Numbers 24

1 And Balaam sees that [it is] good in the eyes of YHWH to bless Israel, and he has not gone as time by time to seek enchantments, and he sets 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 towards the wilderness.

2 and Balaam lifts up his eyes, and sees Israel dwelling by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is on 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 takes up his allegory and says: “An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor, And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut,

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

4 An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God, Who sees a vision of the Almighty, Falling—and eyes uncovered:

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

5 How good have been your tents, O Jacob, Your dwelling places, O Israel;

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

6 They have been stretched out as valleys, As gardens by a river; As aloes YHWH has planted, As cedars by waters;

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

7 He makes water flow from his buckets, And his seed [is] in many waters; And his King [is] higher than Gog [[or Agag]], And his kingdom is 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 is bringing him out of Egypt, As the swiftness of a wild ox for him, He eats up nations—his adversaries, And he breaks their bones, And he strikes [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 has bent, he has lain down as a lion, And as a lioness, who raises him up? He who is blessing you [is] blessed, And he who is cursing you [is] 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 And the anger of Balak burns against Balaam, and he strikes his hands; and Balak says to Balaam, “I called you to pierce my enemies, and behold, you have certainly blessed 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 and now, flee for yourself to your place; I have said, I greatly honor you, and behold, YHWH has kept you back from honor.”

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

12 And Balaam says to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you have sent to me, saying,

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

13 If Balak gives to me the fullness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of YHWH, to do good or evil of my own heart; that which YHWH speaks—it 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 am going to my people; come, I counsel you [concerning] that which this people does to your people in the latter end of the 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 takes up his allegory and says: “An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor, And an affirmation of the man whose eyes [are] shut;

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

16 An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God, And knowing knowledge of the Most High; He sees a vision of the Almighty, Falling—and eyes uncovered:

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 near; A star has proceeded from Jacob, And a scepter has risen from Israel, And has struck corners of Moab, And has destroyed all 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 has been a possession, And Seir has been a possession [for] his enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;

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

19 And [One] rules out of Jacob, And has destroyed a remnant from the city.”

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

20 And he sees Amalek, and takes up his allegory, and says: “Amalek [is] first [among] nations, But his latter end—destruction forever.”

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 sees the Kenite, and takes up his allegory, and says: “Your dwelling [is] enduring, And your nest is being set in a 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 But the Kenite is for a burning; Until when does Asshur keep you captive?”

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

23 And he takes up his allegory and says: “Woe! Who lives 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 But ships [come] from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, But it is also perishing forever.”

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 rises, and goes, and turns back to his place, and Balak has also gone on his way.

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