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¹ And when Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to invoke enchantments, - but set towards the desert, his face.² So Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel, dwelling, according to his tribes, - then came upon him the Spirit of God;³ and he took up his parable, and said, - The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, Yea the oracle of the man, of opened eye;⁴ The oracle of one hearing sayings of GOD, Who the sight of the Almighty, receiveth in vision, Who falleth down but hath unveiled eyes: - ⁵ How pleasing are thy tents, O Jacob, - Thy habitations, O Israel:⁶ Like ravines extended, Like gardens by a river, - Like aloe-trees Yahweh hath planted, Like cedars by waters:⁷ He poureth forth water from his buckets, And, his seed, is among many waters, - And taller than Agag is his King, And exalted is his kingdom.⁸ GOD having brought him forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his, - He eateth up nations that assail him And the bones of them, he breaketh And the loins of him, he crusheth:⁹ He hath knelt - hath lain down, Like a strong lion, yea like a lioness, Who shall rouse him up? Such as bless thee are each one blessed, But, such, as curse thee, are each one cursed.

¹⁰ Then kindled the anger of Balak against Balaam, and he smote together his hands, - and Balak said unto Balaam - To revile my foes, I called thee, And lo! thou hast kept on blessing, these three times.¹¹ Now, therefore, flee thou unto thy place, - I said, I will, highly honour, thee; but lo! Yahweh hath kept thee back from honour.¹² And Balaam said unto Balak, - Was it not so that even unto thy messengers whom thou didst send unto m, I spake saying-¹³ Though Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, yet could I not go beyond the bidding of Yahweh, to, do good or ill, out of my own heart, - what Yahweh shall speak, that, must I speak?¹⁴ Now, therefore, behold me! going to my own people, - Come now! let me advise thee, what this people shall do unto thy people in the after-part of the days.

¹⁵ So he took up his parable and said, - The oracle of Balaam, son of Beer, Yea the oracle of the man, of opened eye;¹⁶ The oracle of one hearing sayings of GOD, And knowing the knowledge of the Most High, - Who the sight of the Almighty, receiveth in vision, Who falleth down but hath unveiled eyes: - ¹⁷ I see One, who is not now, I observe One, who is not nigh, - There hath marched forth a Star out of Jacob. And arisen a Sceptre out of Israel, That hath dishonoured the beard of Mesh, Yea the crown of the head of all the tumultuous;¹⁸ So Edom hath become a possession, Yea a possession is Seir to his foes, - But, Israel, is doing valiantly;¹⁹ Yea One wieldeth dominion out of Jacob, - Who hath destroyed the remnant out of the fortress.²⁰ And, when he saw Amalek, he took up, his parable, and said - The beginning of nations, - Amalek, But his latter end is even to perish.²¹ And when he saw the Kenite, he took up hi parable, and said, - Enduring thy dwelling-place, Set thou then in the crag, thy nest;²² Yet shall it be for destruction, O Kain, - How long shall Assyria hold thee captive?²³ And he took up his parable, and said, - Alas who shall survive its fulfillment by GOD;²⁴ When, ships, come from the coast of the isles, And humble Assyria, and humble the Hebrew, - And he too, is even to perish?²⁵ Then Balaam arose, and went and returned unto his place, - and, Balak also, went his way.