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.

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

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

Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.”

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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, 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:

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. 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.

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

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

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

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

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.”

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,

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

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

Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away 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?

He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live 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 shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.”

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

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