Balaam blesses the Israelites
1Now Balaam knew that God wanted him to bless the Israelites, and he did not look for a sign like before. He looked towards the desert 2and when he saw that all the tribes of Israel were camping in their own places next to the other tribes, the Spirit of God came into him 3and he started to talk. He said:
‘These are the words of Balaam, son of Beor.
I understand the things that God shows me.
4I listen to what God tells me,
and I can see what God Almighty shows me.
When I bow down and pray,
God shows me things.
5People of Israel,
your tents and homes are beautiful.
6They look like valleys,
like gardens next to a river,
like aloes that the Lord has planted,
and like cedar trees near water.
7The Israelites will have lots of water.
When they sow wheat,
they will have enough rain.
Their king will be stronger than King Agag,
and their land will always become greater.
8God has brought them out of Egypt.
He is like the horns of an ox to them.
The Israelites will defeat their enemies,
they will break the bones of their enemies,
and they will shoot their enemies
with bows_and_arrows.
9The Israelites are like a lion
that lies down to sleep.
No one will be brave and try to wake him up.
People of Israel, the Lord will bless
the people who bless you,
and He will curse the people who curse you.’
10Then Balak became very angry with Balaam. He hit his hand with his other hand and said to Balaam: ‘I have called you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them 3 times. 11Now you must go back to your place. I said I would make you very rich, but the Lord has stopped me, and you will not become rich.’
12Balaam said to Balak: ‘You sent messengers to me and I told them: 13“I must always do what the Lord tells me to do, even if Balak gives me his house full of silver and gold. I can not decide what I must do, good or bad. I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
14Now I am going back to my people, but I will tell you what these people will do to your people in the future.’
Balaam's 4th prophecy
15Then Balaam said:
‘These are the words of Balaam, son of Beor.
I see the things that God shows me
16and I listen to the words
of the Most High God.
I understand what He teaches me.
I have seen a vision of God Almighty
while I was bowing down to pray.
17I see someone who will come later.
I see him, but he is far away.
There will come a star
from the people of Israel.
A king will come out of Israel.
He will trample the heads
of the people of Moab,
and He will destroy the descendants of Sheth.
18The Israelites will take the land of Edom,
and the land of Seir will belong to their enemies.
But Israel will be a strong nation.
19One of the descendants
of Jacob will rule.
He will kill the people who have fled
from the city of Ir.’
20Then Balaam looked at the Amalekites and he started to talk again and he said:
‘The Amalekite people
were the most important nation
but someday they will disappear forever.’
21Then Balaam looked at the Kenite people and he said:
‘You Kenites have a place
where you always have lived.
You live among the rocks,
22But when the Assyrians
catch you and take you away,
They will burn and destroy the place of Cain.’
23Balaam started to talk again and he said:
‘Who will live when God
makes all these things happen? No one.
24The boats of Kittim will come,
and they will defeat the Assyrians
and the people of Eber,
but their boats will be destroyed.’
25Then Balaam got up and he went back to his home and Balak also went home.
