Chapter 24
1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased HaShem to bless Israel,
he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his
face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling
tribe by tribe; and the spirit of G-d came upon him.
3 And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam
the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;
4 The saying of him who heareth the words of G-d, who seeth
the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
6 As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as
aloes planted of HaShem, as cedars beside the waters;
7 Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be
in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be
exalted.
8 G-d who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the
lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his
adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with
his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who
shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, and cursed be every
one that curseth thee.
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote
his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam: 'I called thee to curse mine
enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place; I thought to promote
thee unto great honour; but, lo, HaShem hath kept thee back from honour.'
12 And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Spoke I not also to thy
messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold,
I cannot go beyond the word of HaShem, to do either good or bad of mine own
mind; what HaShem speaketh, that will I speak?
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will
announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.'
15 And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam
the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;
16 The saying of him who heareth the words of G-d, and
knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty,
fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there
shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel,
and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of
Seth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also, even his
enemies, shall be a possession; while Israel doeth valiantly.
19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall
destroy the remnant from the city.
20 And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and
said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to
destruction.
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and
said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted; How long? Asshur shall
carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said: Alas, who shall live
after G-d hath appointed him?
24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, and they
shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall come to
destruction.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place;
and Balak also went his way.
Sources: Portions copyright © 1997 by Benyamin Pilant, All Rights Reserved
JPS Electronic Edition, based on the 1917 JPS translation, Copyright © 1998 by Larry Nelson, All Rights Reserved
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