See, a people rises up like a lioness, / And like a lion they lift themselves up. / They shall not lie down until they eat the prey / And drink the blood of the slain.

And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell you, saying, All that Jehovah speaks, that I must do?

And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks down upon the desert.

And Balaam said to Balak, Build me seven altars here, and have seven bulls and seven rams ready for me here.

And Balak did just as Balaam had said, and he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, and the Spirit of God came upon him.

And he took up his parable and said, Balaam the son of Beor declares, / And the man whose eye is opened declares;

He declares, he who hears the words of God, / Who sees the vision of the All-sufficient One, / Falling down, but having his eyes uncovered:

How fair are your tents, O Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!

Like valleys they are spread forth, / Like gardens beside a river, / Like aloes which Jehovah has planted, / Like cedars beside water.

Water shall flow from his buckets, / And his seed shall be in many waters, / And his king shall be higher than Agag, / And his kingdom shall be exalted.

God is the One who brought him forth out of Egypt; / He has as it were the horns of the wild ox. / He shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, / And shall break their bones in pieces, / And shatter them with his arrows.

He couches; he lies down like a lion / And like a lioness; who will rouse him up? / Blessed is everyone who blesses you, / And cursed is everyone who curses you.

Then Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, but now you have altogether blessed them these three times.

Therefore now flee to your place! I said I would greatly honor you, but now Jehovah has kept you away from honor.

And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,

Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad from my own heart? What Jehovah speaks, that I will speak.