Numbers 23

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

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

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

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

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.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure YHWH will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

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

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

And YHWH put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

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

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and 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 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 me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

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

How shall I curse, whom El hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom YHWH hath not defied?

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 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.

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, 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!

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.”

And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

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

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which YHWH hath put 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.”

And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

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.

And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

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

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

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

And YHWH met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

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?”

And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath YHWH spoken?

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

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou 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?

El 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?

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

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse 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 hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: YHWH his Elohim is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

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

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

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!’

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 El wrought!

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 shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

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

And Balak said unto Balaam, 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 answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that YHWH speaketh, that 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.”

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please Elohim that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

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

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

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

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

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

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