1
And Balaam seeth that [it is] 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;
2
and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,
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and he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor -- And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut --
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An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God -- Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling -- and eyes uncovered:
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How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;
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As valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;
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He maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed [is] in many waters; And higher than Agag [is] his king, And exalted is his kingdom.
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God 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 [with] his arrows he smiteth,
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He hath bent, he hath lain down as a lion, And as a lioness: who doth raise him up? He who is blessing thee [is] blessed, And he who is cursing thee [is] cursed.'
10
And 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;
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and now, flee for thyself unto thy place; I have said, I do greatly honour thee, and lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honour.'
12
And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, saying,
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If 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?
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and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee [concerning] that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.'
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And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor -- And an affirmation of the man whose eyes [are] shut --
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An 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:
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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.
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And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, [for] its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;
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And [one] doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'
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And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `A beginning of the Goyim [is] Amalek; And his latter end -- for ever he perisheth.'
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And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `Enduring [is] thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,
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But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'
23
And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Alas! who doth live when God doth this?
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And -- ships [are] from the side of Chittim, And they have humbled Asshur, And they have humbled Eber, And it also for ever is perishing.'
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And Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.
