1And when Balaam saw that it was tov in the eyes of Hashem to bless Yisroel, he went not, as at other times, to use nechashim (sorceries, divination, looking for omens) but he set his face toward hamidbar.

2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Yisroel encamped according to their Shevatim; and the Ruach Elohim came upon him.

3And he took up his mashal, and said,
Balaam ben Be'or hath said,
the man whose eyes are open hath said,

4He hath said which heard the words of El,
which saw the machazeh Shaddai (vision of Shaddai),
which falling prostrate, but having his eyes open:

5Mah tovu ohalecha (How goodly, beautiful, are thy tents), O Ya'akov,
and mishkenotecha (thy dwellings, tabernacles), O Yisroel!

6As the valleys are they ³⁸spread forth,
as ganot (gardens) by the riverside,
like aloes which Hashem hath planted,
and as cedar trees beside the mayim.

7He shall pour the ³⁹mayim out of his buckets,
and his zera shall have mayim rabbim,
and his Melech shall be more exalted than Agag,
and Malchuso (His Kingdom) shall be upraised.

8El brought him forth out of Mitzrayim.
He hath the strength of a wild bull.
He shall devour the Goyim his enemies
and break their atzmot,
and pierce them through with his khitzim.

9He crouched, he lay down as an ari,
and as the lioness; who shall stir him up?
Mevarakhecha is he that makes a barucha on thee,
and cursed is he that curseth thee.

10And af Balak (anger of Balak) was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, I summoned thee to curse mine enemies, and, hinei, thou hast altogether blessed them these shalosh pe'amim.

11Therefore now flee thou to thy mekom; I thought to kibed (honor, reward) thee honorably; but, hinei, Hashem hath kept thee back from kavod (honor, reward).

12And Balaam said unto Balak, Spoke I not also to thy malachim which thou didst send unto me, saying,

13If Balak would give me his bais full of kesef and zahav, I cannot go beyond the commandment of Hashem, to do either tovah or ra'ah of mine own lev; but what Hashem saith, that will I say!

14And now, hinei, I go back unto my people; come therefore, and I will warn thee what HaAm HaZeh shall do to thy people in the Acharit HaYamim.

15And he took up his mashal, and said,
Balaam ben Be'or hath said,
the man whose eyes are open hath said,

16He hath said, which heard the words of El,
and knew the Da'as Elyon,
which saw the Machazeh Shaddai,
falling prostrate, but having his eyes open:

17I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not karov (near);
there shall come a Kokhav (Star, i.e. Moshiach, see Targums) out of Ya'akov,
and a Shevet (Sceptre) shall rise out of Yisroel,
and shall strike through the temples ⁴⁰of Moav,
and destroy all the Bnei Shet.

18And Edom shall be a possession;
Se'ir also shall be a possession for his enemies;
but Yisroel shall do valiantly.

19Out of Ya'akov shall come he that shall have dominion,
and shall destroy him that remaineth of the Ir.

20And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his mashal, and said,
Amalek was the reshit of the Goyim;
but his acharit (latter end) shall be that unto destruction.

21And he looked on the Keni (Kenites), and took up his mashal, and said,
Strong is thy moshav (dwelling place),
and thou puttest thy ken (nest) in a rock.

22Nevertheless Kayin shall be for burning,
while Ashur (Assyria) shall carry thee away captive.

23And he took up his mashal, and said,
Oy, who shall live when El doeth this?

24And ships shall come from the coast of Kittim (Cyprus),
and shall afflict Ashur (Assyria), and shall afflict Ever, ⁴¹
and he also shall be unto destruction.

25And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his makom (place, home); and Balak also went his way.