Numbers 23

1 Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."

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

2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on [every] altar a bullock and a ram.

3 Balaam said to Balak, "Station yourself by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps God will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And Balak went off and stationed himself by his offering, and Balaam called to God and went off to a barren height.

And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: it may be the LORD will come to meet me: and whatever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a high place.

4 And God met Balaam, and he said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar."

And God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.

5 And God put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 He returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

And he returned to him and lo, he stood by his burnt-sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 He took up his parable, and said, "From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. 'Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.'

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 Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse whom YHWH has not cursed? How shall I defy whom God has not defied?

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Look, it is a people that dwells alone, and not counting itself among the nations.

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.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and who has numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous. Let my last end be like his."

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!

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them altogether."

And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed [them] altogether.

12 He answered and said, "Must I not be careful to speak that which God puts in my mouth?"

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

13 Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you may see them; you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all; and curse them for me from there."

And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and from thence curse them for me.

14 He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

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.

15 He said to Balak, "Station yourself here by your burnt offering, while I meet over there."

And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet [the LORD] yonder.

16 And God met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and say this."

And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus.

17 He came to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What has YHWH spoken?"

And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the LORD spoken?

18 He took up his parable, and said, "Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise, Balak, and hear; hearken to me, thou son of Zippor:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

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 spoke, and shall he not make it good?

20 Look, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't reverse it.

Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. YHWH his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God [is] with him, and the shout of a king [is] among them.

22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn.

23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what has God done.

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!

24 Look, the people rises up as a lioness, as a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."

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 shall eat [of] the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, saying, 'All that God speaks, that I must do?'"

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

27 Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."

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

28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.

And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that looketh towards Jeshimon.

29 Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."

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

30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on [every] altar.