Numbers 24
Complete Jewish Bible
24 When Bil‘am saw that it pleased Adonai to bless Isra’el, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to make use of divination, but looked out toward the desert. 2 Bil‘am raised his eyes and saw Isra’el encamped tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he made his pronouncement:
“This is the speech of Bil‘am, son of B‘or;
the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;
4 the speech of him who hears God’s words;
who sees what Shaddai sees,
who has fallen, yet has open eyes:
5 “How lovely are your tents, Ya‘akov;
your encampments, Isra’el!
6 They spread out like valleys,
like gardens by the riverside,
like succulent aloes planted by Adonai,
like cedar trees next to the water.
7 “Water will flow from their branches,
their seed will have water aplenty.
Their king will be higher than Agag
and his kingdom lifted high.
8 God, who brought them out of Egypt,
gives them the strength of a wild ox.
They will devour the nations opposing them,
break their bones, pierce them with their arrows.
9 “When they lie down they crouch like a lion,
or like a lioness — who dares to rouse it?
Blessed be all who bless you!
Cursed be all who curse you!”
10 Balak blazed with fury against Bil‘am. He struck his hands together and said to Bil‘am, “I summoned you to curse my enemies. But here, you have done nothing but bless them — three times already! 11 Now you had better escape to your own place! I had planned to reward you very well, but now Adonai has deprived you of payment.”
12 Bil‘am answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell the messengers you sent me 13 that even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord go beyond the word of Adonai to do either good or bad? that what Adonai said is what I would say? (LY: vii) 14 But now that I am going back to my own people, come, I will warn you what this people will do to your people in the acharit-hayamim. 15 So he made his pronouncement:
“This is the speech of Bil‘am, son of B‘or;
the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;
16 the speech of him who hears God’s words;
who knows what ‘Elyon knows,
who sees what Shaddai sees,
who has fallen, yet has open eyes:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not soon —
a star will step forth from Ya‘akov,
a scepter will arise from Isra’el,
to crush the corners of Mo’av
and destroy all descendants of Shet.
18 His enemies will be his possessions —
Edom and Se‘ir, possessions.
Isra’el will do valiantly,
19 From Ya‘akov will come someone who will rule,
and he will destroy what is left of the city.”
20 He saw ‘Amalek and made this pronouncement:
“First among nations was ‘Amalek,
but destruction will be its end.”
21 He saw the Keini and made this pronouncement:
“Though your dwelling is firm,
your nest set on rock,
22 Kayin will be wasted
while captive to Ashur.”
23 Finally, he made this pronouncement:
“Oh no! Who can live when God does this?
24 But ships will come from the coast of Kittim
to subdue Ashur and subdue ‘Ever,
but they too will come to destruction.”
25 Then Bil‘am got up, left and returned to his home; and Balak too went his way.
民数记 24
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
巴蘭第三次預言
24 巴蘭見耶和華喜歡賜福以色列，就不再像前兩次一樣去求觀兆的方法，卻面向曠野。 2 巴蘭舉目，看見以色列人按著支派居住， 神的靈就臨到他身上。 3 他就作歌，說：
“比珥的兒子巴蘭說：
‘有眼光的人說，
4 得聽 神的話語、
得見全能者的異象、
身體仆倒而眼目睜開的人說：
5 雅各啊，你的會幕多麼佳美；
以色列啊，你的帳幕多麼美好！
6 像擴展的棕林，
如河邊的園子，
似耶和華栽種的沉香樹，
又像水旁的香柏樹。
7 必有水從他的桶中流出來，
他的後裔必在多水之處；
他的王必超過亞甲，
他的國度必被高舉。
8 領他出埃及的 神，
對他好像野牛的角；
他要吞吃敵國，
打碎他們的骨頭，
用箭射透他們。
9 他蹲伏躺下，好像公獅，
又像母獅，誰敢使他起立呢？
給你祝福的，願他蒙福；
咒詛你的，願他受咒詛。’”
10 巴勒向巴蘭生氣，就拍起手；巴勒對巴蘭說：“我請你來咒詛我的敵人，如今你反倒祝福他們這三次。 11 現在你逃回你的地方去吧；我說過我要大大地使你得尊榮，但是耶和華阻止你使你不得尊榮。” 12 巴蘭對巴勒說：“我不是告訴了你派來的使者說： 13 ‘就算巴勒把滿屋的金銀給我，我也不能越過耶和華的命令，隨自己的心意行好行歹’嗎？耶和華說甚麼，我就說甚麼。 14 現在我要回我本族去了；你來，我要告訴你這個民族日後要怎樣待你的人民。”
巴蘭第四次預言
15 他就作歌，說：
“比珥的兒子巴蘭說：
‘開著眼的人說，
16 那得聽 神的話語、
明白至高者的知識、
得見全能者的異象、
身體仆倒而眼目睜開的人說：
17 我看見他，卻不是現在；
我望見他，卻不是近處；
必有一星從雅各而出，
必有一杖從以色列興起；
他必打碎摩押的額角，
粉碎一切舍特人的頭頂。
18 他必得以東作產業，
又得仇敵之地西珥作產業；
只有以色列人成為強壯。
19 有一位從雅各而出的必掌大權，
他要除滅城中餘下的人。’”
巴蘭最後預言
20 巴蘭看見了亞瑪力，就作歌，說：
“亞瑪力原是列國之首，
他的結局卻是滅亡。”
21 巴蘭看見了基尼人，就作歌，說：
“你的居所堅固，
你的窩巢建在磐石中；
22 但基尼必被毀滅；
亞述要到幾時才把你擄去呢？”
23 巴蘭又作歌，說：
“哀哉， 神決定這事，誰能得活呢？
24 必有船從基提而來，
苦害亞述，苦害希伯；
他卻要滅亡。”
25 於是巴蘭起來，回自己的地方去；巴勒也回去了。
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
