Numbers 23

1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.7 And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.10 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 said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?

13 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 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 said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.16 And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.17 And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken?18 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, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

22 God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.

23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shalt it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do?27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.28 And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Numbers 23

Balaam Blesses Israel

1 s Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”2 So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam then offered on eacht altar a bull and a ram.

3 Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourselft by your burnt offering, and I will go off; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he reveals to met I will tell you.”t Then he went to a deserted height.s
4 Then God met Balaam, whot said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

5 Then the Lord put a messaget in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”t
6 So he returned to him, and he was stillt standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

7 Then Balaamt utteredt his oracle, saying,
“Balak, the king of Moab, brought met from Aram,
out of the mountains of the east, saying,
‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’s

8 Howt can I curset one whom God has not cursed,
or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see them;t
from the hills I watch them.s
Indeed, a nation that lives alone,
and it will not be reckonedt among the nations.

10 Whot can countt the dusts of Jacob,
Or numbert the fourth part of Israel?
Let met die the death of the upright,s
and let the end of my lifet be like theirs.”t

Balaam Relocates

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contraryt you have only blessed them!”t12 Balaam replied,t “Must I not be carefult to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”t

13 Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you can observe them. You will see only a part of them, but you will not see all of them. Curse them for me from there.”
14 So Balak brought Balaamt to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah,t wheret he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.15 And Balaamt said to Balak, “Station yourself heret by your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord there.16 Then the Lord met Balaam and put a messaget in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”

17 When Balaamt came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

Balaam Prophesies Again

18 Balaamt utteredt his oracle, and said,
“Rise up,t Balak, and hear;
Listen to me, son of Zippor:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a human being,t that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?t

20 Indeed, I have received a commandt to bless;
he has blessed,s and I cannot reverse it.t

21 Het has not looked on iniquity in Jacob,s
nor has he seen troublet in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
his acclamationt as king is among them.

22 God brought themt out of Egypt.
They have, as it were, the strength of a wild bull.s

23 For there is no spell againstt Jacob,
nor is there any divination against Israel.
At this timet it must be saidt of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘Look att what God has done!’

24 Indeed, the people will rise up like a lioness,
and like a lion raises himself up;
they will not lie down until they eat theirt prey,
and drink the blood of the slain.”s

Balaam Relocates Yet Again

25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at allt nor bless them at all!”t

26 But Balaam repliedt to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord speaks,t I must do’?”
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please Godt to let you curse them for me from there.”s28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward the wilderness.t29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”

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