Numbers 23

1 Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”

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

2 So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.

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

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,

And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.

4 and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”

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

5 Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”

And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shall speak.

6 When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].

And he returned to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the rulers of Moab.

7 This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’

And he took up his oracle, and said, From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.

8 But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]

How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah has not defied?

9 I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.

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

10 (Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”

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

11 Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”

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

12 But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah puts in my mouth?

13 Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”

And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from where thou may see them. Thou shall see but the outmost part of them, and shall not see them all, and curse them for me from there.

14 So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.

And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”

And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.

16 So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”

And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall thou speak.

17 So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”

And he came to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the rulers of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has Jehovah spoken?

18 Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!

And he took up his oracle, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear. Hearken to me, thou son of Zippor.

19 God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.

God is not a man, that he should lie, neither 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?

20 He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.

Behold, I have received to bless. And he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].

He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Jehovah his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.

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

23 When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’

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 wrought!

24 They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”

Behold, the people rise up as a lioness, and 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 Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”

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

26 But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”

But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaks, that I must do?

27 Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”

And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take thee to another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou may curse them for me from there.

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.

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

29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”

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

30 So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.

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