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 the Lord that he should bless Israel. he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,

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 lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing 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;

He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up:

4 Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed eyes:

The hearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened:

5 How beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwelling, O Israel!

How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O 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 woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside.

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.

Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken awry.

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 hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.

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.

Lying down he hath slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom none shall dare to rouse. He that blesseth thee, shall also himself be blessed: he that curseth thee shall be reckoned accursed.

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 being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou on the contrary hast blessed them three times.

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

Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee.

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

Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me:

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 would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to utter any thing of my own head either good or evil: but whatsoever the Lord shall say, that I will 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.

But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter 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;

Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said:

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:

The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes 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 shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth.

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

And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully.

19 And there shall rule the one from Jacob, and he shall destroy whatever escapeth out of the city.

Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city.

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 when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.

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.

He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,

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

And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive.

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

And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, 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.

They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.

25 And Bil'am rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.