Numbers 24

1 When Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, he chose not to use divination as he had previously. Instead he turned towards the desert,

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.

2 and as he looked at Israel camped there according to their respective tribes, the Spirit of God came on him.

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

3 He gave a declaration, saying:

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

4 “This is the prophecy of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophecy of a man who sees with eyes are wide open, the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision given by Almighty, who bows down in respect with open eyes.

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

5 How well set out your tents are, Jacob; the places where you live, Israel!

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

6 They look like wooded valleys, like gardens beside a river, like aloe trees the Lord has planted, like cedars at the water's edge.

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

7 The Israelites will pour out bucketfuls of water; their descendants will have plenty of water. Their king will be greater than King Agag; their kingdom will be glorious.

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.

8 God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox, destroying enemy nations, breaking their bones, piercing them with arrows.

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.

9 They are like a lion that crouches and lies down. They are like a lioness that nobody dares to disturb. Those who bless you will be blessed; those who curse you will be cursed.”

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.

10 Balak got angry with Balaam, and beat his fists together. He told Balaam, “I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! You keep on blessing them, doing it three times.

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.

11 Leave right now! Go home! I promised to pay you well, but the Lord has made sure you wouldn't receive any payment.”

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

12 But Balaam said to Balak, “Didn't I already explain to the messengers you sent

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

13 that even if you gave me your whole palace full of silver and gold, I couldn't do anything I wanted or disobey the command of the Lord my God in any way? I can only say what the Lord tells me.

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.

14 Listen! I'm going back home now to my own people, but first let me warn you what these Israelites are going to do to your people in the future.”

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.

15 Then Balaam gave a declaration, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are wide open

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

16 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who receives knowledge from the Most High, who sees the vision given by Almighty, who bows down in respect with open eyes.

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

17 I see him, but this isn't now. I observe him, but this isn't close at hand. In the future a leader like a star will come from Jacob, a ruler with a scepter will come to power from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites, and destroy all the people of Seth.

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.

18 The country of Edom will be conquered, his enemy Seir will be conquered, and the Israelites will be victorious.

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

19 A ruler from Jacob will come and destroy those left in the city.”

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

20 Balaam turned his attention to the Amalekites and gave this declaration about them, saying, “Amalek was first among the nations, but they will end up being destroyed.”

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

21 He turned his attention to the Kenites and gave this declaration about them, saying, “Where you live is safe and secure, like a nest on a cliff-face.

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,

22 But Kain will be burned down when Assyria conquers you.”

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

23 Then Balaam gave another declaration, saying, “It's a tragedy! Who can survive when God does this?

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

24 Ships will be sent from Cyprus to attack Assyria and Eber, but they too will be permanently destroyed.”

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.

25 Then Balaam left and returned to his own country, and Balak left too.

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