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 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.

2 and Balaam lifts up his eyes, and sees Israel dwelling by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is on him,

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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, 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 thought to honor thee greatly; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.

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

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

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 am going unto my people: come, I will advise thee against what this people will do to thy people in 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, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;

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:

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:

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 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.

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted: whither will Asshur 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 doth appoint this one?

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.”

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.

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

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