Numbers 24

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

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.

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him.

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

3 And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;

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

4 The saying of him who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened 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 goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!

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

6 As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as aloes planted of the LORD, as cedars beside the waters;

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

7 Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

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 who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his 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 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, and cursed be every one that curseth thee.

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 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam: 'I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these 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 Therefore now flee thou to thy place; I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.'

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

12 And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:

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

13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what the LORD speaketh, that will I speak?

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 And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.'

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 And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;

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

16 The saying of him who heareth the words of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened 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 not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons 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 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel doeth valiantly.

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

19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.

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

20 And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction.

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

21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;

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 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

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

23 And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live after God hath appointed him?

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

24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, and they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.

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

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