Numbers 23

1 And Balaam said to Balak, Make me here seven altars and get ready seven oxen and seven male sheep.

And Bil'am said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

2 And Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam made an offering on every altar of an ox and a male sheep.

And Balak did as Bil'am had spoken; and Balak and Bil'am offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, Take your place by your burned offering, and I will go and see if the Lord comes to me: and I will give you word of whatever he says to me. And he went to an open place on a hill.

And Bil'am said unto Balak, Place thyself by thy burnt-offering; and I will go, peradventure the Lord will come to meet me, and whatsoever he may show me I will tell thee: and he went thoughtfully alone.

4 And God came to Balaam, and Balaam said to him, I have made ready seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.

And God met Bil'am: and he said unto him, The seven altars have I made ready, and I have offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar.

5 And the Lord put words in Balaam's mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say.

And the Lord put a word in Bil'am's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

6 So he went back to him where he was waiting by his burned offering with all the chiefs of Moab.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, From Aram Balak has sent for me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: come, put curses on Jacob for me and be angry with Israel.

And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram did Balak send for me, the king of Moab, out of the mountains of the east, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

8 How may I put curses on him who is not cursed by God? how may I be angry with him with whom the Lord is not angry?

How shall I denounce, whom God hath not denounced? and how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

9 From the top of the rocks I see him, looking down on him from the hills: it is a people made separate, not to be numbered among the nations.

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

10 Who is able to take the measure of the dust of Jacob or the number of the thousands of Israel? May my death be the death of the upright and my last end like his!

Who can count the dust of Jacob, and number the fourth part of Israel? May my soul die the death of the righteous, and may my last end be like his!

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I sent for you so that my haters might be cursed, and see, you have given them a blessing.

And Balak said unto Bil'am, What hast thou done unto me? to denounce my enemies did I take thee, and, behold, thou hast even blessed them.

12 And in answer he said, Am I not ordered to say only what the Lord puts into my mouth?

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that only which the Lord may put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said to him, Come with me now into another place from which you will not be able to see them all, but only the outskirts of them; and you will send curses on them from there.

And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from where thou canst see them; nevertheless a portion of them only wilt thou see, but the whole of them thou wilt not see: and denounce them for me from there.

14 So he took him into the country of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and there they made seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.

And he brought him to the field of the watchmen, on the top of Pisgah, and he built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 Then he said to Balak, Take your place here by your burned offering, while I go over there to the Lord.

And he said unto Balak, Place thyself here by thy burnt-offering, while I will repair to yonder place.

16 And the Lord came to Balaam, and put words in his mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say.

And the Lord met Bil'am, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

17 So he came to him where he was waiting by his burned offering with the chiefs of Moab by his side. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said?

And he came to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him; and Balak said unto him: What hath the Lord spoken?

18 And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, Up! Balak, and give ear; give attention to me, O son of Zippor:

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; bend hither thy ear unto me, son of Zippor!

19 God is not a man, to say what is false; or the son of man, that his purpose may be changed: what he has said, will he not do? and will he not give effect to the words of his mouth?

God is not a man, that he should lie; nor a son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not fulfill it?

20 See, I have had orders to give blessing: and he has given a blessing which I have no power to take away.

Behold, to bless I have received [the word]; and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 He has seen no evil in Jacob or wrongdoing in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the glad cry of a king is among them.

He hath not beheld any wrong in Jacob, nor hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the glory of the king dwelleth among him.

22 It is God who has taken them out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox.

God, who brought them out of Egypt, is to them like the heights of the reem.

23 No evil power has effect against Jacob, no secret arts against Israel; at the right time it will be said of Jacob and of Israel, See what God has done!

For there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor is there any divination in Israel: at the proper time shall it be said to Jacob and to Israel, what God doth work.

24 See, Israel comes up like a she-lion, lifting himself up like a lion: he will take no rest till he has made a meal of those he has overcome, drinking the blood of those he has put to death.

Behold, it is a people, that shall rise up as a lioness, and as a lion shall it raise itself: it will not lie down until it have eaten the prey, and have drunk the blood of the slain.

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, If you will not put a curse on them, at all events do not give them a blessing.

And Balak said unto Bil'am, Neither shalt thou denounce them, nor shalt thou any wise bless them.

26 But Balaam in answer said to Balak, Did I not say to you, I may only do what the Lord says?

But Bil'am answered and said unto Balak, Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, all that the Lord will speak, that must I do.

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take you to another place; it may be that God will let you put a curse on them from there.

And Balak said unto Bil'am, Come, I pray thee, I will take thee unto another place, peradventure it may be pleasing in the eyes of God that thou mayest denounce them for me from there.

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, looking down over the waste land.

And Balak took Bil'am unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward the desert.

29 And Balaam said to Balak, Make me seven altars here and get seven oxen and seven male sheep ready for me.

And Bil'am said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam said, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.

And Balak did as Bil'am had said, and he offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.