Numbers 24

1 and to see: see Balaam for be pleasing in/on/with eye: appearance LORD to/for to bless [obj] Israel and not to go: went like/as beat in/on/with beat to/for to encounter: toward divination and to set: make to(wards) [the] wilderness face his

Balaam now realized that Yahweh wanted to bless the Israeli people, [not curse them]. So he did not use magic/divination [like a shaman would do] to find out what Yahweh wanted, as he often did. Instead, he turned toward the desert.

2 and to lift: look Balaam [obj] eye his and to see: see [obj] Israel to dwell to/for tribe his and to be upon him spirit God

He saw the Israeli people camped there [in their tents], with each tribe gathered in its own group. Then the Spirit of God took control of him,

3 and to lift: loud proverb his and to say utterance Balaam son: child his Beor and utterance [the] great man to open [the] eye

and enabled him to give this prophetic message to Balak: “I, Balaam, the son of Beor, am giving this prophecy; I am speaking as a man who sees [what will happen in the future] clearly speaks.

4 utterance to hear: hear word God which vision Almighty to see to fall: fall and to reveal: uncover eye

I hear this message from God; I see a vision from him who is all-powerful. My eyes are open as I prostrate myself in front of him.

5 what? be pleasing tent your Jacob tabernacle your Israel

You descendants of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful; they are truly lovely!

6 like/as palm-tree to stretch like/as garden upon river like/as aloe to plant LORD like/as cedar upon water

Your tents are spread out [in front of me like groves of palm trees in] valleys, like gardens alongside a river. They are like strong aloe trees/plants that Yahweh has planted, like [strong] cedar trees [that grow] along the rivers.

7 to flow water from bucket his and seed: children his in/on/with water many and to exalt from Agag king his and to lift: exalt royalty his

Your water buckets will always be full; the seeds [that you plant] will always have plenty of water [to make them grow]. The Israelis’ king will be greater than [King] Agag; the kingdom that he rules will be honored.

8 God to come out: send him from Egypt like/as peak wild ox to/for him to eat nation enemy his and bone their to break bones and arrow his to wound

God brought the Israelis out of Egypt, [leading them along] with his great power [MTY] like a wild ox has. He devastates all the nations that oppose him; he breaks all those people’s bones into pieces, and shoots them with his arrows.

9 to bow to lie down: lay down like/as lion and like/as lion who? to arise: rise him to bless you to bless and to curse you to curse

The Israelis are like lions that crouch and lie down, [ready to pounce on their prey] [SIM]. They are like lionesses [that are resting, but ready to attack]; no one [RHQ] would dare to arouse them! [God] will bless everyone who blesses you Israelis, and he will curse everyone who curses you.”

10 and to be incensed face: anger Balak to(wards) Balaam and to slap [obj] palm his and to say Balak to(wards) Balaam to/for to curse enemy my to call: call to you and behold to bless to bless this three beat

Then King Balak was extremely angry with Balaam. He showed with his hands that he was very angry, and he [shouted at Balaam], “I summoned you here to curse my enemies! Instead, you have (blessed/asked God to bless) them three times!

11 and now to flee to/for you to(wards) place your to say to honor: honour to honor: honour you and behold to withhold you LORD from glory

So now, get out of here! Go back home! I said that I would pay you a lot of money [if you cursed them], but Yahweh has prevented you from getting any pay!”

12 and to say Balaam to(wards) Balak not also to(wards) messenger your which to send: depart to(wards) me to speak: speak to/for to say

Balaam said to Balak, “[Do you not remember what] [RHQ] I told the messengers that you sent to me? I said,

13 if to give: give to/for me Balak fullness house: home his silver: money and gold not be able to/for to pass: trespass [obj] lip: word LORD to/for to make: do welfare or bad: harmful from heart my which to speak: speak LORD [obj] him to speak: speak

‘Even if Balak would give me a palace filled with silver and gold, I would not disobey Yahweh. I cannot do anything bad or anything that is good [that he does not approve of].’ And I told you that I could say only what Yahweh says to me.

14 and now look! I to go: went to/for people my to go: come! [emph?] to advise you which to make: do [the] people [the] this to/for people your in/on/with end [the] day

So yes, I will return to my people, but first, allow me to tell you what will happen to you Moab people in the future.”

15 and to lift: loud proverb his and to say utterance Balaam son: child his Beor and utterance [the] great man to open [the] eye

So Balaam said this [to Balak]: “I, Balaam, son of Beor, am again giving a prophecy, speaking as a man who sees [what will happen in the future] clearly speaks.

16 utterance to hear: hear word God and to know knowledge Most High vision Almighty to see to fall: fall and to reveal: uncover eye

I hear a message from God; I know things that God, who lives in heaven, has [revealed to me]. I see a vision from him who is all-powerful. My eyes are open as I prostrate myself in front of him.

17 to see: see him and not now to see him and not near to tread star from Jacob and to arise: rise tribe: staff from Israel and to wound side Moab and to destroy all son: descendant/people Seth

The things that I see [in the vision] are not [going to happen] now; I see things [that God will cause to happen] in the future. A man who is [a descendant of] Jacob will appear like a star [MET]; a king who holds a scepter will be one of the Israeli people. He will crush the heads of you people of Moab; he will wipe out the descendants of Seth.

18 and to be Edom possession and to be possession Seir enemy his and Israel to make: do strength

The Israelis will occupy Edom, and they will conquer their enemies [who live near] Seir [Mountain]. The Israeli people will be victorious/strong.

19 and to rule from Jacob and to perish survivor from city

A ruler who is a descendant of Jacob will come; he will get rid of the people who still live in the city [where Balaam first met Balak].”

20 and to see: see [obj] Amalek and to lift: loud proverb his and to say first: beginning nation Amalek and end his till destruction

Then Balaam looked out over where the Amalek people-group [lived], and he prophesied this: “The Amalek people-group were the greatest nation, but they will be wiped out.”

21 and to see: see [obj] [the] Kenite and to lift: loud proverb his and to say strong seat your and to set: make in/on/with crag nest your

Then he looked out over the area where the Ken people-group [lived], and he prophesied this: “You [think that] the place where you live is secure/safe like a nest that is made in the cliffs [MET],

22 that if: except if: except to be to/for to burn: burn Kain till what? Assyria to take captive you

but you will be wiped out when the army of Assyria conquers you.”

23 and to lift: loud proverb his and to say woe! who? to live from to set: make him God

Balaam ended his prophecies by saying, “Also, (who can (survive/escape) when God does all these things?/no one will be able to (survive/escape) when God does all these things!) [RHQ]

24 and ship from hand: to Cyprus and to afflict Assyria and to afflict Eber and also he/she/it till destruction

Ships will come from Cyprus [Island], and [the men in those ships] will defeat [the armies of] Assyria and Eber. But God will get rid of those men, too.”

25 and to arise: rise Balaam and to go: went and to return: return to/for place his and also Balak to go: went to/for way: journey his

Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.