the Week of Proper 2 / Ordinary 7
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Lexham English Bible
Numbers 24
Balaam Continues to Utter Oracles
1 And Balaam saw that it pleased[a] Yahweh to bless Israel, and he did not go as other times[b] to seek out[c] sorcery; instead, he set his face toward the desert. 2 Balaam lift up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God was upon it.[d] 3 He uttered[e] his oracle and said,
"The declaration of Balaam son Beor,
the declaration of the man whose eyes are closed,
4 the declaration of the hearer of God's words,[f]
who sees the revelation of Shaddai,[g]
falling down but whose eyes are uncovered.
5 How good are your tents, O Jacob,
your dwellings, O Israel!
6 They are spread out like valleys,
like gardens on a river,
like aloes planted by Yahweh,
like cedars at the waters.
7 He will pour water from his buckets,
and his offspring will be like many waters;
his king will be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom will be exalted.
8 God, who brings him out from Egypt,
is like the strength[h] of a wild ox for him.
He will devour the nations who are his enemies;
he will break their bones;
he will pierce them with his arrows.
9 He crouches, he lies down like a lion,
and like a lioness, who will rouse him?
They who bless you will be blessed,
and they who curse you will be cursed."
10 Then Balak became angry with[i] Balaam, and he clapped his hands and said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but look, you have surely blessed them these three times. 11 Flee[j] to your place now. I said I would richly honor you, but look, Yahweh has withheld honor from you." 12 Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak gave to me the fullness of his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of Yahweh[k] to do good or evil, from my heart; what Yahweh speaks, I will speak'?[l] 14 And now, look, I am about to go to my people; I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the following days."[m]
15 And he uttered[n] his oracle and said,
"The declaration of Balaam son of Beor,
and the declaration of the man whose eye is closed,
16 the declaration of the hearer of God's words,[o]
and the knower of the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of Shaddai,[p]
who is falling, and his eyes are revealed.
17 I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
a star will go out from Jacob,
and a scepter will rise from Israel;
it will crush the foreheads of Moab
and destroy all the children of Seth.
18 Edom will be a captive;
Seir, its enemies, will be a captive,
and Israel will be acting courageously.[q]
19 Someone[r] from Jacob will rule
and will destroy a remnant[s] from the city."
20 And he looked at Amalek, uttered[t] his oracle, and said,
"Amalek is first[u] of the nations,
but his future will be forever ruin."
21 And he looked at the Kenites,[v] uttered[w] his oracle, and said,
"Steady is your dwelling place;
in the rock is your nest.
22 Nevertheless, the Kenite will be burned;
how long will Asshur keep[x] you captive?"
23 Again he uttered[y] his oracle and said,
"Woe, who will live when God establishes this?[z]
24 The ships will come from the hand of the Kittim,
and they will afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;
also he will be forever ruin."
25 Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his place, and Balak also went on his way.
Lexham English Bible
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