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Bil'am raised his eyes and saw Isra'el encamped tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,
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and he made his pronouncement: "This is the speech of Bil'am, son of B'or; the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;
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the speech of him who hears God's words; who sees what Shaddai sees, who has fallen, yet has open eyes:
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"How lovely are your tents, Ya'akov; your encampments, Isra'el!
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They spread out like valleys, like gardens by the riverside, like succulent aloes planted by ADONAI, like cedar trees next to the water.
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"Water will flow from their branches, their seed will have water aplenty. Their king will be higher than Agag and his kingdom lifted high.
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God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox. They will devour the nations opposing them, break their bones, pierce them with their arrows.
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"When they lie down they crouch like a lion, or like a lioness - who dares to rouse it? Blessed be all who bless you! Cursed be all who curse you!"
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Balak blazed with fury against Bil'am. He struck his hands together and said to Bil'am, "I summoned you to curse my enemies. But here, you have done nothing but bless them - three times already!
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Now you had better escape to your own place! I had planned to reward you very well, but now ADONAI has deprived you of payment."
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Bil'am answered Balak, "Didn't I tell the messengers you sent me