Numbers 24:15-25

New International Version

Balaam’s Fourth Message

¹⁵Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
¹⁶the prophecy of one who hears the words^(A) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,^(B)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

¹⁷“I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.^(C)
A star will come out of Jacob;^(D)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.^(E)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,^(F)
    the skulls^[a]^(G) of^[b] all the people of Sheth.^[c]
¹⁸Edom^(H) will be conquered;
    Seir,^(I) his enemy, will be conquered,^(J)
    but Israel^(K) will grow strong.
¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob^(L)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

²⁰Then Balaam saw Amalek^(M) and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”^(N)

Balaam’s Sixth Message

²¹Then he saw the Kenites^(O) and spoke his message:

“Your dwelling place is secure,^(P)
your nest is set in a rock;
²²yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur^(Q) takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?^[d]
²⁴ Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;^(R)
they will subdue Ashur^(S) and Eber,^(T)
but they too will come to ruin.^(U)”

²⁵Then Balaam^(V) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

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Footnotes

Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.