“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,^(A)
4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,^(B)
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,^[a](C)
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵ “How beautiful are your tents,^(D) Jacob,
    your dwelling places, Israel!

⁶ “Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,^(E)
like aloes^(F) planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.^(G)
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;^(H)
    their kingdom will be exalted.^(I)

⁸ “God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces;^(J)
    with their arrows they pierce them.^(K)
9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness^(L)—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed^(M)
    and those who curse you be cursed!”^(N)

“Balak brought me from Aram,^(C)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.^(D)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’^(E)
8 How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?^(F)
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?^(G)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.^(H)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.^(I)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob^(J)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,^(K)
    and may my final end be like theirs!^(L)”

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.^(B)
19 God is not human,^(C) that he should lie,^(D)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.^(E)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise^(F) and not fulfill?
²⁰ I have received a command to bless;^(G)
    he has blessed,^(H) and I cannot change it.^(I)

²¹ “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,^(J)
    no misery observed^[a] in Israel.^(K)
The Lord their God is with them;^(L)
    the shout of the King^(M) is among them.
²² God brought them out of Egypt;^(N)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.^(O)
23 There is no divination against^[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens^(P) against^[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
²⁴ The people rise like a lioness;^(Q)
    they rouse themselves like a lion^(R)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood^(S) of its victims.”