Numbers 24 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Balaam saw that it was good in the sight of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling [in tents] according to his tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
2 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.
3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, and the man of opened eye saith,
3 He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
4 He saith, who heareth the words of God, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open:
4 he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel!
5 How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your dwellings, Israel!
6 Like valleys are they spread forth, like gardens by the river side, Like aloe-trees which Jehovah hath planted, like cedars beside the waters.
6 As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters.
7 Water shall flow out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in great waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
7 Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. He shall consume the nations his enemies, and break their bones, and with his arrows shall smite [them] in pieces.
8 God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
9 He stooped, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness: who will stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
10 Then Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed [them] these three times!
10 Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.
11 And now flee thou to thy place; I said I would very highly honour thee, and behold, Jehovah has kept thee back from honour.
11 Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.”
12 And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to thy messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying,
12 Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,
13 If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah to do good or bad out of my heart: what Jehovah shall say, that will I speak?
13 ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’?
14 And now behold, I go to my people: come, I will admonish thee what this people will do to thy people at the end of days.
14 Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”
15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, and the man of opened eye saith,
15 He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
16 He saith, who heareth the words of God, who knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, who falleth down, and who hath his eyes open:
16 he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: There cometh a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall cut in pieces the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.
17 I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and crush all the sons of Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir a possession, — they, his enemies; but Israel will do valiantly.
18 Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
19 And one out of Jacob shall have dominion, and will destroy out of the city what remaineth.
19 Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”
20 And he saw Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek is the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be for destruction.
20 He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall come to destruction.”
21 And he saw the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thy nest fixed in the rock;
21 He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.
22 But the Kenite shall be consumed, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.”
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas! Who shall live when God doeth this?
23 He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and afflict Asshur, and afflict Eber, and he also shall be for destruction.
24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.”
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
25 Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Balaam
The son of Beor from Pethor, hired by Balak to curse Israel, who could only bless Israel after the angel of the LORD stopped his donkey, and who was later killed by the sword…
Cited in the guide: Numbers 22:5; Numbers 22:12; Numbers 24:3
Beor
The father of the diviner Balaam, whose home was Pethor by the Euphrates.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 22:5; Numbers 24:3; Deuteronomy 23:4
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 23:23; Revelation 2:14; Numbers 23:15; Numbers 23:28; Numbers 31:16
- 2 1 Samuel 19:20; 2 Chronicles 15:1; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:23; Numbers 2:2–34
- 3 Numbers 23:7; Numbers 24:16; Numbers 23:18; Numbers 24:4; Numbers 22:31
- 4 Revelation 1:17; Revelation 1:10; 2 Corinthians 12:1–4; Numbers 12:6; Ezekiel 1:28
- 6 Psalm 1:3; Isaiah 58:11; Psalm 104:16; Song of Songs 6:11; Psalm 45:8
- 7 2 Samuel 5:12; 1 Chronicles 14:2; Jeremiah 51:13; Revelation 17:1; Revelation 19:16
- 8 Psalm 45:5; Psalm 2:9; Numbers 23:22; Numbers 14:9; Numbers 23:24
- 9 Genesis 12:3; Genesis 27:29; Genesis 49:9; Numbers 23:24; Matthew 25:45
- 10 Ezekiel 21:14; Numbers 23:11; Ezekiel 21:17; Ezekiel 22:13; Nehemiah 13:2
- 11 Numbers 22:17; Numbers 22:37; Acts 8:20; Philippians 3:8; 1 Peter 5:2–3
- 12 Numbers 22:18; Numbers 22:38
- 13 Numbers 16:28; Numbers 22:20; Numbers 22:18
- 14 Micah 6:5; Genesis 49:1; Revelation 2:14; Daniel 2:28; 2 Timothy 3:1
- 15 Numbers 24:3–4; Numbers 23:7; Numbers 23:18; Job 27:1; Matthew 13:35
- 16 Numbers 24:4; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Samuel 23:1–2
- 17 Revelation 22:16; Luke 1:32–33; Genesis 49:10; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 11:15
- 18 Amos 9:12; 2 Samuel 8:14; Genesis 27:29; Isaiah 63:1; Psalm 60:8–12
- 19 Genesis 49:10; Matthew 28:18; Psalm 2:1–12; Micah 5:2; Revelation 19:16
- 20 Exodus 17:14; Exodus 17:8; Esther 7:9–10; Esther 9:14; 1 Samuel 30:1
- 21 Genesis 15:19; Job 29:18; Judges 1:16
- 22 Psalm 83:8; Genesis 10:11; Genesis 10:22; Ezra 4:2; Hosea 14:3
- 23 Numbers 23:23; Malachi 3:2; 2 Kings 5:1
- 24 Genesis 10:4; Daniel 11:30; Numbers 24:20; Genesis 10:21–25; Daniel 10:20
- 25 Numbers 31:8; Numbers 24:11; Joshua 13:22
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… Gospel; and His Son, who was of the fruit of David's body, that is, of the virgin of [the house of] David, and Emmanuel; whose star also Balaam thus prophesied: "There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a leader shall rise in Israel." But Matthew says that the Magi, coming from the east, exclaimed "For we have seen …
And the similar passage in Numbers, He couched, He lay down as a lion, and as a lion's whelp.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)