القراءة بلغتين

ورأَى بِلْعامُ أَنَّه يَحسُنُ في عَينَيِ الرَّبِّ أَن يُبارِكَ إِسْرائيل، فلم يَمضِ كالمَرَّتَينِ الأُولَيَينِ في طَلَبِ التَّكَهُّنات، بل تَوَجَّهَ إِلى البَرِّيَّة

ورَفَعَ بِلْعامُ عَينَيه ورأَى إِسْرائيلَ مُخَيِّمًا بِحَسَبِ أَسْباطِه. فنَزَلَ علَيه رُوحُ الله

فأَنشَدَ قَصيدَتَه وقال: «كَلامُ بِلْعامَ بنِ بَعور كَلامُ الرَّجُلِ الثَّاقِبِ النَّظَر

كَلامُ مَن سَمِعَ أَقوالَ الله مَن رأى ما يُريه القَدير مَن يَقَعُ فَتَنفَتِحُ عَيناه

ما أَجمَلَ خِيامَكَ يا يَعْقوب ومَساكِنَكَ يا إِسْرائيل

مُنبَسِطَةٌ كأَودِيَة وكَجَنَّاتٍ على نَهْر كَعودِ نَدٍّ غَرَسَها الرَّبّ وكأَرزٍ على مِياه

رَجُلٌ مِن زَرعِه يَخرُج وشُعوبًا كثيرةً يَسود. مَلِكُه على أَجَجَ يَرتَفِع ومَملَكَتُه تَتَسامى

إِنَّ اللهَ، الَّذي مِن مِصرَ يُخرِجُه هو كَقُرونِ الجاموسِ لَه. جُثَثَ أَعْدائِه يَفتَرِس وعِظامَهم يُحَطِّم وبِسِهامِه يَضرِب

جَثَمَ ورَبَضَ كأَسَدٍ وكلَبُؤَةٍ فمَن ذا يُقيمُه؟ مُبارِكُكَ مُبارَكٌ ولاعِنُكَ مَلْعون»

فغَضِبَ بالاقُ على بِلْعام وصَفَّقَ بِكَفَّيه وقالَ بالاقُ لِبِلْعام: «إِنَّما دَعَوتُك لِتَلعَنَ أَعْدائي، فإِذا بِكَ قد بارَكتَهم ثَلاثَ مَرَّات

فٱنصَرِفِ الآنَ إِلى مَوضِعِكَ. كُنتُ قد قُلتُ إِنِّي أُكرِمُكَ، فإِذا بِالرَّبِّ قد مَنَعَ عنكَ الإِكرام»

فقالَ بِلْعامُ لِبالاق: «أَلَم أَقُلْ لِرُسُلِكَ الَّذينَ أَرسَلتَهم إِلَيَّ

لو أَعْطاني بالاقُ مِلْءَ بَيتِه فِضَّةً وذَهَبًا لم أَستَطِعْ أَن أَتَجاوَزَ أَمرَ الرَّبّ، فأَعمَلَ حَسَنَةً أَو سَيِّئَةً مِنْ تِلْقاءِ نَفْسي، وإِنَّما ما يَقولُه الرَّبُّ إِيَّاه أَقول؟

والآنَ هاءَنَذا مُنصَرِفٌ إِلى قَومي. تعالَ أُنبِئُكَ بِما يَصنَعُ ذٰلك الشَّعبُ بِشَعبِكَ في آخِرِ الأَيَّام»

ثُمَّ أَنشَدَ قَصيدَتَه وقال: «كَلامُ بِلْعامَ بنِ بَعور كَلامُ الرَّجُلِ الثَّاقِبِ النَّظَر

كَلامُ مَن سَمِعَ أَقوالَ الله ومَن عَرَفَ مَعرِفَةَ العَلِيّ ومَن يَرى ما يُريه القَدير ومَن يَقَعُ فَتَنفَتِحُ عَيناه

أَراه وليسَ في الحاضِر أُبصِرُه وليس من قَريب. يَخرُجُ كَوكَبٌ مِن يَعْقوب ويَقومُ صَولَجانٌ مِن إِسْرائيل فيُحَطِّمُ صُدغَي موآب وجُمجُمةَ جَميعِ بَني شِيت

أَدومُ يَكونُ لَه ميراثًا وسِعيرُ الأَعْداءِ مِلْكًا وإِسْرائيلُ يُعمِلُ قُوَّتَه

مِن يَعْقوبَ يَخرُجُ سَيِّد فيُهلِكُ كُلَّ ناجٍ مِن عار»

ثُمَّ رأَى بِلْعامُ عَماليق، فأَنشَدَ قَصيدَتَه وقال: «أَوَّلُ الأُمَمِ عَماليق وآخِرَتُه إِلى الهَلاك»

ثُمَّ رأَى القَينِيِّين، فأَنشَدَ قَصيدَتَه وقالَ: «مَتينٌ مَسكِنُكَ وعلى الصَّخرَةِ وَكرُكَ

لٰكِنَّ الوَكْرَ لِبَعور فإلامَ يَسْبيكَ أَشُّور؟»

ثُمَّ أَنشَدَ قَصيدَتَه وقال: «واهًا! مَن يَكونُ حَيًّا إِذا صَنَعَ اللهُ هٰذا؟

مِن ناحِيَةِ كِتَّيمَ تأتي سُفُن فتُذِلُّ أَشُّورَ وتُذِلُّ عِبْرًا وإِلى الهَلاكِ هو أَيضًا»

ثُمَّ قامَ بِلْعامُ فٱنصَرَفَ راجِعًا إِلى مَنزِلِه ومضى بالاقُ أيضًا في سَبيلِه

When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.

He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;

he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:

How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your dwellings, Israel!

As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which the LORD has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters.

Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted.

God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.

He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”

Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.

Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, the LORD has kept you back from honor.”

Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,

‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the LORD’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what the LORD says’?

Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”

He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;

he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:

I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and crush all the sons of Sheth.

Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.

Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”

He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall come to destruction.”

He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.

Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.”

He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?

But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.”

Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.