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 Balac, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven calves, 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 Balac did as Balaam told him; and he offered up a calf and a ram on [every] 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.

And Balaam said to Balac, Stand by thy sacrifice, and I will go and see if God will appear to me and meet me, and the word which he shall shew me, I will report to thee. And Balac stood by his sacrifice.

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 Balaam went to enquire of God; and he went straight forward, and God appeared to Balaam; and Balaam said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and have offered a calf 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 God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, and said, thou shalt return to Balac, and thus shalt thou 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 moreover he stood over his whole-burnt-offerings, and all the princes of Moab with him; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

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 parable, and said, Balac king of Moab sent for me out of Mesopotamia, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and Come, call for a curse for me upon Israel.

8 What — do I pierce? — God hath not pierced! And what — am I indignant? — Jehovah hath not been indignant!

How can I curse whom the Lord curses not? or how can I devote whom God devotes not?

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 mountains I shall see him, and from the hills I shall observe him: behold, the people shall dwell 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 has exactly calculated the seed of Jacob, and who shall number the families of Israel? let my soul die with the souls of the righteous, and let my seed be as their seed.

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 Balac said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I called thee to curse my enemies, and behold thou hast greatly blessed [them].

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

And Balaam said to Balac, Whatsoever the Lord shall put into my mouth, shall I not take heed to speak this?

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 Balac said to him, Come yet with me to another place where thou shalt not see the people, but only thou shalt see a part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.

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 to a high place of the field to the top of the quarried [rock], and he built there seven altars, and offered a calf 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 Balaam said to Balac, Stand by thy sacrifice, and I will go to enquire of God.

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 God met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, and said, return to Balac, and thus shalt 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 returned to him: and he also was standing by his whole-burnt-sacrifice, and all the princes of Moab with him; and Balac said to him, What has the Lord 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 parable, and said, rise up, Balac, and hear; hearken as a witness, thou son of Sepphor.

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 as man to waver, nor as the son of man to be threatened; shall he say and not perform? shall he speak and not keep [to his word]?

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

Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: I will bless, and not turn back.

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.

There shall not be trouble in Jacob, neither shall sorrow be seen in Israel: the Lord his God [is] with him, the glories of rulers [are] in him.

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

It was God who brought him out of Egypt; he has as it were the glory of a unicorn.

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 divination in Jacob, nor enchantment in Israel; in season it shall be told to Jacob and Israel what God shall perform.

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 shall rise up as a lion's whelp, and shall exalt himself as a lion; he shall not lie down till he have eaten the prey, and he shall drink the blood of the slain.

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

And Balac said to Balaam, Neither curse the people at all for me, 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?'

And Balaam answered and said to Balac, Spoke I not to thee, saying, Whatsoever thing God shall speak to me, that will I 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 Balac said to Balaam, Come [and] I will remove thee to another place, if it shall please God, and curse me them from thence.

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

And Balac took Balaam to the top of Phogor, which extends to the wilderness.

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 Balac, build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven calves, and seven rams.

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

And Balac did as Balaam told him, and offered a calf and a ram on [every] altar.