Chapter 24

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, ²And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him, ³He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up: ⁴The hearer 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: ⁵How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel! ⁶As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside. 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 awry. 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. 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. 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. ¹¹Return to thy place. I had determined indeed greatly to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the honour designed for thee. ¹²Balaam made answer to Balac: Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me: 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? ¹⁴But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. ¹⁵Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said: 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: 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. ¹⁸And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully ¹⁹Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city. ²⁰And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed. 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, ²²And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive. ²³And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things? 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. ²⁵And Balaam rose, and returned to his place: Balac also returned the way that he came.