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Numbers 24

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1And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

3And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;

4He saith, who heareth the words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

5How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!

6As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the river-side, As lign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted, As cedar-trees beside the waters.

7Water shall flow from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8God bringeth him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite them through with his arrows.

9He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee.

10And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

11Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honor.

12And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying,

13If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Jehovah speaketh, that will I speak?

14And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

15And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;

16He saith, who heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.

18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly.

19And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city.

20And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.

21And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.

22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

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

24But shipsshall comefrom the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber; And he also shall come to destruction.

25And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

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Parallel translations · Numbers 24:1

WEB · World English Bible (2000)

And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

KJV · King James Version (1611)

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

ASV · American Standard Version (1901)

And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

BBE · Bible in Basic English (1949)

Now when Balaam saw that it was the Lord's pleasure to give his blessing to Israel, he did not, as at other times, make use of secret arts, but turning his face to the waste land,

YLT · Young's Literal Translation (1862)

And Balaam seeth that <FI>it is<Fi> 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;

DRA · Douay-Rheims (Challoner) (1752)

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel, he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,

DBY · Darby Bible (1890)

And Balaam saw that it was good in the sight of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

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Key cross-references

From the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — verses that illuminate Numbers 24:1.

  • 1 Samuel 26:2

    Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

  • Numbers 23:20

    Behold, I have receivedcommandmentto bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

  • 1 Samuel 26:25

    Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

  • Numbers 22:13

    And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

  • Numbers 23:15

    And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.

  • Numbers 23:23

    Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

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Numbers 25

"And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab:"