וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנְנִ֥י הוֹלֵ֖ךְ לְעַמִּ֑י לְכָה֙ אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֜ה הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה לְעַמְּךָ֖ בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים׃

Now, behold, I am going to my people. However, come, I will advise you. I will tell you something else in the form of prophetic knowledge, with regard to what this people will do to your people at the end of days. In contrast to the previous speeches, which referred mainly to the present, the next allegory is a prophecy that will come to pass in the future, although it is difficult to know the exact period to which it refers.

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃

He launched his oration, and said: The utterance of Bilam son of Beor, and the utterance of the open-eyed man. This is the same preamble that appeared in his previous speech; it includes Bilam’s self-presentation and boast that he is an all-knowing prophet (24:3).

נְאֻ֗ם שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ אִמְרֵי־אֵ֔ל וְיֹדֵ֖עַ דַּ֣עַת עֶלְי֑וֹן מַחֲזֵ֤ה שַׁדַּי֙ יֶֽחֱזֶ֔ה נֹפֵ֖ל וּגְל֥וּי עֵינָֽיִם׃

The utterance of one who hears the sayings of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, he shall see the vision of the Almighty; he falls with uncovered eyes during his revelations.

אֶרְאֶ֙נּוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א עַתָּ֔ה אֲשׁוּרֶ֖נּוּ וְלֹ֣א קָר֑וֹב דָּרַ֨ךְ כּוֹכָ֜ב מִֽיַּעֲקֹ֗ב וְקָ֥ם שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמָחַץ֙ פַּאֲתֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב וְקַרְקַ֖ר כָּל־בְּנֵי־שֵֽׁת׃

I see him in a vision of future events, but not now. I behold him, but he will not rise in the near future; I do not know when my prophecy will happen, but I can see that it will occur only in the distant future. A star, a sparkling leader, shall rise [ darakh ] from Jacob, shooting out like an arrow from an outstretched [ darukh ] bow. Some commentaries explain that darakh means embark on its route. And a ruling scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush the outskirts of Moav, and destroy all the descendants of Seth, all of mankind. As stated in Genesis 5, all of surviving humanity is the offspring of Seth son of Adam, as Abel was killed, and the descendants of Cain did not survive the deluge.

וְהָיָ֨ה אֱד֜וֹם יְרֵשָׁ֗ה וְהָיָ֧ה יְרֵשָׁ֛ה שֵׂעִ֖יר אֹיְבָ֑יו וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֹ֥שֶׂה חָֽיִל׃

Edom shall be a possession for Israel; Israel will occupy and possess Edom. And a possession shall be Se’ir, Edom, for Israel, as they are its enemies, since the Edomites did not let Israel pass through their land. Israel will achieve success.

וְיֵ֖רְדְּ מִֽיַּעֲקֹ֑ב וְהֶֽאֱבִ֥יד שָׂרִ֖יד מֵעִֽיר׃

One shall rule from Jacob, and will rid a remnant from the city, from all the cities of Edom, or from every city in the world.

וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֔ק וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר רֵאשִׁ֤ית גּוֹיִם֙ עֲמָלֵ֔ק וְאַחֲרִית֖וֹ עֲדֵ֥י אֹבֵֽד׃

He saw Amalek, either with his eyes, residing close to Israel, or in a vision, and he launched his oration, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations to fight Israel; and its end will be oblivion.

וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־הַקֵּינִ֔י וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֵיתָן֙ מֽוֹשָׁבֶ֔ךָ וְשִׂ֥ים בַּסֶּ֖לַע קִנֶּֽךָ׃

He saw the Kenites, Yitro’s children and family, who were nomads that maintained ties with Amalek, and launched his oration, and said: Firm is your dwelling. Place your nest in the rock, from where it cannot be removed, as you are a friend of Israel.

כִּ֥י אִם־יִהְיֶ֖ה לְבָ֣עֵֽר קָ֑יִן עַד־מָ֖ה אַשּׁ֥וּר תִּשְׁבֶּֽךָּ׃

Nevertheless, when Kayin shall eventually be expelled, until when will Assyria take you captive? You will be captured by Assyria only temporarily.

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר א֕וֹי מִ֥י יִחְיֶ֖ה מִשֻּׂמ֥וֹ אֵֽל׃

He launched his oration, and said: Alas, who shall live after God’s implementation of His plan? In those future days, distant nations will come to conquer the region:

וְצִים֙ מִיַּ֣ד כִּתִּ֔ים וְעִנּ֥וּ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְעִנּוּ־עֵ֑בֶר וְגַם־ה֖וּא עֲדֵ֥י אֹבֵֽד׃

Seafarers will emerge from Kitim, Rome or Greece, and they will afflict Assyria, and afflict the riverbank, the residents of the western side of the Euphrates River, not only the children of Israel, and it too, this nation that metes out affliction, will end in oblivion. Bilam describes distant events with a broad brush: Great nations will break the nations that preceded them, before eventually being destroyed in turn. Only Israel and those close with them, such as the Kenite, will survive. This prophecy is also relevant for Moav, as it teaches that even if the Moavites hold firm for the moment, they will eventually be destroyed as well.

וַיָּ֣קָם בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ וַיָּ֣שָׁב לִמְקֹמ֑וֹ וְגַם־בָּלָ֖ק הָלַ֥ךְ לְדַרְכּֽוֹ׃ (פ)

Bilam rose, and went, and returned to his place without receiving any reward. It seems that he was granted no more great prophecies after his return. It can be inferred from below that after Bilam went home he offered evil council against Israel, not as a prophet but as a private individual, and perhaps as a sorcerer as well (see 31:16). And Balak too went on his way, dissatisfied and frustrated, after hearing about his people’s ultimate end, whereas Israel would continue to exist.

וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּשִּׁטִּ֑ים וַיָּ֣חֶל הָעָ֔ם לִזְנ֖וֹת אֶל־בְּנ֥וֹת מוֹאָֽב׃

Israel was living in Shitim, a place near Moav, where acacia plants [ shittim ] likely grew, and the people began to engage in licentiousness with the daughters of Moav.

וַתִּקְרֶ֣אןָ לָעָ֔ם לְזִבְחֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אכַל הָעָ֔ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֖וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽן׃

As a result, they invited the people to the offerings of their gods; the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods. The Israelites did not immediately succumb to the sin of idolatry, but as they were interested in the daughters of the land, they participated in the rites of their cults.

וַיִּצָּ֥מֶד יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְבַ֣עַל פְּע֑וֹר וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Ultimately, Israel adhered to Baal Peor, the Moavite god who was presumed to control that area; and the wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Israel, for their licentiousness and idol worship.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה קַ֚ח אֶת־כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הָעָ֔ם וְהוֹקַ֥ע אוֹתָ֛ם לַיהוָ֖ה נֶ֣גֶד הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁ֛ב חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהוָ֖ה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The Lord said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people, the judges appointed to execute sinners, and since nobody has yet objected to their actions, hang them, those who participated in the sin, for the Lord opposite the sun. This should be done in a public, decisive manner, in order to express the severity of the act, and then the enflamed wrath of the Lord will be withdrawn from Israel.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִרְגוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֲנָשָׁ֔יו הַנִּצְמָדִ֖ים לְבַ֥עַל פְּעֽוֹר׃

Moses said to the judges, the leaders of Israel: Each of you, kill his men, the men under his charge who are adhering to Baal Peor.

וְהִנֵּ֡ה אִישׁ֩ מִבְּנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בָּ֗א וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית לְעֵינֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהֵ֣מָּה בֹכִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

Behold, an important man from the children of Israel came and brought near to his brethren the Midyanite woman he had found, and brought her to the tent, before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel. He did this in public in order to demonstrate that in his opinion there was nothing wrong in the act. And they, the Israelites, were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, as they sensed that the act was very repulsive, but they felt helpless, as they did not know what they were supposed to do.

וַיַּ֗רְא פִּֽינְחָס֙ בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיָּ֙קָם֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֥ח רֹ֖מַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

Pinhas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the High Priest, who was present at the time alongside Moses and the other leaders of the people, saw this act, and he rose from among the congregation, and he took a spear in his hand.

וַ֠יָּבֹא אַחַ֨ר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־הַקֻּבָּ֗ה וַיִּדְקֹר֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֚ת אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־קֳבָתָ֑הּ וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙ הַמַּגֵּפָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

He went after the man of Israel who had brought the Midyanite woman into the tent, and stabbed both of them as they were engaged in the act, the man of Israel, and the woman through her abdomen, her sexual organ. The plague was stopped from the children of Israel, because of this stabbing.

וַיִּהְי֕וּ הַמֵּתִ֖ים בַּמַּגֵּפָ֑ה אַרְבָּעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃ (פ)

Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.