Numbers 24

¹When 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 .

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

³and he took up his discourse and said , The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor , the oracle of the man whose eye is opened ,

⁴the oracle of him who hears the words of God , who sees the vision of the Almighty , falling down with his eyes uncovered :

⁵How lovely are your tents , O Jacob , your encampments , O Israel !

⁶Like palm groves that stretch afar , like gardens beside a river , like aloes that the Lord has planted , like cedar trees beside the waters .

⁷Water 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 .

⁸God 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 .

⁹He 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.

¹⁰And 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 .

¹¹Therefore now flee to your own place . I said , I will certainly honor you, but the Lord has held you back from honor .

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

¹³If 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 ?

¹⁴And 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 .

¹⁵And he took up his discourse and said , The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor , the oracle of the man whose eye is opened ,

¹⁶the 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 :

¹⁷I 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 .

¹⁸Edom shall be dispossessed ; Seir also, his enemies , shall be dispossessed . Israel is doing valiantly .

¹⁹And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities !

²⁰Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said , Amalek was the first among the nations , but its end is utter destruction .

²¹And 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 .

²²Nevertheless , Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive .

²³And he took up his discourse and said , Alas , who shall live when God does this?

²⁴But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber ; and he too shall come to utter destruction .

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