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

But yet going to my people, I will give thee counsel, what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

And now behold, I go to my people: come, I will admonish thee what this people will do to thy people at the end of days.

and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee concerning that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.'

So now I will go back to my people: but first let me make clear to you what this people will do to your people in days to come.

And now, behold, I go unto my people; come, and I will announce to thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days.'

Yet truly, as I continue on to my own people, I will give you counsel as to what this people shall do to your people in the end times."

Nunc itaque ecce, ego discedo ad populum meum: age, consulam tibi quid facturus sit populus iste populo tuo in novissimis diebus.

And now, behold, I go unto my people. Since the counsel which he gave is not here expressly mentioned, [1] it is the opinion of some that his address is unfinished, and they suppose that he referred to the cunning advice so destructive to the people, which will be presently related; i.e., that the Moabitish women should prostitute themselves. Others rather imagine that Balaam counselled Balak to rest quiet, since the prosperity of the Israelites would do no harm to the Moabites in his lifetime. I, however, take it simply for to teach, or to admonish what would be for his advantage. Thus he commends his prophecy, in order that Balaam may willingly submit to it. Still, when he speaks of the "latter days," he signifies that there was no cause for Balak himself to fear or be anxious; since the punishment of his nation would be deferred for a long time. In the meantime we see what Balak had gained by his trouble; for, whereas he had hitherto only heard the people of Israel blessed, he is not compelled to listen to what is more painful still, viz., the ruin of his own nation. This is the reward of those who strive against God.

Footnotes

1 - C. translates 'ytsk, which A. V. renders, "I will advertise thee," consulam tibi, I will counsel thee: so also Ainsworth.

I will advertise thee - i. e., "I will advise thee," words which refer to the ensuing prophecy.

And now, behold, I go unto my people: come [therefore, and] I will (h) advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
(h) He gave also wicked counsel to cause the Israelites to sin, that God might forsake them, (Numbers 31:16).

And now, behold, I go unto my people,.... According to thine order, I shall not stay to make thee uneasy with my company, only I crave thy patience to hear me a little before we part:
come therefore, and I will advertise thee; about some things that shall come to pass in future time, respecting this people, and thine, and other nations, both near and remote; and he hoped by this to bring him into a better temper, and part good friends: or "I will counsel thee"; what thou shall do, as the Targum of Onkelos, and so makes a sentence of this of itself, independent of, and distinct from what follows, beginning the next clause thus:
and I will show them what this people, &c. referring the former to the counsel Balaam gave to Balak, how to seduce the people into idolatry; and the Targum of Jonathan expresses it at large;"come, I will counsel thee, go and prepare victualling houses, and place lewd women there to sell food and drink at a low price, and bring this people to eat, and drink, and be drunken; and let them lie with them, and deny their God, and they will be delivered into thine hands in a little time, and many of them will fall;''which advice was followed, Numbers 25:1 and is referred to, Numbers 31:16 but though Balaam did give him such advice before he left him, which is highly probable, yet it is not what is intended here, since what follows is closely connected with the above clause, and contains the thing he advertised or advised him of:
what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days; not what the Moabites should do to the Israelites now, as the Vulgate Latin version, quite contrary to the original text, but what the Israelites should do to the Moabites in future times; not only in the times of David, by whom they were subdued, 2-Samuel 8:2 but in much later times, even in the times of Alexander, or King Jannaeus, who overcame them, as Josephus (b) relates. Now this might be said to Balak to make him easy, that it would not be until the latter days, many hundreds of years hence, ere the people of Israel would fight with Moab, and subdue it; and therefore he need be under no concern about them, since he would meet with no trouble from them in his time, nor his people for years to come.
(b) Antiqu. l. 13. c. 13. sect. 5.