By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, where he saw the people of Israel campefd, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, and this is the message he delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the mesage of the man whose eyes see clearly, the message of the one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel! They spread before me like palm groves, like gardens by the riverside. They are like tall trees planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their offspring will have all they need.
Their king will be greater that Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out of Egypt; for them He is as strong as a wild ox. He devours all the nations that oppose Him, breaking their bones in pieces, shooting them with arrows. Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” (vv 1-9 NLT)