Numbers 23

1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

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 had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

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

3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure Yhwh will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

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 he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

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 Yhwh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

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 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, 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 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy 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, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom Yhwh hath not defied?

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 see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned 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 count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end 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 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, 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 heed to speak that which Yhwh 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 said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

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 the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every 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 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder.

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

16 And Yhwh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto 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, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Yhwh spoken?

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 took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son 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 a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

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 have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

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

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Yhwh his God is with him, and the shout 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; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

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

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob 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 up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

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 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless 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 said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, all that Yhwh speaketh, that I must do?

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

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

“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 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

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

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

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 said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

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