Numbers 23

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

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

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

So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

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,

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” So he went away to a hilltop with no trees.

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.”

While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, “I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one.”

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

Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”

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

So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.

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!’

Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.'

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

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?

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; from the hills I look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation.

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 even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's 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!”

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”

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

Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh 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.”

So Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them for me.”

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.

So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

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

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

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

So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.”

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.

Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh said?”

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

Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you 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, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out?

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

Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, 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 seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them.

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

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a 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!’

There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has done!'

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.”

Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed.”

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

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or 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 you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”

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.”

So Balak replied to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me.”

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

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

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

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

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

So Balak did as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.