1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

4 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

falling down with his eyes uncovered:

5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,

your encampments, O Israel!

6 Like palm groves that stretch afar,

like gardens beside a river,

like aloes that the Lord has planted,

like cedar trees beside the waters.

7 Water shall flow from his buckets,

and his seed shall be in many waters;

his king shall be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 God brings him out of Egypt

and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;

he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,

and shall break their bones in pieces

and pierce them through with his arrows.

9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion

and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?

Blessed are those who bless you,

and cursed are those who curse you.”

10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”

15 And he took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,

and knows the knowledge of the Most High,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

falling down with his eyes uncovered:

17 I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near:

a star shall come out of Jacob,

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;

it shall crush the forehead of Moab

and break down all the sons of Sheth.

18 Edom shall be dispossessed;

Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.

Israel is doing valiantly.

19 And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion

and destroy the survivors of cities!”

20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,

“Amalek was the first among the nations,

but its end is utter destruction.”

21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,

“Enduring is your dwelling place,

and your nest is set in the rock.

22 Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned

when Asshur takes you away captive.”

23 And he took up his discourse and said,

“Alas, who shall live when God does this?

24 But ships shall come from Kittim

and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;

and he too shall come to utter destruction.”

25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. 3 And he took up his parable, and said,

Balaam the son of Beor hath said,

And the man whose eyes are open hath said:

4 He hath said, which heard the words of God,

Which saw the vision of the Almighty,

Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,

And thy tabernacles, O Israel!

6 As the valleys are they spread forth,

As gardens by the river’s side,

As the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted,

And as cedar trees beside the waters.

7 He shall pour the water out of 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 brought him forth out of Egypt;

He hath as it were the strength of an unicorn:

He shall eat up the nations his enemies,

And shall break their bones,

And pierce them through with his arrows.

9 He couched, he lay down as a lion,

And as a great lion: who shall stir him up?

Blessed is he that blesseth thee,

And cursed is he that curseth thee.

10 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 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, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak? 14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. 15 And he took up his parable, and said,

Balaam the son of Beor hath said,

And the man whose eyes are open hath said:

16 He hath said, which heard the words of God,

And knew the knowledge of the most High,

Which saw the vision of the Almighty,

Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

17 I shall see him, but not now:

I shall behold him, but not nigh:

There shall come a Star out of Jacob,

And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,

And shall smite the corners of Moab,

And destroy all the children of Sheth.

18 And Edom shall be a possession,

Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies;

And Israel shall do valiantly.

19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion,

And shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said,

Amalek was the first of the nations;

But his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said,

Strong is thy dwellingplace,

And thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted,

Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

23 And he took up his parable, and said,

Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim,

And shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber,

And he also shall perish for ever.

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

1 By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, 2 where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and this is the message he delivered:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,

4 the message of one who hears the words of God,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who bows down with eyes wide open:

5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob;

how lovely are your homes, O Israel!

6 They spread before me like palm groves,

like gardens by the riverside.

They are like tall trees planted by the Lord,

like cedars beside the waters.

7 Water will flow from their buckets;

their offspring have all they need.

Their king will be greater than Agag;

their kingdom will be exalted.

8 God brought them out of Egypt;

for them he is as strong as a wild ox.

He devours all the nations that oppose him,

breaking their bones in pieces,

shooting them with arrows.

9 Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down;

like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel,

and cursed is everyone who curses you.”

10 King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. 11 Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.”

12 Balaam told Balak, “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said, 13 ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says! 14 Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”

15 This is the message Balaam delivered:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,

16 the message of one who hears the words of God,

who has knowledge from the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who bows down with eyes wide open:

17 I see him, but not here and now.

I perceive him, but far in the distant future.

A star will rise from Jacob;

a scepter will emerge from Israel.

It will crush the heads of Moab’s people,

cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.

18 Edom will be taken over,

and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered,

while Israel marches on in triumph.

19 A ruler will rise in Jacob

who will destroy the survivors of Ir.”

20 Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message:

“Amalek was the greatest of nations,

but its destiny is destruction!”

21 Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message:

“Your home is secure;

your nest is set in the rocks.

22 But the Kenites will be destroyed

when Assyria takes you captive.”

23 Balaam concluded his messages by saying:

“Alas, who can survive

unless God has willed it?

24 Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus;

they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber,

but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.”

25 Then Balaam left and returned home, and Balak also went on his way.

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

3 Then 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 falls 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,

Like aloes planted by the Lord,

Like cedars beside the waters.

7 He shall pour water from his buckets,

And his seed shall be in many waters.

“His king shall be higher than Agag,

And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 “God brings him out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox;

He shall consume the nations, his enemies;

He shall break their bones

And pierce them with his arrows.

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

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

“Blessed is he who blesses you,

And cursed is he who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. I 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, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”

15 So he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;

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

And has the knowledge of the Most High,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

17 “I see Him, but not now;

I behold Him, but not near;

A Star shall come out of Jacob;

A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

And batter the brow of Moab,

And destroy all the sons of tumult.

18 “And Edom shall be a possession;

Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,

While Israel does valiantly.

19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,

And destroy the remains of the city.”

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalek was first among the nations,

But shall be last until he perishes.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,

And your nest is set in the rock;

22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.

How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

23 Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?

24 But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus,

And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber,

And so shall Amalek, until he perishes.”

25 So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

1 Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, so he did not try to use any magic but looked toward the desert. 2 When Balaam saw the Israelites camped in their tribes, the Spirit of God took control of him, 3 and he gave this message:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of a man who sees clearly;

4 this is the message of a man who hears the words of God.

I see a vision from the Almighty,

and my eyes are open as I fall before him.

5 Your tents are beautiful, people of Jacob!

So are your homes, Israel!

6 Your tents spread out like valleys,

like gardens beside a river.

They are like spices planted by the Lord,

like cedar trees growing by the water.

7 Israel’s water buckets will always be full,

and their crops will have plenty of water.

Their king will be greater than Agag;

their kingdom will be very great.

8 God brought them out of Egypt;

they are as strong as a wild ox.

They will defeat their enemies

and break their enemies’ bones;

they will shoot them with arrows.

9 Like a lion, they lie waiting to attack;

like a lioness, no one would be brave enough to wake them.

Anyone who blesses you will be blessed,

and anyone who curses you will be cursed.”

10 Then Balak was angry with Balaam, and he pounded his fist. He said to Balaam, “I called you here to curse my enemies, but you have continued to bless them three times. 11 Now go home! I said I would pay you well, but the Lord has made you lose your reward.”

12 Balaam said to Balak, “When you sent messengers to me, I told them, 13 ‘Balak could give me his palace filled with silver and gold, but I still cannot go against the Lord’s commands. I could not do anything, good or bad, on my own, but I must say what the Lord says.’ 14 Now I am going back to my own people, but I will tell you what these people will do to your people in the future.”

15 Then Balaam gave this message:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of a man who sees clearly;

16 this is the message of a man who hears the words of God.

I know well the Most High God.

I see a vision from the Almighty,

and my eyes are open as I fall before him.

17 I see someone who will come someday,

someone who will come, but not soon.

A star will come from Jacob;

a ruler will rise from Israel.

He will crush the heads of the Moabites

and smash the skulls of the sons of Sheth.

18 Edom will be conquered;

his enemy Edom will be conquered,

but Israel will grow wealthy.

19 A ruler will come from the descendants of Jacob

and will destroy those left in the city.”

20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and gave this message:

“Amalek was the most important nation,

but Amalek will be destroyed at last.”

21 Then Balaam saw the Kenites and gave this message:

“Your home is safe,

like a nest on a cliff.

22 But you Kenites will be burned up;

Assyria will keep you captive.”

23 Then Balaam gave this message:

“No one can live when God does this.

24 Ships will sail from the shores of Cyprus

and defeat Assyria and Eber,

but they will also be destroyed.”

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

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 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,

Balaam the son of Beor saith,

And the man whose eye was closed saith;

4 He saith, who heareth the words of God,

Who seeth the vision of the Almighty,

Falling down, and having his eyes open:

5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,

Thy tabernacles, O Israel!

6 As valleys are they spread forth,

As gardens by the river-side,

As lign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted,

As cedar-trees beside the waters.

7 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 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 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 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 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honor. 12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Jehovah speaketh, that will I speak? 14 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 And he took up his parable, and said,

Balaam the son of Beor saith,

And the man whose eye was closed saith;

16 He saith, who heareth the words of God,

And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High,

Who seeth the vision of the Almighty,

Falling down, and having his eyes open:

17 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 And Edom shall be a possession,

Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies;

While Israel doeth valiantly.

19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion,

And shall destroy the remnant from the city.

20 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 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 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted,

Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

23 And he took up his parable, and said,

Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?

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

1 And Balaam saw that it was good in the sight of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling in tents according to his tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, and the man of opened eye saith, 4 He saith, who heareth the words of •God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open: 5 How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel! 6 Like valleys are they spread forth, like gardens by the river side, Like aloe-trees which Jehovah hath planted, like cedars beside the waters. 7 Water shall flow out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in great waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 •God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. He shall consume the nations his enemies, and break their bones, and with his arrows shall smite them in pieces. 9 He stooped, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness: who will stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

10 Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times! 11 And now flee thou to thy place; I said I would very highly honour thee, and behold, Jehovah has kept thee back from honour. 12 And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to thy messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying, 13 If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah to do good or bad out of my heart: what Jehovah shall say, that will I speak? 14 And now behold, I go to my people: come, I will admonish thee what this people will do to thy people at the end of days.

15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, and the man of opened eye saith, 16 He saith, who heareth the words of •God, who knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open: 17 I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: There cometh a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall cut in pieces the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult. 18 And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir a possession, —they, his enemies; but Israel will do valiantly. 19 And one out of Jacob shall have dominion, and will destroy out of the city what remaineth. 20 And he saw Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek is the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be for destruction. 21 And he saw the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thy nest fixed in the rock; 22 But the Kenite shall be consumed, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. 23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas! Who shall live when •God doeth this? 24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and afflict Asshur, and afflict Eber, and he also shall be for destruction. 25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

1 When Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, he didn’t look for omens as he had done before. He turned toward the desert, 2 looked up, and saw Israel’s camp grouped by tribes. The Spirit of God entered him, 3 and he delivered this message: 

“This is the message of Balaam, son of Beor. 

This is the message of the man whose eyesight is clear. 

4 This is the message of the one who hears God’s words, 

has a vision from the Almighty, 

and falls ⸤into a trance⸥ with his eyes open: 

5 How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, 

and the places where you live, Israel. 

6 Your tents spread out like rivers, 

like gardens by a river, 

like aloes planted by the Lord, 

like cedars by the water. 

7 Water will flow from their buckets, 

and their crops will have plenty of water. 

Their king will be greater than Agag, 

and their kingdom will be considered the best. 

8 The God who brought them out of Egypt 

has the strength of a wild bull. 

He will devour nations that are his enemies, 

crush their bones, 

and pierce them with arrows. 

9 His people lie down ⸤and⸥ rest like a lion. 

They are like a lioness. Who dares to disturb them? 

Those who bless you will be blessed! 

Those who curse you will be cursed!” 

10 Balak became angry with Balaam. He clapped his hands and said, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, and now you have blessed them three times. 11 Get out of here! Go home! I said I’d reward you richly, but the Lord has made you lose your reward.” 

12 Balaam answered Balak, “I told the messengers you sent me, 13 ‘Even if Balak would give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn’t disobey the Lord’s command no matter how good or bad the request might seem to me. I must say only what the Lord says.’ 14 Even though I’m going back to my people, I’ll give you some advice. I’ll tell you what these people will do to your people in the days to come.” 

15 Then Balaam delivered this message: 

“This is the message of Balaam, son of Beor. 

This is the message of the man whose eyesight is clear. 

16 This is the message of the one who hears God’s words, 

receives knowledge from the Most High, 

has a vision from the Almighty, 

and falls ⸤into a trance⸥ with his eyes open: 

17 I see someone who is not here now. 

I look at someone who is not nearby. 

A star will come from Jacob. 

A scepter will rise from Israel. 

He will crush the heads of the Moabites 

and destroy all the people of Sheth.

18 Edom will be conquered, 

and Seir, his enemy, will be conquered. 

So Israel will become wealthy. 

19 He will rule from Jacob 

and destroy whoever is left in their cities.” 

20 Then Balaam saw the Amalekites and delivered this message: 

“Amalek was first among the nations, 

but in the end it will be destroyed.” 

21 Then he saw the Kenites and delivered this message: 

“You have a permanent place to live. 

Your nest is built in a rock. 

22 But it is destined to be burned, you ⸤descendants of⸥ Cain, 

when Assyria takes you as prisoners of war.”

23 He delivered this message: 

“Oh no! Who will live when God decides to do this? 

24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus. 

They will conquer Assyria and Eber. 

But they, too, will be totally destroyed.” 

25 Then Balaam got up and went back home, and Balak also went on his way. 

1 Since Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him, 3 and he proclaimed his poem:

The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened,

4 the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:

5 How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,

your dwellings, Israel.

6 They stretch out like river valleys,

like gardens beside a stream,

like aloes the Lord has planted,

like cedars beside the water.

7 Water will flow from his buckets,

and his seed will be by abundant water.

His king will be greater than Agag,

and his kingdom will be exalted.

8 God brought him out of Egypt;

He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.

He will feed on enemy nations

and gnaw their bones;

he will strike them with his arrows.

9 He crouches, he lies down like a lion

or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

Those who bless you will be blessed,

and those who curse you will be cursed.

10 Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly, but look, the Lord has denied you a reward.”

12 Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I previously tell the messengers you sent me: 13 If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the Lord’s command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the Lord says. 14 Now I am going back to my people, but first, let me warn you what these people will do to your people in the future.”

15 Then he proclaimed his poem:

The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened;

16 the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God

and has knowledge from the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:

17 I see him, but not now;

I perceive him, but not near.

A star will come from Jacob,

and a scepter will arise from Israel.

He will smash the forehead of Moab

and strike down all the Shethites.

18 Edom will become a possession;

Seir will become a possession of its enemies,

but Israel will be triumphant.

19 One who comes from Jacob will rule;

he will destroy the city’s survivors.

20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem:

Amalek was first among the nations,

but his future is destruction.

21 Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem:

Your dwelling place is enduring;

your nest is set in the cliffs.

22 Kain will be destroyed

when Asshur takes you captive.

23 Once more he proclaimed his poem:

Ah, who can live when God does this?

24 Ships will come from the coast of Kittim;

they will afflict Asshur and Eber,

but they too will come to destruction.

25 Balaam then arose and went back to his homeland, and Balak also went his way.

1 Now Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he uttered his oracle, saying:

“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eye is clear,

4 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

who falls down, but with eyes uncovered:

5 how fair are your tents, O Jacob,

your encampments, O Israel!

6 Like palm groves that stretch far away,

like gardens beside a river,

like aloes that the Lord has planted,

like cedar trees beside the waters.

7 Water shall flow from his buckets,

and his seed shall have abundant water,

his king shall be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 God who brings him out of Egypt,

is like the horns of a wild ox for him;

he shall devour the nations that are his foes

and break their bones.

He shall strike with his arrows.

9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion,

and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you,

and cursed is everyone who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now be off with you! Go home! I said, ‘I will reward you richly,’ but the Lord has denied you any reward.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will; what the Lord says, that is what I will say’? 14 So now, I am going to my people; let me advise you what this people will do to your people in days to come.”

15 So he uttered his oracle, saying:

“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eye is clear,

16 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,

and knows the knowledge of the Most High,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered:

17 I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near—

a star shall come out of Jacob,

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;

it shall crush the borderlands of Moab,

and the territory of all the Shethites.

18 Edom will become a possession,

Seir a possession of its enemies,

while Israel does valiantly.

19 One out of Jacob shall rule,

and destroy the survivors of Ir.”

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and uttered his oracle, saying:

“First among the nations was Amalek,

but its end is to perish forever.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenite, and uttered his oracle, saying:

“Enduring is your dwelling place,

and your nest is set in the rock;

22 yet Kain is destined for burning.

How long shall Asshur take you away captive?”

23 Again he uttered his oracle, saying:

“Alas, who shall live when God does this?

24 But ships shall come from Kittim

and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;

and he also shall perish forever.”

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

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

“The declaration of Balaam son Beor,

the declaration of the man whose eyes are closed,

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

who sees the revelation of Shaddai,

falling down but whose eyes are uncovered.

5 How good are your tents, O Jacob,

your dwellings, O Israel!

6 They are spread out like valleys,

like gardens on a river,

like aloes planted by Yahweh,

like cedars at the waters.

7 He 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.

8 God, who brings him out from Egypt,

is like the strength 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.

9 He 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.”

10 Then Balak became angry with 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. 11 Flee to your place now. I said I would richly honor you, but look, Yahweh has withheld honor from you.” 12 Balaam 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 to do good or evil, from my heart; what Yahweh speaks, I will speak’? 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.”

15 And he uttered his oracle and said,

“The declaration of Balaam son of Beor,

and the declaration of the man whose eye is closed,

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

and the knower of the knowledge of the Most High,

who sees the vision of Shaddai,

who is falling, and his eyes are revealed.

17 I 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.

18 Edom will be a captive;

Seir, its enemies, will be a captive,

and Israel will be acting courageously.

19 Someone from Jacob will rule

and will destroy a remnant from the city.”

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

“Amalek is first of the nations,

but his future will be forever ruin.”

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

“Steady is your dwelling place;

in the rock is your nest.

22 Nevertheless, the Kenite will be burned;

how long will Asshur keep you captive?”

23 Again he uttered his oracle and said,

“Woe, who will live when God establishes this?

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

and they will afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;

also he will be forever ruin.”

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

1 Balaam saw that the Lord was pleased to give his blessing to Israel. So he didn’t try to use evil magic as he had done at other times. Instead, he turned and looked toward the desert. 2 He looked out and saw Israel. They had set up their camps tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him.

3 Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor.

It’s the message God gave to the one who sees clearly.

4 It’s the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God.

He sees a vision from the Mighty One.

He falls down flat with his face toward the ground.

His eyes have been opened by the Lord.

5 “People of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful.

Israel, the places where you live are very beautiful.

6 “They spread out like valleys.

They are like gardens beside a river.

They are like aloes the Lord has planted.

They are like cedar trees beside a stream.

7 Their water buckets will run over.

Their seeds will have plenty of water.

“Their king will be greater than King Agag.

Their kingdom will be honored.

8 “God brought them out of Egypt.

They are as strong as a wild ox.

They eat up nations that are at war with them.

They break their bones in pieces.

They wound them with their arrows.

9 Like a male lion they lie down and sleep.

They are like a female lion.

Who dares to wake them up?

May those who bless you be blessed!

May those who call down a curse on you be cursed!”

10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He slapped his hands together. He said to Balaam, “I sent for you to put a curse on my enemies. But you have given them a blessing three times. 11 Get out of here right away! Go home! I said I’d make you very rich. But the Lord has kept you from getting rich.”

12 Balaam answered Balak, “Here is what I told the messengers you sent me. 13 I said, ‘Balak could give me his palace filled with silver and gold. Even if I wanted to, I still couldn’t do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord commands. I have to say only what the Lord tells me to say.’

14 “Now I’m going back to my people. But come. Let me warn you about what these people will do to your people in days to come.”

15 Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor.

It’s the message God gave to the one who sees clearly.

16 It’s the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God.

The Most High God has given him knowledge.

He sees a vision from the Mighty One.

He falls down flat with his face toward the ground.

His eyes have been opened by the Lord.

17 “I see him, but I don’t see him now.

I view him, but he isn’t near.

A star will come from among the people of Jacob.

A king will rise up out of Israel.

He’ll crush the foreheads of the people of Moab.

He’ll crush the skulls of all of the sons of Sheth.

18 He’ll win the battle over Edom.

He’ll win the battle over his enemy Seir.

But Israel will grow strong.

19 A ruler will come from among the people of Jacob.

He’ll destroy those from the city who are still alive.”

20 Then Balaam saw the people of Amalek. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Amalek was the first nation to attack Israel.

But they will finally be destroyed.”

21 Then he saw the Kenites. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“The place where you live is safe.

Your nest is on a high cliff.

22 But you Kenites will be destroyed.

Assyria will take you as prisoners.”

23 Then he spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Who can live when God does this?

24 Ships will come from the shores of Kittim.

They will bring Assyria and Eber under their control.

But they themselves will also be destroyed.”

25 Then Balaam got up and returned home. And Balak went on his way.

1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

3 He took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;

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

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob,

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6 “Like valleys that stretch out,

Like gardens beside the river,

Like aloes planted by the Lord,

Like cedars beside the waters.

7 “Water will flow from his buckets,

And his seed will be by many waters,

And his king shall be higher than Agag,

And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 “God brings him out of Egypt,

He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.

He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,

And will crush their bones in pieces,

And shatter them with his arrows.

9 “He couches, he lies down as a lion,

And as a lion, who dares rouse him?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you,

And cursed is everyone who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!

11 “Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.”

12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying,

13 ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak’?

14 “And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

15 He took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

16 The oracle of him who hears the words of God,

And knows the knowledge of the Most High,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.

17 “I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near;

A star shall come forth from Jacob,

A scepter shall rise from Israel,

And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,

And tear down all the sons of Sheth.

18 “Edom shall be a possession,

Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession,

While Israel performs valiantly.

19 “One from Jacob shall have dominion,

And will destroy the remnant from the city.”

20 And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said,

“Amalek was the first of the nations,

But his end shall be destruction.”

21 And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,

“Your dwelling place is enduring,

And your nest is set in the cliff.

22 “Nevertheless Kain will be consumed;

How long will Asshur keep you captive?”

23 Then he took up his discourse and said,

“Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?

24 “But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim,

And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;

So they also will come to destruction.”

25 Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.