¹When Bil‘am saw that it pleased Adonai to bless Isra’el, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to make use of divination, but looked out toward the desert.

²Bil‘am raised his eyes and saw Isra’el encamped tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,

³and he made his pronouncement:

“This is the speech of Bil‘am, son of B‘or;

the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;

⁴the speech of him who hears God’s words;

who sees what Shaddai sees,

who has fallen, yet has open eyes:

⁵“How lovely are your tents, Ya‘akov;

your encampments, Isra’el!

⁶They spread out like valleys,

like gardens by the riverside,

like succulent aloes planted by Adonai ,

like cedar trees next to the water.

⁷“Water will flow from their branches,

their seed will have water aplenty.

Their king will be higher than Agag

and his kingdom lifted high.

⁸God, who brought them out of Egypt,

gives them the strength of a wild ox.

They will devour the nations opposing them,

break their bones, pierce them with their arrows.

⁹“When they lie down they crouch like a lion,

or like a lioness — who dares to rouse it?

Blessed be all who bless you!

Cursed be all who curse you!”

¹⁰Balak blazed with fury against Bil‘am. He struck his hands together and said to Bil‘am, “I summoned you to curse my enemies. But here, you have done nothing but bless them — three times already!

¹¹Now you had better escape to your own place! I had planned to reward you very well, but now Adonai has deprived you of payment.”

¹²Bil‘am answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell the messengers you sent me

¹³that even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord go beyond the word of Adonai to do either good or bad? that what Adonai said is what I would say? (LY: vii)

¹⁴But now that I am going back to my own people, come, I will warn you what this people will do to your people in the acharit-hayamim .

¹⁵So he made his pronouncement:

“This is the speech of Bil‘am, son of B‘or;

the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;

¹⁶the speech of him who hears God’s words;

who knows what ‘Elyon knows,

who sees what Shaddai sees,

who has fallen, yet has open eyes:

¹⁷“I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not soon —

a star will step forth from Ya‘akov,

a scepter will arise from Isra’el,

to crush the corners of Mo’av

and destroy all descendants of Shet.

¹⁸His enemies will be his possessions —

Edom and Se‘ir, possessions.

Isra’el will do valiantly,

¹⁹From Ya‘akov will come someone who will rule,

and he will destroy what is left of the city.”

²⁰He saw ‘Amalek and made this pronouncement:

“First among nations was ‘Amalek,

but destruction will be its end.”

²¹He saw the Keini and made this pronouncement:

“Though your dwelling is firm,

your nest set on rock,

²²Kayin will be wasted

while captive to Ashur.”

²³Finally, he made this pronouncement:

“Oh no! Who can live when God does this?

²⁴But ships will come from the coast of Kittim

to subdue Ashur and subdue ‘Ever,

but they too will come to destruction.”

²⁵Then Bil‘am got up, left and returned to his home; and Balak too went his way.