1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased theLordto bless Israel, he did not go as atother times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israelencamped according to their tribes; andthe 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,
# Whofalls 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 aloesplanted by theLord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7 He shall pour water from his buckets,
# And his seedshallbein many waters.
# “His king shall be higher thanAgag,
# And hiskingdom shall be exalted.
8 “Godbrings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
# He shallconsume the nations, his enemies;
# He shallbreak their bones
# Andpiercethemwith his arrows.
9 ‘Hebows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’
# “Blessedishe who blesses you,
And cursedishe who curses you.”
10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and hestruck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam,“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessedthemthese three times!
11 Now therefore, flee to your place.I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, theLordhas 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 theLord, to do good or bad of my own will. What theLordsays, 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 thelatter days.”
Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy
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,
Whosees the vision of the Almighty,
Whofalls down, with eyes wide open:
17 “Isee 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 “AndEdom 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:
“Amalekwasfirst among the nations,
Butshallbelast 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 shipsshallcomefrom the coasts ofCyprus,
# And they shall afflict Asshur and afflictEber,
And so shallAmalek,until he perishes.”
25 So Balaam rose and departed andreturned to his place; Balak also went his way.