1 וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טֹוב בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא־הָלַךְ כְּפַעַם־בְּפַעַם לִקְרַאת נְחָשִׁים וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו | 1 Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless Israel, did not go aside as before to seek omens, but turned his gaze toward the desert. |
2 וַיִּשָּׂא בִלְעָם אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל שֹׁכֵן לִשְׁבָטָיו וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים | 2 When he raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him, |
3 וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנֹו בְעֹר וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן | 3 and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, |
4 נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי־אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם | 4 The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled: |
5 מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל | 5 How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel! |
6 כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע יְהוָה כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי־מָיִם | 6 They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the LORD. |
7 יִזַּל־מַיִם מִדָּלְיָו וְזַרְעֹו בְּמַיִם רַבִּים וְיָרֹם מֵאֲגַג מַלְכֹּו וְתִנַּשֵּׂא מַלְכֻתֹו | 7 His wells shall yield free-flowing waters, he shall have the sea within reach; His king shall rise higher than. . . . and his royalty shall be exalted. |
8 אֵל מֹוצִיאֹו מִמִּצְרַיִם כְּתֹועֲפֹת רְאֵם לֹו יֹאכַל גֹּויִם צָרָיו וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם יְגָרֵם וְחִצָּיו יִמְחָץ | 8 It is God who brought him out of Egypt, a wild bull of towering might. He shall devour the nations like grass, their bones he shall strip bare. |
9 כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ מְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר | 9 He lies crouching like a lion, or like a lioness; who shall arouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you! |
10 וַיִּחַר־אַף בָּלָק אֶל־בִּלְעָם וַיִּסְפֹּק אֶת־כַּפָּיו וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל־בִּלְעָם לָקֹב אֹיְבַי קְרָאתִיךָ וְהִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים | 10 Balak beat his palms together in a blaze of anger at Balaam and said to him, "It was to curse my foes that I summoned you here; yet three times now you have even blessed them instead! |
11 וְעַתָּה בְּרַח־לְךָ אֶל־מְקֹומֶךָ אָמַרְתִּי כַּבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ וְהִנֵּה מְנָעֲךָ יְהוָה מִכָּבֹוד | 11 Be off at once, then, to your home. I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has withheld the reward from you!" |
12 וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל־בָּלָק הֲלֹא גַּם אֶל־מַלְאָכֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַחְתָּ אֵלַי דִּבַּרְתִּי לֵאמֹר | 12 Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not warn the very messengers whom you sent to me, |
13 אִם־יִתֶּן־לִי בָלָק מְלֹא בֵיתֹו כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲבֹר אֶת־פִּי יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂות טֹובָה אֹו רָעָה מִלִּבִּי אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֹתֹו אֲדַבֵּר | 13 'Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord to anything, good or evil, contrary to the command of the LORD'? Whatever the LORD says I must repeat. |
14 וְעַתָּה הִנְנִי הֹולֵךְ לְעַמִּי לְכָה אִיעָצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים | 14 "But now that I am about to go to my own people, let me first warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come." |
15 וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנֹו בְעֹר וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן | 15 Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, |
16 נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי־אֵל וְיֹדֵעַ דַּעַת עֶלְיֹון מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם | 16 The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured and with eyes unveiled. |
17 אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרֹוב דָּרַךְ כֹּוכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מֹואָב וְקַרְקַר כָּל־בְּנֵי־שֵׁת | 17 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel, That shall smite the brows of Moab, and the skulls of all the Shuthites, |
18 וְהָיָה אֱדֹום יְרֵשָׁה וְהָיָה יְרֵשָׁה שֵׂעִיר אֹיְבָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֹשֶׂה חָיִל | 18 Till Edom is dispossessed, and no fugitive is left in Seir. Israel shall do valiantly, |
19 וְיֵרְדְּ מִיַּעֲקֹב וְהֶאֱבִיד שָׂרִיד מֵעִיר | 19 and Jacob shall overcome his foes. |
20 וַיַּרְא אֶת־עֲמָלֵק וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר רֵאשִׁית גֹּויִם עֲמָלֵק וְאַחֲרִיתֹו עֲדֵי אֹבֵד | 20 Upon seeing Amalek, Balaam gave voice to his oracle: First of the peoples was Amalek, but his end is to perish forever. |
21 וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַקֵּינִי וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר אֵיתָן מֹושָׁבֶךָ וְשִׂים בַּסֶּלַע קִנֶּךָ | 21 Upon seeing the Kenites, he gave voice to his oracle: Your abode is enduring, O smith, and your nest is set on a cliff; |
22 כִּי אִם־יִהְיֶה לְבָעֵר קָיִן עַד־מָה אַשּׁוּר תִּשְׁבֶּךָּ | 22 Yet destined for burning-- even as I watch--are your inhabitants. |
23 וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר אֹוי מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמֹו אֵל | 23 Upon seeing. . . . he gave voice to his oracle: Alas, who shall survive of Ishmael, |
24 וְצִים מִיַּד כִּתִּים וְעִנּוּ אַשּׁוּר וְעִנּוּ־עֵבֶר וְגַם־הוּא עֲדֵי אֹבֵד | 24 to deliver his people from the hands of the Kittim? When they have conquered Asshur and conquered Eber, He too shall perish forever. |
25 וַיָּקָם בִּלְעָם וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב לִמְקֹמֹו וְגַם־בָּלָק הָלַךְ לְדַרְכֹּו׃ פ | 25 Then Balaam set out on his journey home; and Balak also went his way. |