Like a thorn ¹  that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. ² 

“Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.”

In that day people will sing this taunt song to you – they will mock you with this lament: ¹  ‘We are completely destroyed; they sell off ²  the property of my people. How they remove it from me! ³  They assign our fields to the conqueror.’ ⁴ 

Balaam ¹  uttered ²  his oracle, and said, “Rise up, ³  Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor:

Then he uttered this oracle: ¹  “The oracle ²  of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; ³ 

Then he uttered this oracle: ¹  “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;

Then Balaam ¹  looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: ²  “Amalek was the first ³  of the nations, but his end will be that he will perish.”

Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle: “Your dwelling place seems strong, and your nest ¹  is set on a rocky cliff.

you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words: ¹  “Look how the oppressor has met his end! Hostility ²  has ceased!

The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle ¹  was standing.

This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper.

Then Balaam ¹  uttered ²  his oracle, saying, “Balak, the king of Moab, brought me ³  from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ ⁴ 

“But all these nations will someday taunt him ¹  and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ²  ‘The one who accumulates what does not belong to him is as good as dead ³  (How long will this go on?) ⁴  – he who gets rich by extortion!’ ⁵