Knox Bible

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But this time, seeing clearly that it was God’s purpose to bless Israel, Balaam did not go apart, as before, to look for portents; he turned towards the desert,

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and there, looking about him, he saw Israel encamped, tribe upon tribe. With that, the spirit of God fell upon him,

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and he prophesied: Thus speaks Balaam, the son of Beor, thus speaks the man who has seen with eyes blindfolded;✻

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thus speaks the man who has heard the words of God himself, looked on a vision sent from the Almighty, who has fallen into a trance, and learned to see aright!

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How lovely, Jacob, are thy tents; Israel, how fair thy dwelling!

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Fair as wooded valleys, as gardens fed by running streams, as bowers of the Lord’s own planting,✻ as cedars on the river bank!

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Like a bucket brimming over at the well, see how their posterity spreads from one river-frontier to the next! The king that rules over them shall rival Agag himself, and take away his kingdom from him.✻

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God has rescued them from Egypt, and made them like a wild ox for strength; nations shall come and swallow up their enemies,✻ crush them utterly, shoot them down with arrows.

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Though Israel takes his rest, it is but as the crouching lion sleeps; who dares disturb the lioness in her den? A blessing, Israel, on all who bless, a curse on all who curse thee!

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At this, Balac clapped his hands together in vexation; It was to curse my enemies, said he to Balaam, that I summoned thee, and thrice thou hast blessed them instead;

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back home with thee! It was in my mind to raise thee to high honours, but this Lord of thine has thwarted thee of thy ambition.

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And Balaam still answered, Did I not warn the messengers thou sentest to me,

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Though Balac should fill his house with silver and gold and offer to give it me, I have no power to go beyond the Lord’s bidding by uttering any word of my own, for good or ill; I can only deliver the Lord’s message?

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I will go back, then, to my own folk; but not till I have instructed thee about the dealings there must be between this folk and thine in the days that are coming.✻

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And once more Balaam prophesied: Thus speaks Balaam, the son of Beor, thus speaks the man who has seen with eyes blindfolded;

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who heard speech of God, most high, the Almighty, knew his mind, had vision of him, and in a trance, learned to see aright!

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My vision is not of this time, is not of the things that meet my eyes. I see a star that rises out of Jacob, a stem that springs from Israel’s root; one who shall lay low the chiefs of Moab, shall bring devastation on all the posterity of Seth.✻

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Edom shall fall into his hands; the men of Seir will yield their lands to the enemy. Brave deeds in Israel;

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such a ruler for Jacob as shall leave no remnant in the captured city!

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Then he spoke of Amalec, Amalec, first-fruits of the nations, shall have his very gleanings destroyed;

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spoke of the Cinites, Though strong be thy fastness, though high thy nest,

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proud race of Cin, it shall not be for ever; Assur shall carry thee away into exile.

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And once more he prophesied: Alas, who can survive when God brings all this about?

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Men will come in ships of war from Italy, conquering the Assyrians, laying the Hebrew land waste, doomed themselves, last of all, to perish.✻

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With that, Balaam set out and made his way home; and Balac, too, went back whence he came.