When Balaam saw that it pleased YAHWEH1 to bless Israel, he did not go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3He took up his parable, and said,
“Balaam son of Beor says,
The man whose eye was closed says;
4He says, who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, and having his eyes open:
5How lovely are your tents, Yaqub,
Your tents, Israel!
6As valleys are they spread forth,
As gardens by the river-side,
As aloes which YAHWEH has planted,
As cedar trees beside the waters.
7Water shall flow from his buckets,
His seed shall be in many waters,
His king shall be higher than Agag,
His kingdom shall be exalted.
8God brings him forth out of Egypt;
He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox:
He shall eat up the nations his adversaries,
Shall break their bones in pieces,
Smite them through with his arrows.
9He couched, he lay down as a lion,
As a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
Blessed be everyone who blesses you,
Cursed be everyone who curses you.”
10Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. 11Therefore now flee to your place: I thought to promote you to great honour; but, behold, YAHWEH has kept you back from honour.”
12Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of YAHWEH, to do either good or bad of my own mind; what YAHWEH speaks, that will I speak?’ 14Now, behold, I go to my people: come, and I will tell you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”
15He took up his parable, and said,
“Balaam son of Beor says,
The man whose eye was closed says;
16He says, who hears the words of God,
Knows the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, and having his eyes open:
17I see him, but not now;
I see him, but not near:
There shall come forth a star out of Yaqub,2
A scepter shall rise out of Israel,
Shall strike through the corners of Moab,
Break down all the sons of tumult.
18Edom shall be a possession,
Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies;
While Israel does valiantly.
19Out of Yaqub shall one have dominion,
Shall destroy the remnant from the city.
20He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said,
Amalek was the first of the nations;
But his latter end shall come to destruction.
21He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said,
Strong is your dwelling-place,
Your nest is set in the rock.
22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted,
Until Asshur shall carry you away captive.
23He took up his parable, and said,
Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim,
They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber;
He also shall come to destruction.”
25Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
- 24:1 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 24:17 a star out of Yaqub, a prophecy fulfilled quite literally with the rising of the star to guide the wise men to the birthplace of Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam. In the Injil, Matthew 2:2 it says: Now when ‘ISA was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” ↩︎