Numbers 24:1-25
24 When Baʹlaam got to see that it was good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, he did not go away as at the other times+ to come upon any unlucky omens,*+ but he directed his face to the wilderness.
2 When Baʹlaam raised his eyes and saw Israel tabernacling by his tribes,+ then the spirit of God came to be upon him.+
3 Hence he took up his proverbial utterance+ and said:
“The utterance of Baʹlaam the son of Beʹor,And the utterance of the able-bodied man* with the eye unsealed,*+
4 The utterance of the one hearing the sayings of God,*+Who got to see a vision of the Almighty+While falling down with the eyes uncovered:+
5 How good-looking are your tents, O Jacob, your tabernacles, O Israel!+
6 Like torrent valleys they have extended a long way,+Like gardens* by the river.+Like aloe plants* that Jehovah has planted,Like cedars by the waters.+
7 Water keeps trickling from his two leather buckets,And his seed is by many waters.+His king+ also will be higher than Aʹgag,*+And his kingdom will be lifted up.+
8 God is bringing him out of Egypt;The swift course of a wild bull* is his.+He will consume the nations, his oppressors,+And their bones he will gnaw,+ and he will break them to pieces with his arrows.*+
9 He bowed down, he lay down like the lion,*And, like a lion,* who dares rouse him?+Those blessing you are the ones blessed,+And those cursing you are the ones cursed.”+
10 At that Baʹlak’s anger blazed against Baʹlaam and he clapped his hands,+ and Baʹlak went on to say to Baʹlaam: “It was to execrate+ my enemies that I called you, and, look! you have blessed them to the limit these three times.
11 And now run your way off to your place. I had said to myself I was without fail going to honor you,+ but, look! Jehovah has held you back from honor.”
12 In turn Baʹlaam said to Baʹlak: “Was it not also to your messengers whom you sent to me that I spoke, saying,
13 ‘If Baʹlak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I should not be able to pass beyond the order of Jehovah so as to do something good or bad out of my own heart. Whatever Jehovah may speak is what I shall speak’?+
14 And now here I am going away to my people. Do come, let me advise you+ what this people will do to your people afterward in the end of the days.”+
15 So he took up his proverbial utterance+ and said:
“The utterance of Baʹlaam the son of Beʹor,And the utterance of the able-bodied man* with the eye unsealed,*+
16 The utterance of the one hearing the sayings of God,*+And the one knowing the knowledge of the Most High—A vision of the Almighty he got to see+While falling down with the eyes uncovered:+
17 I shall see him,+ but not now;I shall behold him, but not near.A star*+ will certainly step forth* out of Jacob,And a scepter* will indeed rise out of Israel.+And he will certainly break apart the temples of Moʹab’s [head]+And the cranium of all the sons of tumult of war.*
18 And Eʹdom must become a possession,+Yes, Seʹir+ must become the possession of his enemies,+While Israel is displaying his courage.
19 And out of Jacob one will go subduing,*+And he must destroy any survivor from the city.”+
20 When he got to see Amʹa·lek, he carried further his proverbial utterance and went on to say:+
“Amʹa·lek was the first one* of the nations,+But his end afterward will be even his perishing.”*+
21 When he got to see the Kenʹites,+ he carried further his proverbial utterance and went on to say:
“Durable is your dwelling, and set on the crag is your abode.*
22 But there will come to be one to burn Kaʹin*+ down.How long will it be till As·syrʹi·a will carry you away captive?”+
23 And he carried further his proverbial utterance and went on to say:“Woe! Who will survive when God* causes it?+
24 And there will be ships from the coast of Kitʹtim,+And they will certainly afflict As·syrʹi·a,+And they will indeed afflict Eʹber.*But he too will eventually perish.”
25 After that Baʹlaam got up and went and returned to his place.+ And Baʹlak also went his own way.
Footnotes
^ Or, “spells,” that is, against Israel.
^ “The able-bodied man.” Heb., hag·geʹver, a virile person; Gr., anʹthro·pos; Lat., hoʹmo.
^ “Eye unsealed.” Or, “unrelenting eye.” See VT, Vol. III, 1953, pp. 78, 79. Also in vs 15.
^ “God.” Heb., ʼEl; LXXBagster, “the Mighty One”; Lat., Deʹi.
^ “Paradises,” LXX(Gr., pa·raʹdei·soi)Sy.
^ “Aloe plants,” M. Possibly, “vigorous trees; big trees.” LXXSyVg, “tents.”
^ “Agag,” MSyVg; SamLXX, “Gog.”
^ Or, “buffalo.” LXX, “unicorn”; Vg, “rhinoceros.”
^ “Arrows,” MVg; LXX, “missiles.”
^ See vs 3 ftn, “Unsealed.”
^ See vs 3 ftn, “Man.”
^ “God.” Heb., ʼEl; Gr., The·ouʹ; Lat., Deʹi.
^ “Star,” MSamLXXSyVg; TJ, “king.”
^ Or, “march forth,” MSam; LXXSyVg, “arise.”
^ “Scepter,” M; Vg, “rod”; TJ, “Messiah”; LXX, “man”; Sy, “head one.”
^ Possibly, “And Jacob will subdue his enemies.” Vg, “Out of Jacob there will be one who will rule.”
^ Or, “the chief; the beginning.”
^ Possibly, “be to perish forever.”
^ Or, “nest.”
^ That is, the tribe of the Kenites.
^ “God.” Heb., ʼEl; Gr., ho The·osʹ; Lat., Deʹus.
^ “Eber,” MSam; LXXSyVg, “the Hebrews.” “Eber” may be referring to the land, or people, on the other side, that is, of the Euphrates.
