Numbers 24

¹And Balaam seeth that it is good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face; ²and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him, ³and he taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor—And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut— ⁴An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God—Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling—and eyes uncovered: ⁵How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel; ⁶As valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters; ⁷He maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed is in many waters; And higher than Agag is his king, And exalted is his kingdom. ⁸God is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And with his arrows he smiteth, ⁹He hath bent, he hath lain down as a lion, And as a lioness: who doth raise him up? He who is blessing thee is blessed, And he who is cursing thee is cursed.’

¹⁰And the anger of Balak burneth against Balaam, and he striketh his hands; and Balak saith unto Balaam, ‘To pierce mine enemies I called thee, and lo, thou hast certainly blessed—these three times; ¹¹and now, flee for thyself unto thy place; I have said, I do greatly honour thee, and lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honour.’ ¹²And Balaam saith unto Balak, ‘Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, saying, ¹³If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah, to do good or evil of mine own heart—that which Jehovah speaketh—it I speak? ¹⁴and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee concerning that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.’

¹⁵And he taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor—And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut— ¹⁶An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God—And knowing knowledge of the Most High; A vision of the Almighty he seeth, Falling—and eyes uncovered: ¹⁷I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth. ¹⁸And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, for its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly; ¹⁹And one doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.’ ²⁰And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘A beginning of the Goyim is Amalek; And his latter end—for ever he perisheth.’ ²¹And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘Enduring is thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest, ²²But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?’ ²³And he taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘Alas! who doth live when God doth this? ²⁴And—ships are from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.’ ²⁵And Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.

Chapter 25