Then Balaam said
to Balak
, "Build
seven
altars
for me here
, and prepare
seven
bulls
and seven
rams
for me here
."
Balak did
just
as Balaam
had spoken
, and Balak
and Balaam
offered
up a bull
and a ram
on each altar
.
Then Balaam said
to Balak
, "Stand
beside
your burnt
offering
, and I will go
; perhaps
the LORD
will come
to meet
me, and whatever
He shows
me I will tell
you." So he went
to a bare
hill
.
Now God met
Balaam
, and he said
to Him, "I have set
up the seven
altars
, and I have offered
up a bull
and a ram
on each altar
."
Then the LORD aput
a word
in Balaam's
mouth
and said
, "Return
to Balak
, and you shall speak
thus
."
So he returned to him, and behold
, he was standing
beside
his burnt
offering
, he and all
the leaders
of Moab
.
He took up his 1discourse
and said
, "From aAram
Balak
has brought
me, Moab's
king
from the mountains
of the East
, ` bCome
curse
Jacob
for me, And come
, denounce
Israel
!'
" aHow shall I curse
whom God
has not cursed
? And how
can I denounce
whom the LORD
has not denounced
?
"As I see him from the top
of the rocks
, And I look
at him from the hills
; aBehold
, a people
who dwells
apart
, And will not be reckoned
among the nations
.
" aWho can count
the dust
of Jacob
, Or number
the fourth
part
of Israel
? bLet 1me die
the death
of the upright
, cAnd let my end
be like
his!"
Then Balak said
to Balaam
, "What
have you done
to me? aI took
you to curse
my enemies
, but behold
, you have actually
blessed
them!"
He replied, "Must I not be careful
to speak
awhat
the LORD
puts
in my mouth
?"
Then Balak said
to him, "Please
come
with me to another
place
from where
you may see
them, although you will only
see
the extreme
end
of them and will not see
all
of them; and curse
them for me from there
."
So he took him to the field
of Zophim
, to the top
of Pisgah
, and built
seven
altars
and offered
a bull
and a ram
on each altar
.
And he said to Balak
, "Stand
here
beside
your burnt
offering
while I myself
meet
the L{ORD} over
there
."
Then the LORD met
Balaam
and aput
a word
in his mouth
and said
, "Return
to Balak
, and thus
you shall speak
."
He came to him, and behold
, he was standing
beside
his burnt
offering
, and the leaders
of Moab
with him. And Balak
said
to him, "What
has the LORD
spoken
?"
Then he took up his 1discourse
and said
, "Arise
, O Balak
, and hear
; Give
ear
to me, O son
of Zippor
!
" aGod is not a man
, that He should lie
, Nor
a son
of man
, that He should repent
; bHas He said
, and will He not do
it? Or has He spoken
, and will He not make
it good
?
"Behold, I have received
a command to bless
; aWhen He has blessed
, then bI cannot
revoke
it.
" aHe has not observed 1misfortune
in Jacob
; bNor
has He seen
trouble
in Israel
; cThe LORD
his God
is with him, dAnd the shout
of a king
is among them.
" aGod brings
them out of Egypt
, He is for them like the bhorns
of the wild
ox
.
" aFor there is no omen
against Jacob
, Nor
is there any divination
against Israel
; At the proper time
it shall be said
to Jacob
And to Israel
, what
God
has done
!
" aBehold, a people
rises
like a lioness
, And as a lion
it lifts
itself; It will not lie
down
until
it devours
the prey
, And drinks
the blood
of the slain
."
Then Balak said
to Balaam
, "Do not curse
them at all
nor
bless
them at all
!"
But Balaam replied
to Balak
, "Did I not tell
you, ` 1 aWhatever
the LORD
speaks
, that I must do
'?"
Then Balak said
to Balaam
, "Please
come
, I will take
you to another
place
; perhaps
it will be 1agreeable
with God
that you curse
them for me from there
."
So Balak took
Balaam
to the top
of Peor
which overlooks
the 1wasteland
.
Balaam said
to Balak
, "Build
seven
altars
for me here
and prepare
seven
bulls
and seven
rams
for me here
."
Balak did
just
as Balaam
had said
, and offered
up a bull
and a ram
on each altar
.