Balaam's Third Oracle

24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at (A)other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel (B)camping tribe by tribe. And (C)the Spirit of God came upon him, and he (D)took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,[a]
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    (E)falling down with his eyes uncovered:
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
    your encampments, O Israel!
Like palm groves[b] that stretch afar,
    like gardens beside a river,
(F)like aloes (G)that the Lord has planted,
    like cedar trees beside the waters.
Water shall flow from his buckets,
    and his seed shall be (H)in many waters;
his king shall be higher than (I)Agag,
    and (J)his kingdom shall be exalted.
God brings him out of Egypt
    and is for him like the (K)horns of the wild ox;
he shall (L)eat up the nations, his adversaries,
    and shall (M)break their bones in pieces
    and (N)pierce them through with his arrows.
He crouched, he lay down like a lion
    and (O)like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
(P)Blessed are those who bless you,
    and cursed are those who curse you.”

10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he (Q)struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, (R)“I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, (S)‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 (T)‘If 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 (U)of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, (V)I will let you know what this people will do to your people (W)in the latter days.”

Balaam's Final Oracle

15 (X)And he took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    and knows the knowledge of (Y)the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    (Z)falling down with his eyes uncovered:
17 (AA)I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near:
(AB)a star shall come out of Jacob,
    and (AC)a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall (AD)crush the forehead[c] of Moab
    and break down all the sons of Sheth.
18 (AE)Edom shall be dispossessed;
    (AF)Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
    Israel is doing valiantly.
19 And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion
    and destroy the survivors of cities!”

20 Then he looked on Amalek and (AG)took up his discourse and said,

“Amalek was the first among the nations,
    (AH)but its end is utter destruction.”

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

23 And he took up his discourse and said,

“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24     But ships shall come from (AI)Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and (AJ)Eber;
    and he too (AK)shall come to utter destruction.”

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

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15
  2. Numbers 24:6 Or valleys
  3. Numbers 24:17 Hebrew corners [of the head]

24 And when Balaam saw that it was tov in the eyes of Hashem to bless Yisroel, he went not, as at other times, to use nechashim (sorceries, divination, looking for omens) but he set his face toward hamidbar.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Yisroel encamped according to their Shevatim; and the Ruach Elohim came upon him.

And he took up his mashal, and said, Balaam ben Beor hath said, the man whose eyes are open hath said,

He hath said which heard the words of El, which saw the machazeh Shaddai (vision of Shaddai), which falling prostrate, but having his eyes open:

Mah tovu ohalecha (How goodly, beautiful, are thy tents), O Ya’akov, and mishkenotecha (thy dwellings, tabernacles), O Yisroel!

As the valleys are they [the tents of Yisroel] spread forth, as ganot (gardens) by the riverside, like aloes which Hashem hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the mayim.

He shall pour the [rainfall] mayim out of his buckets, and his zera shall have mayim rabbim, and his Melech shall be more exalted than Agag, and Malchuso (His Kingdom) shall be upraised.

El brought him forth out of Mitzrayim. He hath the strength of a wild bull. He shall devour the Goyim his enemies and break their atzmot, and pierce them through with his khitzim.

He crouched, he lay down as an ari, and as the lioness; who shall stir him up? Mevarakhecha is he that makes a barucha on thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

10 And af Balak (anger of Balak) was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, I summoned thee to curse mine enemies, and, hinei, thou hast altogether blessed them these shalosh p’amim.

11 Therefore now flee thou to thy mekom; I thought to kibed (honor, reward) thee honorably; but, hinei, Hashem hath kept thee back from kavod (honor, reward).

12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spoke I not also to thy malachim which thou didst send unto me, saying,

13 If Balak would give me his bais full of kesef and zahav, I cannot go beyond the commandment of Hashem, to do either tovah or ra’ah of mine own lev; but what Hashem saith, that will I say!

14 And now, hinei, I go back unto my people; come therefore, and I will warn thee what HaAm HaZeh shall do to thy people in the Acharit HaYamim.

15 And he took up his mashal, and said, Balaam ben Beor hath said, the man whose eyes are open hath said,

16 He hath said, which heard the words of El, and knew the Da’as Elyon, which saw the Machazeh Shaddai, falling prostrate, but having his eyes open:

17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not karov (near); there shall come a Kokhav (Star, i.e. Moshiach, see Targums) out of Ya’akov, and a Shevet (Sceptre) shall rise out of Yisroel, and shall strike through the temples (i.e., sides of the head) of Moav, and destroy all the Bnei Shet.

18 And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; but Yisroel shall do valiantly.

19 Out of Ya’akov shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the Ir.

20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his mashal, and said, Amalek was the reshit of the Goyim; but his acharit (latter end) shall be that unto destruction.

21 And he looked on the Keini (Kenites), and took up his mashal, and said, Strong is thy moshav (dwelling place), and thou puttest thy ken (nest) in a rock.

22 Nevertheless Kayin shall be for burning, while Asshur (Assyria) shall carry thee away captive.

23 And he took up his mashal, and said, Oy, who shall live when El doeth this?

24 And ships shall come from the coast of Kittim (Cyprus), and shall afflict Asshur (Assyria), and shall afflict 'Ever (i.e., Region beyond the River [Euphrates]), and he also shall be unto destruction.

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