Numbers 24

1 And when Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to invoke enchantments, —but set towards the desert, his face.

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel. he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,

2 So Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel, dwelling, according to his tribes, —then came upon him the Spirit of God;

And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him,

3 and he took up his parable, and said, —The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, Yea the oracle of the man, of opened eye;

He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up:

4 The oracle of one hearing sayings of GOD, Who the sight of the Almighty, receiveth in vision, Who falleth down but hath unveiled eyes: —

The hearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened:

5 How pleasing are thy tents, O Jacob, —Thy habitations, O Israel:

How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!

6 Like ravines extended, Like gardens by a river, —Like aloe-trees Yahweh hath planted, Like cedars by waters:

As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside.

7 He poureth forth water from his buckets, And, his seed, is among many waters, —And taller than Agag is his King, And exalted is his kingdom.

Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken awry.

8 GOD having brought him forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his, —He eateth up nations that assail him And the bones of them, he breaketh And the loins of him, he crusheth:

God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.

9 He hath knelt—hath lain down, Like a strong lion, yea like a lioness, Who shall rouse him up? Such as bless thee are each one blessed, But, such, as curse thee, are each one cursed.

Lying down he hath slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom none shall dare to rouse. He that blesseth thee, shall also himself be blessed: he that curseth thee shall be reckoned accursed.

10 Then kindled the anger of Balak against Balaam, and he smote together his hands, —and Balak said unto Balaam—To revile my foes, I called thee, And lo! thou hast kept on blessing, these three times.

And Balac being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou on the contrary hast blessed them three times.

11 Now, therefore, flee thou unto thy place, —I said, I will, highly honour, thee; but lo! Yahweh hath kept thee back from honour.

Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee.

12 And Balaam said unto Balak, —Was it not so that even unto thy messengers whom thou didst send unto me, I spake saying-

Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me:

13 Though Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, yet could I not go beyond the bidding of Yahweh, to, do good or ill, out of my own heart, —what Yahweh shall speak, that, must I speak?

If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to utter any thing of my own head either good or evil: but whatsoever the Lord shall say, that I will speak?

14 Now, therefore, behold me! going to my own people, —Come now! let me advise thee, what this people shall do unto thy people in the after-part of the days.

But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

15 So he took up his parable and said, —The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, Yea the oracle of the man, of opened eye;

Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said:

16 The oracle of one hearing sayings of GOD, And knowing the knowledge of the Most High, —Who the sight of the Almighty, receiveth in vision, Who falleth down but hath unveiled eyes: —

The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened:

17 I see One, who is not now, I observe One, who is not nigh, —There hath marched forth a Star out of Jacob. And arisen a Sceptre out of Israel, That hath dishonoured the beard of Moab, Yea the crown of the head of all the tumultuous;

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth.

18 So Edom hath become a possession, Yea a possession is Seir to his foes, —But, Israel, is doing valiantly;

And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully.

19 Yea One wieldeth dominion out of Jacob, —Who hath destroyed the remnant out of the fortress.

Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city.

20 And, when he saw Amalek, he took up, his parable, and said—The beginning of nations, —Amalek, But his latter end is even to perish.

And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.

21 And when he saw the Kenite, he took up his parable, and said, —Enduring thy dwelling-place, Set thou then in the crag, thy nest;

He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,

22 Yet shall it be for destruction, O Kain, —How long shall Assyria hold thee captive?

And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive.

23 And he took up his parable, and said, —Alas who shall survive its fulfillment by GOD;

And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things?

24 When, ships, [come] from the coast of the isles, And humble Assyria, and humble the Hebrew, —And he too, is even to perish?

They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.

25 Then Balaam arose, and went and returned unto his place, —and, Balak also, went his way.

And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.