< Numbers 23 >

1 And Balaam says to Balak, “Build seven altars for me in this [place], and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me in this [place].”
Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
2 And Balak does as Balaam has spoken, and Balak—Balaam also—offers a bullock and a ram on the altar,
Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 and Balaam says to Balak, “Station yourself by your burnt-offering and I go on, it may be YHWH comes to meet me, and the thing which He shows me I have declared to you”; and he goes [to] a 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 comes to Balaam, and he says to Him, “I have arranged the seven altars, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar”;
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 puts a word in the mouth of Balaam and says, “Return to Balak, and thus you 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 returns to him, and behold, he is standing 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 And he takes up his allegory and says: “Balak king of Moab leads me from Aram; From mountains of the east. Come—curse Jacob for me, And come—be indignant [with] 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 do I pierce [when] God has not pierced? And how am I indignant [when] YHWH has not been indignant?
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 rocks I see him, And from heights I behold him; Behold a people! He dwells alone, And does not reckon himself among 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 has counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, 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 says to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I have taken you to pierce my enemies, and behold, you have certainly blessed”;
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 answers and says, “That which YHWH puts in my mouth—do I not take heed to speak it?”
But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should I say precisely what the Lord tells me?”
13 And Balak says to him, “Come! Come to another place with me, from where you see it—you see only its extremity, and you do not see all of it, and pierce it for me there”;
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 takes him [to] the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and builds seven altars, and offers a bullock and a ram on the 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 says to Balak, “Station yourself here by your burnt-offering, and I meet [Him] there”;
Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”
16 and YHWH comes to Balaam, and sets a word in his mouth, and says, “Return to Balak, and thus you speak.”
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 he comes to him, and behold, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab [are] with him, and Balak says to him: “What has 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 takes up his allegory and says: “Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, 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—and lies, And a son of man—and relents! Has He said—and He does not do [it]? And spoken—and He does not confirm 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 have received [only] to bless; Indeed, He blesses, 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 has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen perverseness in Israel; His God YHWH [is] with him, And a shout of a king [is] in him.
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 is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a wild ox for him;
God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.
23 For no enchantment [is] against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel; At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, O what God has worked!
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 rises as a lioness, And he lifts himself up as a lion; He does not lie down until he eats prey, And drinks blood of pierced ones.”
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 says to Balaam, “Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it 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 and Balaam answers and says to Balak, “Have I not spoken to you, saying, All that YHWH speaks—I do it?”
But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”
27 And Balak says to Balaam, “Please come, I take you to another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God to pierce it for me from there.”
“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 takes Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness,
Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.
29 and Balaam says to Balak, “Build seven altars for me in this [place], and prepare seven bullocks and seven rams for me in this [place]”;
Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
30 and Balak does as Balaam said, and he offers a bullock and a ram on an altar.
Balak what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

< Numbers 23 >