were Balak to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the command of God, to do good or evil of my own mind — only what God says shall I say, and nothing else.'
- Bamidbar 24:14
וְעַתָּה הִנְנִי הוֹלֵךְ לְעַמִּי לְכָה אִיעָצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים
. . . .
'And now, here I am departing to my people. Come, so that I may inform you of what this people shall do to your people at the end of days.'
- Bamidbar 24:15
וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנוֹ בְעֹר וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן
. .
And he uttered his parable and said: 'Speak, O Balaam son of Beor! And speak, O man of sharp sight!'
- Bamidbar 24:16
נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי-אֵל וְיֹדֵעַ דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם
. . .
'And speak, O hearer of the words of the All-Powerful, and knower of the knowledge of the Most High, and beholder of the visions of the All-Sufficient, who sleeps with open eyes!'
- Bamidbar 24:17
אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב וְקַרְקַר כָּל-בְּנֵי-שֵׁת
. . . .
'A matter I see, though it is not now; and I perceive it, though it is not near — that a star shall rise from the house of Jacob, and a scepter-bearer shall arise from the house of Israel, and shall weaken the sides of Moab, and shall shake the rest of the sons of Shet.'
- Bamidbar 24:18
וְהָיָה אֱדוֹם יְרֵשָׁה וְהָיָה יְרֵשָׁה שֵׂעִיר--אֹיְבָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֹשֶׂה חָיִל
. .
'And Edom shall be utterly destroyed, and likewise Seir and the rest of his enemies; and Israel shall grow in strength ever more.'
- Bamidbar 24:19
וְיֵרְדְּ מִיַּעֲקֹב וְהֶאֱבִיד שָׂרִיד מֵעִיר
.
'And he who rules from the house of Jacob shall destroy the remnant from the towns.'
- Bamidbar 24:20
וַיַּרְא אֶת-עֲמָלֵק וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר רֵאשִׁית גּוֹיִם עֲמָלֵק וְאַחֲרִיתוֹ עֲדֵי אֹבֵד
. . .
Then he saw the Amalekites, and uttered his parable and said: 'The first to make war among the nations was Amalek, and its end is unto destruction.'
- Bamidbar 24:21
וַיַּרְא אֶת-הַקֵּינִי וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר אֵיתָן מוֹשָׁבֶךָ וְשִׂים בַּסֶּלַע קִנֶּךָ
. . .
Then he saw the Kenites, and uttered his parable and said: 'Your seat shall be firm and strong, and you shall set your nest in the rock.'
- Bamidbar 24:22
כִּי אִם-יִהְיֶה לְבָעֵר קָיִן--עַד-מָה אַשּׁוּר תִּשְׁבֶּךָּ
.
'Yet there shall come a time for the exile of the Kenites — how many of them shall the people of Mosul (Asshur) take captive!'
- Bamidbar 24:23
וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר אוֹי מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמוֹ אֵל
. .
And he uttered his parable and said: 'Woe to him who shall be alive when the All-Powerful has brought this upon him!'
- Bamidbar 24:24
וְצִים מִיַּד כִּתִּים וְעִנּוּ אַשּׁוּר וְעִנּוּ-עֵבֶר וְגַם-הוּא עֲדֵי אֹבֵד
. .
'And the Dramians from the harbor of Cyprus shall afflict the people of Mosul and the Hebrews — and they too shall come to destruction.'
- Bamidbar 24:25
וַיָּקָם בִּלְעָם וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב לִמְקֹמוֹ וְגַם-בָּלָק הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ
.
Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place; and Balak too went on his way.
English is a working draft — author revising