Numbers 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 So when he returned vnto him, loe, hee stoode by his burnt offering, he, and 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you 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 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 Behold, I haue receiued commandement to blesse: for he hath blessed, and I cannot alter it.

Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.

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 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: their strength is as an vnicorne.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a wild 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?

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

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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