Numbers 23

1 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen 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 offered on every altar a bull and a ram.

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

3 And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: perhaps the LORD will come to meet me: and whatever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

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 met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bull and a ram.

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 the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

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

6 And he returned to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt 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 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy 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 shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?

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

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

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 amongst the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end 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 And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

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, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?

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

13 And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from which thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and from there curse them for me.

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 brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on every 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 And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

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

16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus.

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

17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the LORD 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 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise, Balak, and hear; hearken to me, thou 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; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

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

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

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

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

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 amongst them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

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, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall 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 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he shall eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

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

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 thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

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

27 And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee to another place; perhaps it will please God that thou mayest from there curse them for me.

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 And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

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

29 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls 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 had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

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