24:1 1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, 2 he did not go as at the other times 3 to seek for omens, 4 but he set his face 5 toward the wilderness. 24:2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; 6 and the Spirit of God came upon him. 24:3 Then he uttered this oracle: 7
“The oracle 8 of Balaam son of Beor;
the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; 9
24:4 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
although falling flat on the ground 10 with eyes open: 11
24:5 ‘How 12 beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,
and your dwelling places, O Israel!
24:6 They are like 13 valleys 14 stretched forth,
like gardens by the river’s side,
like aloes 15 that the Lord has planted,
and like cedar trees beside the waters.
24:7 He will pour the water out of his buckets, 16
and their descendants will be like abundant 17 water; 18
their king will be greater than Agag, 19
and their kingdom will be exalted.
24:8 God brought them out of Egypt.
They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull;
they will devour hostile people 20
and will break their bones
and will pierce them through with arrows.
24:9 They crouch and lie down like a lion,
and as a lioness, 21 who can stir him?
Blessed is the one who blesses you,
and cursed is the one who curses you!’”