24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face towards the wilderness. ² When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him ³ and he spoke his message:

‘The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
⁴ the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵ ‘How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
    your dwelling-places, Israel!

⁶ ‘Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,
like aloes planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.
⁷ Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

‘Their king will be greater than Agag;
    their kingdom will be exalted.

⁸ ‘God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces;
    with their arrows they pierce them.
⁹ Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness – who dares to rouse them?

‘May those who bless you be blessed
    and those who curse you be cursed!’

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, ‘I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. ¹¹ Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.’

¹² Balaam answered Balak, ‘Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, ¹³ “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord – and I must say only what the Lord says”? ¹⁴ Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.’

Balaam’s fourth message

¹⁵ Then he spoke his message:

‘The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
¹⁶ the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

¹⁷ ‘I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
    a sceptre will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
    the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
¹⁸ Edom will be conquered;
    Seir, his enemy, will be conquered,
    but Israel will grow strong.
¹⁹ A ruler will come out of Jacob
    and destroy the survivors of the city.’

Balaam’s fifth message

²⁰ Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message:

‘Amalek was first among the nations,
    but their end will be utter destruction.’

Balaam’s sixth message

²¹ Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message:

‘Your dwelling-place is secure,
    your nest is set in a rock;
²² yet you Kenites will be destroyed
    when Ashur takes you captive.’

Balaam’s seventh message

²³ Then he spoke his message:

‘Alas! Who can live when God does this?
²⁴     Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;
they will subdue Ashur and Eber,
    but they too will come to ruin.’

²⁵ Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.