The Wilderness Years

He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee.

And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honor.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying,

If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Jehovah speaketh, that will I speak?

And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;

He saith, who heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.

And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly.

And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city.

And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.

Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?

But shipsshall comefrom the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber; And he also shall come to destruction.

And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab:

for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel.

And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor.

And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;

and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.