Numbers 24

¹Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert.

²When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him

³and he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly,

⁴the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!

⁶"Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters.

⁷Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. "Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.

⁸"God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them.

⁹Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse them? "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"

¹⁰Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, "I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.

¹¹Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded."

¹²Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,

¹³'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD -and I must say only what the LORD says'?

¹⁴Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come."

¹⁵Then he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly,

¹⁶the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

¹⁷"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.

¹⁸Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong.

¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city."

²⁰Then Balaam saw Amalek and uttered his oracle: "Amalek was first among the nations, but he will come to ruin at last."

²¹Then he saw the Kenites and uttered his oracle: "Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock;

²²yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive."

²³Then he uttered his oracle: "Ah, who can live when God does this?

²⁴Ships will come from the shores of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin."

²⁵Then Balaam got up and returned home and Balak went his own way.