< Numbers 24 >
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at the other times, to meet with omens, but he set 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 toward the wilderness.
2 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and sees Israel encamped by their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 He took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eye was closed says;
And he took up his parable and said, Balaam son of Beor says, the man who sees truly says,
4 he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of Shaddai, falling down, and having his eyes open:
he says who hears the oracle of the Mighty One, who saw a vision of God in sleep; his eyes were opened:
5 How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your tents, Israel.
How goodly [are] thy habitations, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!
6 As valleys they are spread forth, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which the LORD has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters.
as shady groves, and as gardens by a river, and as tents which God pitched, and as cedars by the waters.
7 Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be 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 brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them 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 couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed."
He lay down, he rested as a lion, and as a young lion; who shall stir him up? they that bless thee are blessed, and they that curse thee are cursed.
10 Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and, look, you have altogether blessed them these three times.
And Balac was angry with Balaam, and clapped his hands together; and Balac said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemy, and behold thou hast decidedly blessed [him] this third time.
11 Therefore now flee you to your place. I thought to promote you to great honor; but, look, the LORD has kept you back from honor."
Now therefore flee to thy place: I said, I will honour thee, but now the Lord has deprived thee of glory.
12 Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also tell your messengers who you sent to me, saying,
And Balaam said to Balac, Did I not speak to thy messengers also whom thou sentest to me, saying,
13 'If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad in my heart. I will say what God says'?
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; whatsoever things God shall say, them will I speak.
14 Now, look, I go to my people: come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days."
And now, behold, I return to my place; come, I will advise thee of what this people shall do to thy people in the last days.
15 He took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eye was closed says;
And he took up his parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor says, the man who sees truly says,
16 he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of Shaddai, falling down, and having his eyes open:
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 see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and will crush the forehead of Moab, and the crown of all the sons of tumult.
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 Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
And Edom shall be an inheritance, and Esau his enemy shall be an inheritance [of Israel], and Israel wrought valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city."
And [one] shall arise out of Jacob, and destroy out of the city him that escapes.
20 He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, But his latter end shall come to destruction."
And having seen Amalec, he took up his parable and said, Amalec [is] the first of the nations; yet his seed shall perish.
21 He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, "Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.
And having seen the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, thy dwelling-place [is] strong; yet though thou shouldest put thy nest in a rock,
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive."
and though Beor should have a skillfully contrived hiding-place, the Assyrians shall carry thee away captive.
23 He took up his parable, and said, "Alas, who shall live 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 shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction."
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 Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
And Balaam rose up and departed and returned to his place, and Balac went to his own home.