24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at aother times, to seek to use 1sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel bencamped according to their tribes; and cthe Spirit of God came upon him.

3 dThen he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Who efalls down, with eyes wide open:

5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6 Like valleys that stretch out,

Like gardens by the riverside,

fLike aloes gplanted by the Lord,

Like cedars beside the waters.

7 He shall pour water from his buckets,

And his seed shall be hin many waters.

“His king shall be higher than iAgag,

And his jkingdom shall be exalted.

8 “God kbrings him out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox;

He shall lconsume the nations, his enemies;

He shall mbreak their bones

And npierce them with his arrows.

9 ‘He obows down, he lies down as a lion;

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

p“Blessed is he who blesses you,

And cursed is he who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he qstruck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, r“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. sI said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? 14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, tI will advise you what this people will do to your people in the ulatter days.”