Numbers 24

1 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,

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 towards the wilderness.

2 And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon 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 hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up:

And he took up his parable and said, Balaam son of Beor says, the man who sees truly says,

4 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:

he says who hears the oracle of the Mighty One, who saw a vision of God in sleep; his eyes were opened:

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

How goodly [are] your habitations, Jacob, and your tents, Israel!

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

He lay down, he rested as a lion, and as a young lion; who shall stir him up? they that bless you are blessed, and they that curse you are cursed.

10 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.

And Balac was angry with Balaam, and clapped his hands together; and Balac said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemy, and behold you have decidedly blessed [him] this third time.

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

Now therefore flee to your place: I said, I will honour you, but now the Lord has deprived you of glory.

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

And Balaam said to Balac, Did I not speak to your messengers also whom you sent to me, saying,

13 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?

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; whatever things God shall say, them will I speak.

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

And now, behold, I return to my place; come, I will advise you of what this people shall do to your people in the last days.

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

And he took up his parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor says, the man who sees truly says,

16 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:

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 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.

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

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

And [one] shall arise out of Jacob, and destroy out of the city him that escapes.

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

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 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,

And having seen the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, your dwelling-place [is] strong; yet though you should put your nest in a rock,

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

and though Beor should have a skilfully contrived hiding-place, the Assyrians shall carry you away captive.

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

And he looked upon Og, and took up his parable and said, Oh, oh, who shall live, when God shall do these things?

24 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.

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

And Balaam rose up and departed and returned to his place, and Balac went to his own home.