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.

Balaam now realized that Yahweh wanted to bless the Israeli people, [not curse them]. So he did not use magic/divination [like a shaman would do] to find out what Yahweh wanted, as he often did. Instead, he turned toward the desert.

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

He saw the Israeli people camped there [in their tents], with each tribe gathered in its own group. Then the Spirit of God took control of him,

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

and enabled him to give this prophetic message to Balak: “I, Balaam, the son of Beor, am giving this prophecy; I am speaking as a man who sees [what will happen in the future] clearly speaks.

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

I hear this message from God; I see a vision from him who is all-powerful. My eyes are open as I prostrate myself in front of him.

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

You descendants of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful; they are truly lovely!

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

Your tents are spread out [in front of me like groves of palm trees in] valleys, like gardens alongside a river. They are like strong aloe trees/plants that Yahweh has planted, like [strong] cedar trees [that grow] along the rivers.

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.

Your water buckets will always be full; the seeds [that you plant] will always have plenty of water [to make them grow]. The Israelis’ king will be greater than [King] Agag; the kingdom that he rules will be honored.

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.

God brought the Israelis out of Egypt, [leading them along] with his great power [MTY] like a wild ox has. He devastates all the nations that oppose him; he breaks all those people’s bones into pieces, and shoots them 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.

The Israelis are like lions that crouch and lie down, [ready to pounce on their prey] [SIM]. They are like lionesses [that are resting, but ready to attack]; no one [RHQ] would dare to arouse them! [God] will bless everyone who blesses you Israelis, and he will curse everyone who curses you.”

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 King Balak was extremely angry with Balaam. He showed with his hands that he was very angry, and he [shouted at Balaam], “I summoned you here to curse my enemies! Instead, you have (blessed/asked God to bless) them three times!

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

So now, get out of here! Go back home! I said that I would pay you a lot of money [if you cursed them], but Yahweh has prevented you from getting any pay!”

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

Balaam said to Balak, “[Do you not remember what] [RHQ] I told the messengers that you sent to me? I said,

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 would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not disobey Yahweh. I cannot do anything bad or anything that is good [that he does not approve of].’ And I told you that I could say only what Yahweh says to me.

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 yes, I will return to my people, but first, allow me to tell you what will happen to you Moab people in the future.”

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

So Balaam said this [to Balak]: “I, Balaam, son of Beor, am again giving a prophecy, speaking as a man who sees [what will happen in the future] clearly speaks.

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.

I hear a message from God; I know things that God, who lives in heaven, has [revealed to me]. I see a vision from him who is all-powerful. My eyes are open as I prostrate myself in front of him.

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.

The things that I see [in the vision] are not [going to happen] now; I see things [that God will cause to happen] in the future. A man who is [a descendant of] Jacob will appear like a star [MET]; a king who holds a scepter will be one of the Israeli people. He will crush the heads of you people of Moab; he will wipe out the descendants of Seth.

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

The Israelis will occupy Edom, and they will conquer their enemies [who live near] Seir [Mountain]. The Israeli people will be victorious/strong.

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

A ruler who is a descendant of Jacob will come; he will get rid of the people who still live in the city [where Balaam first met Balak].”

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 Balaam looked out over where the Amalek people-group [lived], and he prophesied this: “The Amalek people-group were the greatest nation, but they will be wiped out.”

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,

Then he looked out over the area where the Ken people-group [lived], and he prophesied this: “You [think that] the place where you live is secure/safe like a nest that is made in the cliffs [MET],

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

but you will be wiped out when the army of Assyria conquers you.”

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

Balaam ended his prophecies by saying, “Also, (who can (survive/escape) when God does all these things?/no one will be able to (survive/escape) when God does all these things!) [RHQ]

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.

Ships will come from Cyprus [Island], and [the men in those ships] will defeat [the armies of] Assyria and Eber. But God will get rid of those men, too.”

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

Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.