Numbers 23

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

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

2 So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every 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, “Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” So he went away to a hilltop with no trees.

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 While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, “I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one.”

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 Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.”

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

6 So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him.

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

7 Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, “Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.'

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 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose?

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

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him; from the hills I look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation.

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 dust of Jacob or number even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's end be like his!”

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 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed 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 Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

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

13 So Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them 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 he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram 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 Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

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

16 So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.”

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

17 Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh said?”

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 Balaam began his prophecy. He said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

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 man, that he should lie, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out?

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 Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.

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

21 He has seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them.

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 with strength like that of a wild ox.

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

23 There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has done!'

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 Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed.”

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, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”

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

26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?”

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

27 So Balak replied to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me.”

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 Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

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

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

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 as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

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