Numbers 23

1 And Balaam saith unto Balak, 'Build for me in this [place] seven altars, and make ready for me in this [place] seven bullocks and seven rams.'

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

2 And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak — Balaam also — offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

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

3 and Balaam saith to Balak, 'Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me — I have declared to thee;' and he goeth [to] a high place.

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 And God cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, 'The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;'

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 and Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, 'Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

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

6 And he turneth back unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

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

7 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'From Aram he doth lead me — Balak king of Moab; From mountains of the east: Come — curse for me Jacob, And come — be indignant [with] 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 What — do I pierce? — God hath not pierced! And what — am I indignant? — Jehovah hath not been indignant!

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 rocks I see it, And from heights I behold it; Lo a people! alone it doth tabernacle, And among nations doth not reckon itself.

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 hath counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, And let my last 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 And Balak saith unto Balaam, 'What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee — and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'

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 and he answereth and saith, 'That which Jehovah doth put in my mouth — it do I not take heed to speak?'

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

13 And Balak saith unto him, 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou dost see it, only its extremity thou dost see, and all of it thou dost not see, and pierce it for me thence;'

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 and he taketh him [to] the field of Zophim, unto the top of Pisgah, and buildeth seven altars, and offereth a bullock and a ram on the 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 And he saith unto Balak, 'Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I — I meet [Him] there;'

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

16 and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, 'Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

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

17 And he cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: 'What hath Jehovah spoken?'

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 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, 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 — and lieth, And a son of man — and repenteth! Hath He said — and doth He not do [it]? And spoken — and doth He not confirm it?

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 Lo, to bless I have received: Yea, He blesseth, and I [can] not reverse it.

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

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor hath He seen perverseness in Israel; Jehovah his God [is] with him, And a shout of a king [is] in him.

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 is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;

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

23 For no enchantment [is] against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and 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 wrought!

24 Lo, the people as a lioness riseth, And as a lion he lifteth himself up, He lieth not down till he eateth prey, And blood of pierced ones doth drink.'

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 And Balak saith unto Balaam, 'Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'

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

26 and Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, 'Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh — it I do?'

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

27 And Balak saith unto Balaam, 'Come, I pray thee, I take thee unto another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God — to pierce it for me from thence.'

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 And Balak taketh Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness,

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

29 and Balaam saith unto Balak, 'Build for me in this [place] seven altars, and make ready for me in this [place] seven bullocks 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 and Balak doth as Balaam said, and he offereth a bullock and a ram on an altar.

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