Numbers 24

1 And when Bil'am saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for 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 Bil'am lifted up his eyes, and when he saw Israel encamped according to their tribes, there came upon him the spirit of God.

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, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;

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

4 Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed 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 beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwelling, O Israel!

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

6 As streams are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as aloe-trees, which the Lord hath planted, as cedar-trees 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 runneth out of His buckets, that his seed may be moistened by abundance of water; and exalted above Agag shall be his king, and raised on high shall be his kingdom.

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 to him like the heights of the reem; he will devour nations, his oppressors, and their bones will he break, 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 coucheth, he lieth down as a lion, and as a lioness: who shall make him rise up? They that bless thee be blessed, and they that curse thee be cursed.

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

10 And the anger of Balak was kindled against Bil'am, and he struck his hands together: and Balak said unto Bil'am, To denounce my enemies did I call thee, and, behold, thou hast even blessed them these three times.

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

11 And now flee thou to thy place: I thought to honor thee greatly; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.

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

12 And Bil'am said unto Balak, Did I not already speak to thy messengers, whom thou sentest unto me, saying,

And Balaam said to Balac, Did I not speak to thy messengers also whom thou sentest to me, saying,

13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the order of the Lord, to do good or evil out of my own heart: what the Lord will speak, that must 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; whatsoever things God shall say, them will I speak.

14 And now, behold, I am going unto my people: come, I will advise thee against what this people will do to thy people in the end of days.

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

15 And he took up his parable and said, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;

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

16 Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed 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 steppeth forth a star out of Jacob, and there ariseth a sceptre out of Israel, and he pierceth the chiefs of Moab, and destroyeth all the children of Sheth.

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 conquest, and Seir shall be a conquest for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

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

19 And there shall rule the one from Jacob, and he shall destroy whatever escapeth out of 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 he took up his parable, and said, The first of nations is Amalek; but his latter end shall be destruction for ever.

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 Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and placed on the rock is thy nest.

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

22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted: whither will Asshur carry thee away captive?

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

23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doth appoint this one?

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 will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict 'Eber; and he also will be given to destruction for ever.

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 Bil'am 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.