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 Balaam saw that it was good in the sight of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward 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 saw Israel dwelling [in tents] according to his 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 the son of Beor saith, and the man of opened eye saith,

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

He saith, who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open:

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

How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel!

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

Like valleys are they spread forth, like gardens by the river side, Like aloe-trees which Jehovah hath planted, like cedars beside 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.

Water shall flow out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in great waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

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 brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. He shall consume the nations his enemies, and break their bones, and with his arrows shall smite [them] in pieces.

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 stooped, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness: who will stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

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;

Then Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed [them] these three times!

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.”

And now flee thou to thy place; I said I would very highly honour thee, and behold, Jehovah has kept thee back from honour.

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 Balak, Did I not also speak to thy messengers whom thou sentest 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 Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah to do good or bad out of my heart: what Jehovah shall say, that 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 go to my people: come, I will admonish thee what this people will do to thy people at the end of 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 saith, and the man of opened eye saith,

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:

He saith, who heareth the words of God, who knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open:

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 shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: There cometh a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall cut in pieces the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.

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 a possession, and Seir a possession, — they, his enemies; but Israel will do valiantly.

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

And one out of Jacob shall have dominion, and will destroy out of the city what remaineth.

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

And he saw Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek is the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be for destruction.

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 he saw the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thy nest fixed in the rock;

22 But the Kenite is for a burning; Until when does Asshur keep you captive?”

But the Kenite shall be consumed, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

23 And he takes up his allegory and says: “Woe! Who lives when God does this?

And he took up his parable, and said, Alas! Who shall live when God doeth this?

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 ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and afflict Asshur, and afflict Eber, and he also shall be for destruction.

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 went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.