Numbers 24:5-17

⁵How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!

⁶As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as aloes planted of the LORD, as cedars beside the waters;

⁷Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

⁸God who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows.

⁹He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, and cursed be every one that curseth thee.

¹⁰And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam: 'I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

¹¹Therefore now flee thou to thy place; I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.'

¹²And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:

¹³If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what the LORD speaketh, that will I speak?

¹⁴And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.'

¹⁵And he took up his parable, and said: The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened;

¹⁶The saying of him who heareth the words of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:

¹⁷I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth.