|
Chapter 24 |
| 1 | And when
Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other
times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the
wilderness. |
| 2
| And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding
in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon
him. |
| 3 |
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor
hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: |
| 4 | He hath said,
which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling
into a trance, but having his eyes open: |
|
5 | How goodly are thy tents, O
Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! |
| 6 | As the valleys are they spread
forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the
LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. |
| 7 | He shall
pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and
his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
|
| 8 | God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of
an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their
bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. |
| 9 | He couched, he
lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he
that blesseth thee, and cursed is he 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 honor; but, lo, the LORD
hath kept thee back from honor. |
| 12 | And Balaam said unto Balak,
Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
|
| 13 | If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go
beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind;
but what the LORD saith, that will I speak? |
|
14 | And now, behold, I go
unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people
shall do to thy people in the latter days. |
|
15 | And he took up his
parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are
open hath said: |
|
16 | He hath said, which heard the words of God, and
knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: |
| 17 | I shall see
him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out
of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners
of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. |
| 18 | And Edom
shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and
Israel shall do valiantly. |
|
19 | Out of Jacob shall come he that shall
have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. |
| 20 |
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the
first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for
ever. |
| 21 |
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and
said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
|
| 22 | Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee
away captive. |
|
23 | And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who
shall live when God doeth this! |
| 24 | And ships shall come from the
coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also
shall perish for ever. |
| 25 | And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to
his place: and Balak also went his way. |
