| 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. |
