Numbers 24

Balaam Continues to Utter Oracles

24And Balaam saw that it pleased^a Yahweh to bless Israel, and he did not go as other times^b to seek out^c sorcery; instead, he set his face toward the desert. ²Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God was upon him. ³He uttered^e his oracle and said,

“The declaration of Balaam son Beor,

the declaration of the man whose eyes are closed,

⁴the declaration of the hearer of God’s words,^f

who sees the revelation of Shaddai,^g

falling down but whose eyes are uncovered.

⁵How good are your tents, O Jacob,

your dwellings, O Israel!

⁶They are spread out like valleys,

like gardens on a river,

like aloes planted by Yahweh,

like cedars at the waters.

⁷He will pour water from his buckets,

and his offspring will be like many waters;

his king will be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom will be exalted.

⁸God, who brings him out from Egypt,

is like the strength^h of a wild ox for him.

He will devour the nations who are his enemies;

he will break their bones;

he will pierce them with his arrows.

⁹He crouches, he lies down like a lion,

and like a lioness, who will rouse him?

They who bless you will be blessed,

and they who curse you will be cursed.”

¹⁰Then Balak became angry withⁱ Balaam, and he clapped his hands and said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but look, you have surely blessed them these three times. ¹¹Flee^j to your place now. I said I would richly honor you, but look, Yahweh has withheld honor from you.” ¹²Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ¹³‘If Balak gave to me the fullness of his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of Yahweh^k to do good or evil, from my heart; what Yahweh speaks, I will speak’?^{l 14}And now, look, I am about to go to my people; I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the following days.”^m

¹⁵And he utteredⁿ his oracle and said,

“The declaration of Balaam son of Beor,

and the declaration of the man whose eye is closed,

¹⁶the declaration of the hearer of God’s words,^o

and the knower of the knowledge of the Most High,

who sees the vision of Shaddai,^p

who is falling, and his eyes are revealed.

¹⁷I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near;

a star will go out from Jacob,

and a scepter will rise from Israel;

it will crush the foreheads of Moab

and destroy all the children of Seth.

¹⁸Edom will be a captive;

Seir, its enemies, will be a captive,

and Israel will be acting courageously.^q

¹⁹Someone^r from Jacob will rule

and will destroy a remnant^s from the city.”

²⁰And he looked at Amalek, uttered^t his oracle, and said,

“Amalek is first^u of the nations,

but his future will be forever ruin.”

²¹And he looked at the Kenites,^v uttered^w his oracle, and said,

“Steady is your dwelling place;

in the rock is your nest.

²²Nevertheless, the Kenite will be burned;

how long will Asshur keep^x you captive?”

²³Again he uttered^y his oracle and said,

“Woe, who will live when God establishes this?^z

²⁴The ships will come from the hand of the Kittim,

and they will afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;

also he will be forever ruin.”

²⁵Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his place, and Balak also went on his way.