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 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 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding [in his tents] according to 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 the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

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

He hath said, who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having his eyes open:

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

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, [and] thy tabernacles, 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 the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the LORD hath planted, [and] 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.

He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed [shall be] in many 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 forth from Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, 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 couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall rouse him? 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;

And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my 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.”

Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee to great honor; 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 Balaam said to Balak, Did I not speak also 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 would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do [either] good or bad of my own mind; [but] what the LORD saith, 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 [therefore], I will advertise thee what this people will do to thy people in the latter 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 hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

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 hath said, who heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, [who] saw the vision of the Almighty, falling [into a trance], but having 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 shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy 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 possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

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

Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth 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 when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek [was] the first of the nations, but his latter end [shall be] that he shall perish 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 thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

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

Nevertheless, the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asher 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 shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

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

And Balaam arose, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.