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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,³ 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 --⁴ An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God -- Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling -- and eyes uncovered:⁵ How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;⁶ As valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;⁷ 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.⁸ 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,⁹ 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;<sup>11</sup> 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.'<sup>12</sup> And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Did I not also unto thy messengers whom thou hast sent unto me, speak, saying,¹³ 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?¹⁴ 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.'

¹⁵ 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 --<sup>16</sup> 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:<sup>17</sup> 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.<sup>18</sup> And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, [for] its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;<sup>19</sup> And [one] doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'<sup>20</sup> 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.'²¹ And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: `Enduring [is] thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,<sup>22</sup> But the Kenite is for a burning; Till when doth Asshur keep thee captive?'<sup>23</sup> And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Alas! who doth live when God doth this?²⁴ 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.'²⁵ And Balaam riseth, and goeth, and turneth back to his place, and Balak also hath gone on his way.