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, Make me here seven altars and get ready seven oxen and seven male sheep.

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 said; and Balak and Balaam made an offering on every altar of an ox and a male sheep.

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,

Then Balaam said to Balak, Take your place by your burned offering, and I will go and see if the Lord comes to me: and I will give you word of whatever he says to me. And he went to an open place on a hill.

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 came to Balaam, and Balaam said to him, I have made ready seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep 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 the Lord put words in Balaam's mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say.

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

So he went back to him where he was waiting by his burned offering with all the chiefs 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 in the words which the Lord had given him he said, From Aram Balak has sent for me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: come, put curses on Jacob for me and be angry with 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 may I put curses on him who is not cursed by God? how may I be angry with him with whom the Lord is not angry?

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.

From the top of the rocks I see him, looking down on him from the hills: it is a people made separate, not to be numbered 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 is able to take the measure of the dust of Jacob or the number of the thousands of Israel? May my death be the death of the upright and my last end 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)!”

Then Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I sent for you so that my haters might be cursed, and see, you have given them a blessing.

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

And in answer he said, Am I not ordered to say only what the Lord puts into 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 with me now into another place from which you will not be able to see them all, but only the outskirts of them; and you will send curses on them 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.

So he took him into the country of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and there they made seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.

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

Then he said to Balak, Take your place here by your burned offering, while I go over there to the Lord.

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 the Lord came to Balaam, and put words in his mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say.

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?”

So he came to him where he was waiting by his burned offering with the chiefs of Moab by his side. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said?

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

And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, Up! Balak, and give ear; give attention to me, O 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, to say what is false; or the son of man, that his purpose may be changed: what he has said, will he not do? and will he not give effect to the words of his mouth?

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

See, I have had orders to give blessing: and he has given a blessing which I have no power to take away.

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 seen no evil in Jacob or wrongdoing in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the glad cry 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.

It is God who has taken them out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain 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!’

No evil power has effect against Jacob, no secret arts against Israel; at the right time it will be said of Jacob and of Israel, See what God has done!

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.”

See, Israel comes up like a she-lion, lifting himself up like a lion: he will take no rest till he has made a meal of those he has overcome, drinking the blood of those he has put to death.

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”

Then Balak said to Balaam, If you will not put a curse on them, at all events do not give them a blessing.

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

But Balaam in answer said to Balak, Did I not say to you, I may only do what the Lord says?

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.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take you to another place; it may be that God will let you put a curse on them 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.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, looking down over the waste land.

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, Make me seven altars here and get seven oxen and seven male sheep ready for me.

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 said, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.