Chapter 24
1 Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless Israel, did not go aside as before to seek omens, but turned his gaze toward the desert.
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 Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him,
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 Egypt, a wild bull of towering might. He shall devour the nations like grass, their bones he shall strip bare.
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 Israel, That shall smite the brows of Moab, and the skulls of all the Shuthites,
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 Edom is dispossessed, and no fugitive is left in Seir. Israel shall do valiantly,
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 Palestine.
3 [20] First: literally ＂the beginning.＂ Amalek was an aboriginal people in Palestine and therefore considered as of great antiquity. There is a deliberate contrast here between the words first and end.
4 [21] The Kenites lived in high strongholds in the mountains of southern Palestine and the Sinai Peninsula, and were skilled in working the various metals found in their territory. Their name is connected, at least by popular etymology, with the Hebrew word for ＂smith＂; of similar sound is the Hebrew word for ＂nest＂-hence the play on words in the present passage.
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.