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¹ When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel, then he went not, as certaine times before, to set diuinations, but set his face toward the wildernesse.² And Balaam lift vp his eyes, & looked vpon Israel, which dwelt according to their tribes, and the Spirit of God came vpon him.³ And he vttered his parable, and sayd, Balaam the sonne of Beor hath sayde, and the man, whose eyes were shut vp, hath sayd,⁴ He hath sayde, which heard the wordes of God, and sawe the vision of the Almightie, and falling in a traunce had his eyes opened:⁵ How goodly are thy tentes, O Iaakob, & thine habitations, O Israel!⁶ As the valleis, are they stretched forth, as gardes by the riuers side, as the aloe trees, which the Lorde hath planted, as the cedars beside the waters.⁷ The water droppeth out of his bucket, & his seede shalbe in many waters, and his king shall be hier then Agag, and his kingdome shall bee exalted.⁸ God brought him out of Egypt: his strength shalbe as an vnicorne: he shal eate the nations his enemies, and bruise their bones, & shoote them through with his arrowes.⁹ He coucheth and lieth downe as a yong lion, and as a lion: who shall stirre him vp? blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

¹⁰ Then Balak was very angry with Balaam, and smote his handes together: so Balak sayde vnto Balaam, I sent for thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them nowe three times.¹¹ Therefore nowe flee vnto thy place: I thought surely to promote thee vnto honour, but loe, the Lorde hath kept thee backe from honour.¹² Then Balaam answered Balak, Tolde I not also thy messengers, which thou sentest vnto me, saying,¹³ If Balak would giue me his house ful of siluer and gold, I can not passe the commandement of the Lorde, to doe either good or bad of mine owne minde? what the Lord shall commaunde, the same will I speake.¹⁴ And nowe behold, I goe vnto my people: come, I will aduertise thee what this people shall doe to thy folke in the later dayes.

¹⁵ And he vttered his parable, and sayd, Balaam the sonne of Beor hath sayde, and the man whose eyes were shut vp, hath sayd,¹⁶ He hath said that heard the words of God, and hath the knowledge of the most High, and sawe the vision of the Almightie, and falling in a traunce had his eyes opened:¹⁷ I shal see him, but not nowe: I shal behold him, but not neere: there shall come a starre of Iaakob, and a scepter shal rise of Israel, and shall smite the coastes of Moab, and destroy all the sonnes of Sheth.¹⁸ And Edom shalbe possessed, and Seir shall be a possession to their enemies: but Israel shal do valiantly.¹⁹ He also that shall haue dominion shall bee of Iaakob, and shall destroy the remnant of the citie.²⁰ And when he looked on Amalek, he vttered his parable, and sayd, Amalek was the first of the nations: but his latter ende shal come to destruction.²¹ And he looked on the Kenites, and vttered his parable, and sayde, Strong is thy dwelling place, and put thy nest in the rocke.²² Neuerthelesse, the Kenite shalbe spoyled vntill Asshur cary thee away captiue.²³ Againe he vttered his parable, and sayd, Alas, who shall liue when God doeth this?²⁴ The ships also shal come from the coastes of Chittim, and subdue Asshur, and shall subdue Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.²⁵ Then Balaam rose vp, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.