Numbers 23

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

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

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

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

6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

7 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 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?

9 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 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 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 But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

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

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

17 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 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, 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 I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

21 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 brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

23 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 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 Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”

27 “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 took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

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

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

1 ¶ And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen 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 the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.

5 And the LORD 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 stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, [saying], Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of 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 the LORD hath put 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 brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on [every] altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet [the LORD] yonder.

16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD 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 shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall 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: the LORD his God [is] with him, and the shout of a king [is] among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

23 Surely [there is] no enchantment against Jacob, neither [is there] any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: 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 the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

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 a bullock and a ram on [every] altar.

1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and make me seven bullocks and seven rams.

2 And Balak did as Balaam told him: and Balak and Balaam offered upon one altar a bullock and a ram.

3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering; and I will go, if peradventure the LORD meet me, to tell thee what he sheweth me. And he went in haste.

4 And God met Balaam; and he said unto him, Seven altars have I prepared, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

5 And the LORD put the word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and speak thus.

6 And when he was come again, behold, he stood by his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab.

7 And he began to speak, saying, Balak king of Moab hath sent for me out of Syria, from the mountains toward the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob. Come, rebuke Israel.

8 How shall I curse him whom God curseth not? How shall I rebuke him whom the LORD rebukeeth not?

9 For from the height of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the people shall dwell specially, and shall not be reckoned among the heathen.

10 Who can number the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like that end!

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What doest thou unto me? I sent for thee to curse mine enemies: and, behold, thou blessest.

12 And he answered and said, Must I not keep and speak that which the LORD put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said unto him, Come thou with me unto another place, from thence thou shalt see his end, and yet shalt not see it altogether; and curse me there.

14 And he brought him unto an open place in the high place of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will wait there.

16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put the word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and speak thus.

17 And when he was come again, behold, he stood by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD said?

18 And he began to speak, saying, Arise, Balak, and hear. Hear what I say, thou son of Zipor.

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; nor the son of man, that he should repent. Should he say something and not do it? Should he speak something and not keep it?

20 Behold, I am brought to bless; I bless, and cannot turn.

21 There is no toil in Jacob, nor work in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the trumpet of the king is under him. 22; God brought them out of Egypt; his joy is like that of a unicorn.

23 For there is no magician in Jacob, neither is there a soothsayer in Israel. In his time it shall be said of Jacob, and of Israel, what wonders God doeth.

24 Behold, the people shall rise up like a young lion, and shall be lifted up like a lion; they shall not lie down until they eat the spoil, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither curse him, nor bless him.

26 And Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Did I not tell thee that whatsoever the LORD would speak, that would I do?

27 And Balak said unto him, Come now, and I will bring thee unto another place, if it please God that thou curse them there.

28 And he brought him to the top of mount Peor, which looketh toward the wilderness.

29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and make me seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam said, and offered upon one altar a bullock and a ram.

41 And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to the top of Baal, that he might see from thence unto the end of the people.