1 A nd Balaam seeth that good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face;

When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as he had done each time before to meet with omens and signs in the natural world, but he set his face toward the wilderness or desert.

2 a nd Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,

And Balaam lifted up his eyes and he saw Israel abiding in their tents according to their tribes. And the Spirit of God came upon him

3 a nd he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor -- And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut --

And he took up his discourse and said: Balaam son of Beor, the man whose eye is opened,

4 A n affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God -- Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling -- and eyes uncovered:

He who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered, he says:

5 H ow good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;

How attractive and considerable are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!

6 A s valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;

As valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the riverside, as of lignaloes which the Lord has planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

7 H e maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed in many waters; And higher than Agag his king, And exalted is his kingdom.

shall pour water out of his own buckets, and his offspring shall dwell by many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 G od is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And his arrows he smiteth,

God brought forth out of Egypt; has strength like the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his enemies, crushing their bones and piercing them through with his arrows.

9 H e hath bent, he hath lain down as a lion, And as a lioness: who doth raise him up? He who is blessing thee blessed, And he who is cursing thee cursed.'

He couched, he lay down as a lion; and as a lioness, who shall rouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you and cursed is he who curses you.

10 A nd the anger of Balak burneth against Balaam, and he striketh his hands; and Balak saith unto Balaam, `To pierce mine enemies I called thee, and lo, thou hast certainly blessed -- these three times;

Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have done nothing but bless them these three times.

11 a nd now, flee for thyself unto thy place; I have said, I do greatly honour thee, and lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honour.'

Therefore now go back where you belong and do it in a hurry! I had intended to promote you to great honor, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.

12 A nd Balaam saith unto Balak, `Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, saying,

Balaam said to Balak, Did I not say to your messengers whom you sent to me,

13 I f Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah, to do good or evil of mine own heart -- that which Jehovah speaketh -- it I speak?

If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the command of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will, but what the Lord says, that will I speak?

14 a nd, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.'

And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, I will tell you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.

15 A nd he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor -- And an affirmation of the man whose eyes shut --

And he took up his discourse, and said: Balaam son of Beor speaks, the man whose eye is opened speaks,

16 A n affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God -- And knowing knowledge of the Most High; A vision of the Almighty he seeth, Falling -- and eyes uncovered:

He speaks, who heard the words of God and knew the knowledge of the Most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered:

17 I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but He is not near. A star (Star) shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter (Scepter) shall rise out of Israel and shall crush all the corners of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

18 A nd Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;

And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be dispossessed, who were Israel’s enemies, while Israel does valiantly.

19 A nd doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'

Out of Jacob shall one (One) come having dominion and shall destroy the remnant from the city.

20 A nd he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `A beginning of the Goyim Amalek; And his latter end -- for ever he perisheth.'

looked at Amalek and took up his utterance, and said: Amalek is the foremost of the nations, but in his latter end he shall come to destruction.

21 A nd he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `Enduring thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,

And he looked at the Kenites and took up his utterance, and said: Strong is your dwelling place, and you set your nest in the rock.

22 B ut the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'

Nevertheless the Kenites shall be wasted. How long shall Asshur (Assyria) take you away captive?

23 A nd he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Alas! who doth live when God doth this?

And he took up his speech, and said: Alas, who shall live when God does this and establishes ?

24 A nd -- ships from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.'

But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Assyria and Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.

25 A nd Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.

And Balaam rose up, returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.