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.'

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

6 And he turneth back unto him, and lo, he is 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 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 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 What — do I pierce? — God hath not pierced! And what — am I indignant? — Jehovah hath not been indignant!

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 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 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 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 even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”

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;'

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

But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD 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;'

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 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.

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 And he saith unto Balak, 'Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I — I meet [Him] there;'

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

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

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?'

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 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, 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 — 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, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

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

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change 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 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 is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a 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!

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

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

Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then 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 replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, 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.'

“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 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, which overlooks the wasteland.

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;'

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

30 and Balak doth as Balaam said, and he offereth a bullock and a ram on an altar.

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