Numbers 24

1And 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;

1And 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,

1Now 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,

2and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,

2And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him,

2And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel there, with their tents in the order of their tribes: and the spirit of God came on him.

3and he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor--And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut--

3He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye is stopped up:

3And moved by the spirit, he said, These are the words of Balaam, son of Beor, the words of the man whose eyes are open:

4An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God--Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling--and eyes uncovered:

4The bearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened:

4He says, whose ears are open to the words of God, who has seen the vision of the Ruler of all, falling down, but having his eyes open:

5How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;

5How beautiful are thy tabernacles O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!

5How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your houses, O Israel!

6As valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;

6As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside.

6They are stretched out like valleys, like gardens by the riverside, like flowering trees planted by the Lord, like cedar-trees by the waters.

7He maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed <FI>is<Fi> in many waters; And higher than Agag <FI>is<Fi> his king, And exalted is his kingdom.

7Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken away.

7Peoples will be in fear before his strength, his arm will be on great nations: his king will be higher than Agag, and his kingdom made great in honour.

8God is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And <FI>with<Fi> his arrows he smiteth,

8God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.

8It is God who has taken him out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox; the nations warring against him will be his food, their bones will be broken, they will be wounded with his arrows.

9He hath bent, he hath lain down as a lion, And as a lioness: who doth raise him up? He who is blessing thee <FI>is<Fi> blessed, And he who is cursing thee <FI>is<Fi> cursed.'

9Lying down he hath slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom none shall dare to rouse. He that blesseth thee, shall also himself be blessed: he that curseth thee shall be reckoned accursed.

9He took his sleep stretched out like a lion, and like a she-lion: by whom will his rest be broken? May a blessing be on everyone who gives you blessing, and a curse on everyone by whom you are cursed.

10And the anger of Balak burneth against Balaam, and he striketh his hands; and Balak saith unto Balaam, `To pierce mine enemies I called thee, and lo, thou hast certainly blessed--these three times;

10And Balac being angry against Balaam, clapped his hands together and said: I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou on the contrary hast blessed them three times.

10Then Balak was full of wrath against Balaam, and angrily waving his hands he said to Balaam, I sent for you so that those who are against me might be cursed, but now, see, three times you have given them a blessing.

11and now, flee for thyself unto thy place; I have said, I do greatly honour thee, and lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honour.'

11Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee.

11Go back quickly to the place you came from: it was my purpose to give you a place of honour, but now the Lord has kept you back from honour.

12And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, saying,

12Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me:

12Then Balaam said to Balak, Did I not say to the men you sent to me,

13If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah, to do good or evil of mine own heart--that which Jehovah speaketh--it I speak?

13If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to utter any thing of my own head either good or evil: but whatsoever the Lord shall say, that I will speak?

13Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, it would not be possible for me to go outside the orders of the Lord, doing good or evil at the impulse of my mind; whatever the Lord says I will say?

14and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee <FI>concerning<Fi> that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.'

14But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

14So now I will go back to my people: but first let me make clear to you what this people will do to your people in days to come.

15And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor--And an affirmation of the man whose eyes <FI>are<Fi> shut--

15Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said:

15Then he went on with his story and said, These are the words of Balaam, the son of Beor, the words of him whose eyes are open:

16An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God--And knowing knowledge of the Most High; A vision of the Almighty he seeth, Falling--and eyes uncovered:

16The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened:

16He says, whose ear is open to the words of God, who has knowledge of the Most High, who has seen the vision of the Ruler of all, falling down and having his eyes open:

17I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.

17I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth

17I see him, but not now: looking on him, but not near: a star will come out of Jacob, and a rod of authority out of Israel, sending destruction to the farthest limits of Moab and on the head of all the sons of Sheth.

18And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, <FI>for<Fi> its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;

18And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully.

18Edom will be his heritage, and he will put an end to the last of the people of Seir.

19And <FI>one<Fi> doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'

19Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city.

19And Israel will go on in strength, and Jacob will have rule over his haters.

20And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `A beginning of the Goyim <FI>is<Fi> Amalek; And his latter end--for ever he perisheth.'

20And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.

20Then, turning his eyes to Amalek, he went on with his story and said, Amalek was the first of the nations, but his part will be destruction for ever.

21And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `Enduring <FI>is<Fi> thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,

21He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,

21And looking on the Kenites he went on with his story and said, Strong is your living-place, and your secret place is safe in the rock.

22But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'

22And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive.

22But still the Kenites will be wasted, till Asshur takes you away prisoner.

23And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Alas! who doth live when God doth this?

23And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things?

23Then he went on with his story and said, But who may keep his life when God does this?

24And--ships <FI>are<Fi> from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.'

24They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.

24But ships will come from the direction of Kittim, troubling Asshur and troubling Eber, and like the others their fate will be destruction.

25And Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.

25And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.

25Then Balaam got up and went back to his place: and Balak went away.