Numbers 23

1 Then said Balaam unto Balak: Build me here seven altars, —and prepare me here, seven bullocks and seven rams.

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

2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, —and Balak and Balaam caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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

3 Then said Balaam unto Balak: Station thyself by thine ascending-sacrifice, and let me go my way—peradventure Yahweh may come and meet me, and what thing soever he may show me, I will tell thee. So he went his way to a bare height.

Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.

4 And God came unto Balaam, —so he said unto him The seven altars, have I built in a row, and have caused to ascend, bullock and a ram on each altar.

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.”

5 And Yahweh put a word into the mouth of Balaam, —and said—Return unto Balak, and, thus, shalt thou speak.

The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

6 So he returned unto him, and lo! he was stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, —he, and all the princes of Moab.

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

7 So he took up his parable and said, —From Aram, doth Balak conduct me, The king of Moab, from the mountains of the East, Come thou! curse me Jacob, Yea, come thou! rage on Israel.

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.

8 How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged?

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?

9 Surely from the head of the rocks, do I see him, Yea, from the hills, do I observe him, —Lo! a people, who alone doth dwell, And among the nations, he doth not reckon himself.

For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations.

10 Who hath counted the dust of Jacob? Or who hath numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my hereafter be like his!

Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!”

11 Then said Balak unto Balaam, What hast thou done for me? To revile mine enemies, I summoned thee, and lo! thou hast kept on blessing.

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”

12 And he answered and said, —Was it not to be so that whatsoever Yahweh should put into my mouth, the same, should I take heed to speak?

He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?”

13 Then said Balak unto him—Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see him, nothing but his utmost part, shalt thou see, but all of him, shalt thou not see, —and so revile me him from thence.

Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”

14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, unto the head of Pisgah, —and built seven altars, and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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.

15 Then said he to Balak, Station thyself here by thine ascending-sacrifice, —while, I, meet him yonder.

He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”

16 And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, —and said—Return unto Balak and thus shalt thou speak.

The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”

17 So he came in unto him and, there he was-stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Yahweh spoken?

He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”

18 Then took he up his parable and said, —Rise, Balak, and hear, Give ear unto me son of Zippor!

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

19 GOD is, not a man, that he should lie, Nor a son of Adam, that he should repent, —Hath, he, said, and will not perform? Yea spoken, and will not make it stand fast?

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

20 Lo! to bless, have I received [command], —And I will bless, nor will I take it back.

Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not discovered trouble in Jacob, Neither hath he seen wretchedness in Israel, —Yahweh, his God, is with him, And, the acclaim of a king, in his midst:

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

22 GOD having brought them forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his:

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

23 Surely, there is no enchantment against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, —Now, shall it be said—Of Jacob and of Israel, What hath GOD wrought!

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!’

24 Lo, a people, like a lioness, shall rise, And like a strong lion, shall rouse himself up; He will not lie down till he eat the torn, And the blood of the slain, he drink.

Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, —nor bless him.

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

26 And Balaam responded, and said unto Balak, —Spake I not unto thee, saying, All that Yahweh shall speak, that, must I do?

But Balaam answered Balak, “Did not I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee! let me take thee unto another place, —peradventure, it may be right in the eyes of God, that thou revile me him. from thence.

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.”

28 So Balak took Balaam, —unto the head of Peor, that looketh over the face of the Jeshimon.

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

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

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

30 And Balak did as Balaam said, —and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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