Numbers 23

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

Then said Balaam unto 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 caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 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!

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.”

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.

12 Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

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?

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.”

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.

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 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.

15 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.”

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

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

And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, —and said—Return unto Balak and thus shalt 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?”

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?

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

Then took he up his parable and said, —Rise, Balak, and hear, Give ear unto me 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, 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?

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

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

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 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:

22 God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a wild ox.

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

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 against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, —Now, shall it be said—Of Jacob and of Israel, What hath 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.”

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.

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.”

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

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

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

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness.

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

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

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here, seven altars, —and prepare 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 said, —and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.