24:1 巴蘭見耶和華喜歡賜福與以色列，就不像前兩次去求法術，卻面向曠野。
24:2 巴蘭舉目，看見以色列人照著支派居住。上帝的靈就臨到他身上，
24:3 他便題起詩歌說：比珥的兒子巴蘭說，眼目閉住（或譯：睜開）的人說，
24:4 得聽上帝的言語，得見全能者的異象，眼目睜開而仆倒的人說：
24:5 雅各啊，你的帳棚何等華美！以色列啊，你的帳幕何其華麗！
24:6 如接連的山谷，如河旁的園子，如耶和華所栽的沉香樹，如水邊的香柏木。
24:7 水要從他的桶裡流出；種子要撒在多水之處。他的王必超過亞甲；他的國必要振興。
24:8 上帝領他出埃及；他似乎有野牛之力。他要吞吃敵國，折斷他們的骨頭，用箭射透他們。
24:9 他蹲如公獅，臥如母獅，誰敢惹他？凡給你祝福的，願他蒙福；凡咒詛你的，願他受咒詛。
24:10 巴勒向巴蘭生氣，就拍起手來，對巴蘭說：「我召你來為我咒詛仇敵，不料，你這三次竟為他們祝福。
24:11 如今你快回本地去吧！我想使你得大尊榮，耶和華卻阻止你不得尊榮。」
24:12 巴蘭對巴勒說：「我豈不是對你所差遣到我那裡的使者說：
24:13 『巴勒就是將他滿屋的金銀給我，我也不得越過耶和華的命，憑自己的心意行好行歹。耶和華說甚麼，我就要說甚麼』？」
24:14 「現在我要回本族去。你來，我告訴你這民日後要怎樣待你的民。」
24:15 他就題起詩歌說：比珥的兒子巴蘭說：眼目閉住（或譯：睜開）的人說，
24:16 得聽上帝的言語，明白至高者的意旨，看見全能者的異象，眼目睜開而仆倒的人說：
24:17 我看他卻不在現時；我望他卻不在近日。有星要出於雅各，有杖要興於以色列，必打破摩押的四角，毀壞擾亂之子。
24:18 他必得以東為基業，又得仇敵之地西珥為產業；以色列必行事勇敢。
24:19 有一位出於雅各的，必掌大權；他要除滅城中的餘民。
24:20 巴蘭觀看亞瑪力，就題起詩歌說：亞瑪力原為諸國之首，但他終必沉淪。
24:21 巴蘭觀看基尼人，就題起詩歌說：你的住處本是堅固；你的窩巢做在巖穴中。
24:22 然而基尼必至衰微，直到亞述把你擄去。
24:23 巴蘭又題起詩歌說：哀哉！上帝行這事，誰能得活？
24:24 必有人乘船從基提界而來，苦害亞述，苦害希伯；他也必至沉淪。
24:25 於是巴蘭起來，回他本地去；巴勒也回去了。
Now when Balaam saw that
it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times,
but turned his face toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped
tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him 3 and he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of
Beor,
the
prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
4 the prophecy of one who
hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,[a]
who
falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your
dwelling places, Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like
gardens beside a river,
like aloes planted by the Lord,
like
cedars beside the waters.
7 Water will flow from
their buckets;
their
seed will have abundant water.
“Their king will be greater
than Agag;
their
kingdom will be exalted.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt;
they
have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
and
break their bones in pieces;
with
their arrows they pierce them.
9 Like a lion they crouch
and lie down,
like
a lioness—who dares to rouse them?
“May those who bless you be
blessed
and
those who curse you be cursed!”
10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands
together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have
blessed them these three times. 11 Now leave at once and go
home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 13 ‘Even
if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything
of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’?
14 Now I am going back to
my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people
in days to come.”
15 Then he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of
Beor,
the
prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one
who hears the words of God,
who
has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who
falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I
behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a
scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the
skulls[b] of[c] all the people of Sheth.[d]
18 Edom will be conquered;
Seir,
his enemy, will be conquered,
but
Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out
of Jacob
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message:
“Amalek was first among the
nations,
but
their end will be utter destruction.”
21 Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message:
“Your dwelling place is secure,
your
nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will
be destroyed
when
Ashur takes you captive.”
23 Then he spoke his message:
“Alas! Who can live when God
does this?[e]
24 Ships
will come from the shores of Cyprus;
they will subdue Ashur and Eber,
but
they too will come to ruin.”
25 Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
************
巴蘭先知總共發了七次預言，都是照著耶和華上帝的心意，在這些預言中不僅祝福以色列人，更是說到基督將要從以色列人中產生，讓我們再次確認舊約是在預言基督的降臨與工作為核心！
從巴蘭的預言中我們再次感受到聖經的中心是基督，不管是新約和舊約，都是指向上帝的救贖是在耶穌基督裡，離了耶穌基督就沒有救恩了！過去的人將在基督裡等同是在教會裡，以致於發出「在教會之外沒有救恩的論調」！
然而在馬丁路德的時代，教會已經偏離了聖經的教導，教宗宣稱自己是教會之首，取代了基督的地位，也因此他要藉宗教改革，要教會回到聖經，尊基督為主、為中保，從新回到聖經的教導，以基督為信仰的中心。
今日的教會受到形式主義的影響，只注重外表的活動、禮儀和各樣的訓練課程，沒有強調唯有基督是主，唯有靠基督才能與上帝和好，成為上帝的兒女。以至於以外表的表現取代了內心的信靠，沒有讓聖靈的更新實現在人的內心，更沒有真正的悔改在生命之中！
也因為如此，我們要回到上帝的道，在基督裡與上帝相遇，如此我們才真正有永生的確據，感受到一切都是出於上帝的恩典，若不是上帝的恩典，我們就沒有辦法得救贖了！
