Balaam's Third Oracle
Numbers 24
1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at a other times, to seek to use 1 sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel b encamped according to their tribes; and c the Spirit of God came upon him.
3
d Then he took up his oracle and said:
"The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
4
The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who e falls down, with eyes wide open:
5
"How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
f Like aloes g planted by the LORD,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7
He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be h in many waters.
"His king shall be higher than i Agag,
And his j kingdom shall be exalted.
8
"God k brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall l consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall m break their bones
And n pierce them with his arrows.
9
'He o bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?' 2
p "Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you."
10 Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he q struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, r "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 "Now therefore, flee to your place. s I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the LORD has kept you back from honor." 12 So Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 'If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak'? 14 "And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, t I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the u latter days."