1And when Bil'am saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2And Bil'am lifted up his eyes, and when he saw Israel encamped according to their tribes, there came upon him the spirit of God.
3And he took up his parable, and said, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;
4Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed eyes:
5How beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwelling, O Israel!
6As streams are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as aloe-trees, which the Lord hath planted, as cedar-trees beside the waters.
7Water runneth out of His buckets, that his seed may be moistened by abundance of water; and exalted above Agag shall be his king, and raised on high shall be his kingdom.
8God, who brought him forth out of Egypt, is to him like the heights of the reem; he will devour nations, his oppressors, and their bones will he break, and pierce [them] through with his arrows.
9He coucheth, he lieth down as a lion, and as a lioness: who shall make him rise up? They that bless thee be blessed, and they that curse thee be cursed.
10And the anger of Balak was kindled against Bil'am, and he struck his hands together: and Balak said unto Bil'am, To denounce my enemies did I call thee, and, behold, thou hast even blessed them these three times.
11And now flee thou to thy place: I thought to honor thee greatly; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.
12And Bil'am said unto Balak, Did I not already speak to thy messengers, whom thou sentest unto me, saying,
13If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the order of the Lord, to do good or evil out of my own heart: what the Lord will speak, that must I speak?
14And now, behold, I am going unto my people: come, I will advise thee against what this people will do to thy people in the end of days.
15And he took up his parable and said, Thus saith Bil'am the son of Beor, and thus saith the man whose eyes are open;
16Thus saith he who heareth the sayings of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with unvailed eyes:
17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there steppeth forth a star out of Jacob, and there ariseth a sceptre out of Israel, and he pierceth the chiefs of Moab, and destroyeth all the children of Sheth.
18And Edom shall be a conquest, and Seir shall be a conquest for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19And there shall rule the one from Jacob, and he shall destroy whatever escapeth out of the city.
20And he looked on Amalek, and he took up his parable, and said, The first of nations is Amalek; but his latter end shall be destruction for ever.
21And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and placed on the rock is thy nest.
22Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted: whither will Asshur carry thee away captive?
23And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doth appoint this one?
24But ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict 'Eber; and he also will be given to destruction for ever.
25And Bil'am rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.