¹Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, and did not go, as time after time, to meet omens; but he set his face toward the wilderness.

²Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling by its tribes; and the breath of God came upon him.

³He lifted up his oracle and said: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man with opened eye:

⁴The utterance of the one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and with uncovered eyes:

⁵How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!

⁶Like wadis they stretch out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that Yahweh planted, like cedars beside waters.

⁷Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed is in many waters; and his king will be high above Agag, and his kingdom will be lifted up.

⁸God brings him out of Egypt; like the horns of a wild bull are his; he will eat the nations, his enemies, and crush their bones, and with his arrows he will strike them through.

⁹He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness; who will rouse him? Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed.

¹⁰The anger of Balak burned against Balaam, and he clapped his palms; and Balak said to Balaam, I summoned you to curse my enemies, and look, you have actually blessed them these three times!

¹¹And now, flee to your own place! I said, I will surely honor you; but look, Yahweh has withheld you from weightiness.

¹²Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying:

¹³If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not pass beyond the mouth of Yahweh, to do good or evil from my own heart; what Yahweh speaks, that I will speak.

¹⁴And now, look, I am going to my people; come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter end of the days.

¹⁵He lifted up his oracle and said: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man with opened eye:

¹⁶The utterance of the one who hears the words of God, and the one who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and with uncovered eyes:

¹⁷I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star marches out of Jacob, and a scepter rises out of Israel, and it shatters the corners of Moab, and destroys all the sons of Sheth.

¹⁸Edom will be a possession, and Seir will be a possession, his enemies; while Israel acts with strength.

¹⁹And one will rule from Jacob, and he will destroy the survivor from the city.

²⁰He saw Amalek, and lifted up his oracle and said: First of the nations is Amalek, but his end comes to destruction.

²¹He saw the Kenite, and lifted up his oracle, and said: Your dwelling place is permanent, and your nest is set in the crag.

²²Yet Kain will be consumed; how long until Asshur takes you captive?

²³He lifted up his oracle and said: Alas, who will live when God sets it?

²⁴And ships from the hand of Kittim will afflict Asshur and afflict Eber; and he too will come to destruction.

²⁵Balaam rose, and went, and returned to his place; and Balak also went on his way.