¹ And Balaam saw that it was·​·good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went^◦ not, as at earlier times^◦, to meet with foretellings^*, but he set^◦ his faces toward^▵ the wilderness.

² And Balaam lifted·​·up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding^◦ according·​·to^▵ his tribes^◦; and the spirit of God was upon him.

³ And he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said^◦, and the man^▫ whose eyes are·​·opened^▵ has said^◦:

⁴ he has said^◦, who heard the sayings of God^◦, who beheld the vision of Shaddai, falling forward, but having his eyes uncovered;

⁵ How good·​·are thy tents, O Jacob, thy habitations, O Israel!

⁶ As the brooks are they stretched^*, as gardens by^◦ the river, as the aloes which Jehovah has planted, as cedars by^◦ 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 made·​·higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be lifted·​·up.

⁸ God^◦ brought· him ·out from Egypt; he has^◦ as·​·it·​·were the powers^◦ of a unicorn; he shall eat·​·up the nations of his adversaries, and shall fracture^◦ their bones, and he shall strike^◦ with his arrows.

⁹ He stooped, he lay·​·down as a lion, and as an old·​·lion; who shall raise· him ·up? Blessed is he who blesses thee, and cursed is he who curses thee.

¹⁰ And the anger of Balak was·​·fierce toward^▵ Balaam, and he slapped the palms of his hands; and Balak said to^▵ Balaam, I called thee to curse^▵ my enemies, and, behold, blessing thou hast blessed them these three times^◦.

¹¹ And now for thyself run·​·away to^▵ thy place; I said glorifying I would glorify thee, and behold, Jehovah has withheld thee from glory.

¹² And Balaam said to^▵ Balak, Spoke I not also to^▵ thy messengers whom thou didst send to^▵ me, saying,

¹³ If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go·​·beyond^◦ the mouth of Jehovah, to do good or evil of my own heart. What Jehovah speaks, I will speak.

¹⁴ And now, behold, I go^◦ to my people; go therefore, and I will counsel thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

¹⁵ And he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said^◦, and the man^▫ whose eyes are·​·opened^▵ has said^◦:

¹⁶ he has said^◦, who heard the sayings of God^◦, and knew the knowledge of the Most·​·High, who beheld the vision of Shaddai, falling forward, but having his eyes uncovered:

¹⁷ I shall see Him, but not now; I shall observe^◦ Him, but not near; there shall come a star^* out·​·of Jacob, and a scepter shall arise out·​·of Israel, and shall strike^◦ the corners^▵ of Moab, and topple all the sons of Sheth.

¹⁸ And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir shall be a possession of his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

¹⁹ Out·​·of Jacob shall come He who shall have·​·dominion, and shall make· the survivor of the city ·perish.

²⁰ And he saw Amalek, and he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Amalek was the beginning^◦ of the nations; but his last is to perish forever.

²¹ And he looked^◦ on the Kenites, and lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Strong^◦ is thy dwellingplace, and thou settest thy nest in a rock^◦.

²² But^◦ the Kenite shall be swept·​·away, until when Assyria shall take· thee ·captive.

²³ And he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Woe! Who shall live when God^◦ does this!

²⁴ And boats shall come from the hand of Kittim, and shall afflict Assyria, and shall afflict Eber, and he^◦ also shall perish forever.

²⁵ And Balaam rose·​·up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went^◦ his way.

¹ Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.

² The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.

³ Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

⁴ The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

⁵ Don't trust in a neighbor. Don't put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!

⁶ For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

⁷ But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

⁸ Don't rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.

⁹ I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light. I will see his righteousness.

¹⁰ Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, where is Yahweh your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

¹¹ A day to build your walls-- In that day, he will extend your boundary.

¹² In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.

¹³ Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

¹⁴ Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the midst of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

¹⁵ "As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things."

¹⁶ The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.

¹⁷ They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you.

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.

¹⁹ He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

²⁰ You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.