Numbers 23

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

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

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

So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.

“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,

4 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.”

and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

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

Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

6 He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

7 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.

And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’

8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?

How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?

9 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 among the nations.

For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.

10 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!”

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”

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

But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

13 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.”

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

14 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.

So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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

Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

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

And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”

17 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 Yahweh spoken?”

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.

18 He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.

19 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?

God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

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

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.

He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

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

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

23 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!’

For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

24 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.”

Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”

Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

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

But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”

27 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.”

“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

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

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

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

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

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

So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.