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 to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

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

And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came 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;

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith:

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: —

He saith, which heareth the words of God, Which seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

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

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!

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

As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the river side, As lign-aloes which the LORD hath planted, As cedar trees beside the waters.

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 from 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 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 bringeth him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite [them] through with his 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.

He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee.

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 Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these 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.

Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

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

And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,

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 Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what the LORD speaketh, that will I 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.

And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, [and] I will advertise thee 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;

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith:

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: —

He saith, which heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Which seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

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 see him, but not now: I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.

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

And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, [which were] his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly.

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

And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from 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 he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.

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;

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, And thy nest is set in the rock.

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

Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

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

And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?

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

But ships [shall come] from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, And he also shall come to destruction.

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

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