Numbers24

¹Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.

²When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

³and he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,

⁴the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!

⁶“Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters.

⁷Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.

⁸“God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them.

⁹Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? “May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”

¹⁰Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.

¹¹Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

¹²Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,

¹³‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’?

¹⁴Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”

¹⁵Then he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,

¹⁶the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

¹⁷“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.

¹⁸Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong.

¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

²⁰Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.”

²¹Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message: “Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock;

²²yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Ashur takes you captive.”

²³Then he spoke his message: “Alas! Who can live when God does this?

²⁴Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus; they will subdue Ashur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin.”

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