Numbers 24

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he did not go according to his custom to meet the omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness.

And when Balaam had seen that it was pleasing to the Lord that he should bless Israel, he by no means went out as he had gone before, to seek divination. But directing his face opposite the desert,

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and sees Israel encamped by their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

and lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel dwelling in tents by their tribes. And with the Spirit of God rushing into him,

3 And he took up his parable and said, Balaam son of Beor says, the man who sees truly says,

taking up his parable, he said: “Balaam, the son of Beor, the man whose eye has been obstructed,

4 he says who hears the oracle of the Mighty One, who saw a vision of God in sleep; his eyes were opened:

the hearer of the sermon of God, he who has gazed upon a vision of the Almighty, he who falls down and so his eyes are opened, has declared:

5 How goodly [are] thy habitations, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!

‘How beautiful are your tabernacles, O Jacob, and your tents, O Israel!

6 as shady groves, and as gardens by a river, and as tents which God pitched, and as cedars by the waters.

They are like forested valleys, like gardens irrigated next to rivers, like tabernacles which the Lord has fixed, like cedars close to waters.

7 There shall come a man out of his seed, and he shall rule over many nations; and the kingdom of Gog shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be increased.

Water shall flow from his jar, and his offspring shall be amid many waters, because Agag, his king, shall be taken, and his kingdom shall be removed.

8 God led him out of Egypt; he has as it were the glory of a unicorn: he shall consume the nations of his enemies, and he shall drain their marrow, and with his darts he shall shoot through the enemy.

Away from Egypt, God has led him, whose strength is like the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.

9 He lay down, he rested as a lion, and as a young lion; who shall stir him up? they that bless thee are blessed, and they that curse thee are cursed.

Lying down, he has slept like a lion, and like a lioness, whom no one would dare to awaken. He who blesses you, shall himself also be blessed. He who curses you, shall be considered cursed.”

10 And Balac was angry with Balaam, and clapped his hands together; and Balac said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemy, and behold thou hast decidedly blessed [him] this third time.

And Balak, being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: “I called you to curse my enemies, and, to the contrary, you have blessed them three times.

11 Now therefore flee to thy place: I said, I will honour thee, but now the Lord has deprived thee of glory.

Return to your place. I had decided, indeed, to honor you greatly, but the Lord has deprived you of the designated honor.”

12 And Balaam said to Balac, Did I not speak to thy messengers also whom thou sentest to me, saying,

Balaam responded to Balak: “Did I not say to your messengers, whom you sent to me:

13 If Balac should give me his house full of silver and gold, I shall not be able to transgress the word of the Lord to make it good or bad by myself; whatsoever things God shall say, them will I speak.

Even if Balak would give me his house, filled with silver and gold, I still could not go away from the word of the Lord my God, so as to offer anything, either good or evil, from my own heart; but whatever the Lord will speak, this, too, I shall speak.

14 And now, behold, I return to my place; come, I will advise thee of what this people shall do to thy people in the last days.

Yet truly, as I continue on to my own people, I will give you counsel as to what this people shall do to your people in the end times.”

15 And he took up his parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor says, the man who sees truly says,

Therefore, taking up his parable, he again spoke: “Balaam the son of Beor, the man whose eye has been obstructed,

16 hearing the oracles of God, receiving knowledge from the Most High, and having seen a vision of God in sleep; his eyes were opened.

the hearer of the sermon of God, he who knows the doctrine of the Most High, and who sees the visions of the Almighty, who, falling down, has his eyes opened, has declared:

17 I will point to him, but not now; I bless him, but he draws not near: a star shall rise out of Jacob, a man shall spring out of Israel; and shall crush the princes of Moab, and shall spoil all the sons of Seth.

I shall see him, but not presently. I shall gaze upon him, but not soon. A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall spring up from Israel. And he shall strike down the commanders of Moab, and he shall devastate all the sons of Seth.

18 And Edom shall be an inheritance, and Esau his enemy shall be an inheritance [of Israel], and Israel wrought valiantly.

And he shall possess Idumea; the inheritance of Seir shall fall to their enemies. Yet truly, Israel shall act with strength.

19 And [one] shall arise out of Jacob, and destroy out of the city him that escapes.

From Jacob will be he who shall be ruler. And he shall perish the remnants of the city.”

20 And having seen Amalec, he took up his parable and said, Amalec [is] the first of the nations; yet his seed shall perish.

And when he saw Amalek, taking up his parable, he said: “Amalek, first among the Gentiles, whose very end shall be perdition.”

21 And having seen the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, thy dwelling-place [is] strong; yet though thou shouldest put thy nest in a rock,

Likewise, he saw the Kainites, and taking up his parable, he said: “Robust, indeed, is your habitation. But though you will set your nest in a rock,

22 and though Beor should have a skillfully contrived hiding-place, the Assyrians shall carry thee away captive.

and you will be elect among the stock of Kain, how long will you be able to remain? For Assur shall take you captive.”

23 And he looked upon Og, and took up his parable and said, Oh, oh, who shall live, when God shall do these things?

And taking up his parable once more he said: “Alas! Who will be able to survive, when God will do these things?

24 And one shall come forth from the hands of the Citians, and shall afflict Assur, and shall afflict the Hebrews, and they shall perish together.

They shall arrive in Greek warships from Italy. They shall overcome the Assyrians, and they shall devastate the Hebrews, and yet, at the very end, even they themselves shall perish.”

25 And Balaam rose up and departed and returned to his place, and Balac went to his own home.

And Balaam rose up, and he returned to his place. Likewise, Balak went back, along the way by which he had arrived.