Numbers 23

1 And Balaam sayd vnto Balak, Builde me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullockes, and seuen rammes.

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

2 And Balak did as Balaam sayd, and Balak and Balaam offred on euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Then Balaam sayde vnto Balak, Stande by the burnt offring, and I will goe, if so be that the Lord will come and meete me: and whatsoeuer he sheweth me, I will tell thee: so he went forth alone.

Balaam said to Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I go and see if perhaps the Lord will come and meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I'll share with you.” Then Balaam left to climb up a rocky crag.

4 And God met Balaam, and Balaam sayd vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and haue offred vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

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

5 And the Lord put an answere in Balaams mouth, and sayde, Go againe to Balak, and say on this wise.

The Lord gave Balaam a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”

6 So when he returned vnto him, loe, hee stoode by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.

7 Then he vttered his parable, and sayde, Balak the king of Moab hath brought mee from Aram out of the mountaines of the East, saying, Come, curse Iaakob for my sake: come, and detest Israel.

This is the declaration that Balaam gave: “Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the east. He said, ‘Come and curse Jacob for me! Come and condemn Israel!’

8 How shall I curse, where God hath not cursed? or howe shall I detest, where the Lord hath not detested?

But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned?

9 For from the top of the rocks I did see him, and from the hils I did beholde him: lo, the people shall dwell by themselues, and shall not be reckened among the nations.

For I'm looking down on them from the top of rocky crags; I'm watching them from the hills. I see a people who live on their own, different from the other nations.

10 Who can tell the dust of Iaakob, and the nomber of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last ende be like his.

Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites? I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”

11 Then Balak saide vnto Balaam, What hast thou done vnto mee? I tooke thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them altogether.

Then Balak complained to Balaam, “What on earth have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! All you have done is bless them!”

12 And he answered, and said, Must I not take heede to speake that, which the Lord hath put in my mouth?

But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”

13 And Balak sayde vnto him, Come, I pray thee, with mee vnto another place, whence thou mayest see them, and thou shalt see but the vtmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: therefore curse them out of that place for my sake.

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. But you'll only see a part of their camp—you won't see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.”

14 And he brought him into Sede-sophim to the top of Pisgah, and built seuen altars, and offred a bullocke, and a ramme on euery altar.

He took him to the field of Zophim at the top of Mount Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 After, he sayde vnto Balak, Stande here by thy burnt offring, and I wil meete the Lord yonder.

Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”

16 And the Lord mette Balaam, and put an answere in his mouth, and sayd, Goe againe vnto Balak, and say thus.

The Lord met Balaam and gave him a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”

17 And when he came to him, beholde, hee stoode by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him: so Balak sayde vnto him, What hath the Lord sayd?

So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.

18 And he vttered his parable, and sayde, Rise vp, Balak, and heare: hearken vnto me, thou sonne of Zippor.

This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered: “Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 God is not as man, that he should lie, neither as the sonne of man that he shoulde repent: hath he sayde and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it?

God isn't a human being who would lie. He's not a mere mortal who changes his mind. Does he say he's going to do something but doesn't? Does he make promises he doesn't carry out?

20 Behold, I haue receiued commandement to blesse: for he hath blessed, and I cannot alter it.

Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that.

21 Hee seeth none iniquitie in Iaakob, nor seeth no transgression in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the ioyfull shoute of a king is among them.

He's not expecting anything bad will happen to Jacob; he doesn't foresee any trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them; they celebrate him as their king.

22 God brought them out of Egypt: their strength is as an vnicorne.

God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.

23 For there is no sorcerie in Iaakob, nor soothsaying in Israel: according to this time it shalbe sayde of Iaakob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?

No spell can be cast against Jacob; no magic can be used against Israel. People will talk about Jacob and Israel, saying, ‘What amazing things God has done for them!’

24 Behold, the people shall rise vp as a lyon, and lift vp himselfe as a yong lyon: hee shall not lye downe, till he eate of the pray, and till he drinke the blood of the slayne.

Look! The Israelites go out hunting like a lioness; they chase like a lion. They don't rest until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of their dead victim.”

25 Then Balak sayde vnto Balaam, Neither curse, nor blesse them at all.

Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”

26 But Balaam answered, and saide vnto Balak, Tolde not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that must I do?

But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”

27 Againe Balak sayd vnto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I wil bring thee vnto another place, if so be it wil please God, that thou mayest thence curse them for my sake.

“Please come with me and I will take you somewhere else,” Balak said. “Maybe God would let you curse them for me from there.”

28 So Balak brought Balaam vnto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Ieshmon.

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

29 Then Balaam sayde vnto Balak, Make me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullocks, and seuen rammes.

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

30 And Balak did as Balaam had sayd, and offred a bullocke and a ram on euery altar.

Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.