Numbers 23

1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

2 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken. And Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,

And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.

4 and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

And God met Balaam, and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

5 Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shall speak.

6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

And he returned to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the rulers of Moab.

7 And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’

And he took up his oracle, and said, From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.

8 How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?

How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah has not defied?

9 For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”

Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”

And Balak said to Balaam, What have thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou have blessed them altogether.

12 But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah puts in my mouth?

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from where thou may see them. Thou shall see but the outmost part of them, and shall not see them all, and curse them for me from there.

14 So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.

16 And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”

And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall thou speak.

17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.

And he came to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the rulers of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has Jehovah spoken?

18 Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.

And he took up his oracle, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear. Hearken to me, thou son of Zippor.

19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

20 I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

Behold, I have received to bless. And he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Jehovah his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

God brings them forth out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox.

23 For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

24 Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

Behold, the people rise up as a lioness, and as a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.

25 Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaks, that I must do?

27 “Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take thee to another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou may curse them for me from there.

28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down upon the desert.

29 Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

And Balaam said to Balak, Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.