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 towards the wilderness.

Now when Balaam saw that it was the Lord's pleasure to give his blessing to Israel, he did not, as at other times, make use of secret arts, but turning his face to the waste land,

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 there, with their tents in the order of their tribes: and the spirit of God came on him.

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

And moved by the spirit, he said, These are the words of Balaam, son of Beor, the words of the man whose eyes are open:

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

He says, whose ears are open to the words of God, who has seen the vision of the Ruler of all, falling down, but having his eyes open:

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

How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your houses, 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 stretched out like valleys, like gardens by the riverside, like flowering trees planted by the Lord, like cedar-trees by the 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.

Peoples will be in fear before his strength, his arm will be on great nations: his king will be higher than Agag, and his kingdom made great in honour.

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.

It is God who has taken him out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox; the nations warring against him will be his food, their bones will be broken, they will be wounded with his arrows.

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

He took his sleep stretched out like a lion, and like a she-lion: by whom will his rest be broken? May a blessing be on everyone who gives you blessing, and a curse on everyone by whom you are cursed.

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

Then Balak was full of wrath against Balaam, and angrily waving his hands he said to Balaam, I sent for you so that those who are against me might be cursed, but now, see, three times you have given them a blessing.

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

Go back quickly to the place you came from: it was my purpose to give you a place of honour, but now the Lord has kept you back from honour.

12 And Balaam said to Balac, Did I not speak to your messengers also whom you sent to me, saying,

Then Balaam said to Balak, Did I not say to the men 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; whatever things God shall say, them will I speak.

Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, it would not be possible for me to go outside the orders of the Lord, doing good or evil at the impulse of my mind; whatever the Lord says I will say?

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

So now I will go back to my people: but first let me make clear to you what this people will do to your people in days to come.

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

Then he went on with his story and said, These are the words of Balaam, the son of Beor, the words of him whose eyes are open:

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.

He says, whose ear is open to the words of God, who has knowledge of the Most High, who has seen the vision of the Ruler of all, falling down and having his eyes open:

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 see him, but not now: looking on him, but not near: a star will come out of Jacob, and a rod of authority out of Israel, sending destruction to the farthest limits of Moab and on the head of all the sons of Sheth.

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

Edom will be his heritage, and he will put an end to the last of the people of Seir.

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

And Israel will go on in strength, and Jacob will have rule over his haters.

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

Then, turning his eyes to Amalek, he went on with his story and said, Amalek was the first of the nations, but his part will be destruction for ever.

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

And looking on the Kenites he went on with his story and said, Strong is your living-place, and your secret place is safe in the rock.

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

But still the Kenites will be wasted, till Asshur takes you away prisoner.

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

Then he went on with his story and said, But who may keep his life when God does this?

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.

But ships will come from the direction of Kittim, troubling Asshur and troubling Eber, and like the others their fate will be destruction.

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

Then Balaam got up and went back to his place: and Balak went away.