Numbers 23

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

²And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

³And 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.

⁴And 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.

⁵And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

⁶And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

⁷And 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.

⁸How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?

⁹For 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.

¹⁰Who 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!

¹¹And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

¹²And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?

¹³And 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.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.

¹⁶And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

¹⁷And 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?

¹⁸And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

¹⁹God 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?

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

²¹He 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.

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

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

²⁴Behold, 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.

²⁵And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

²⁶But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do?

²⁷And 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.

²⁸And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.

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

³⁰And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Numbers 23

¹And 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.'

²And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken, and BalakBalaam alsooffereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

³and 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 meI have declared to thee;' and he goeth to a high place.

⁴And 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;'

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

⁶And he turneth back unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

⁷And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `From Aram he doth lead meBalak king of Moab; From mountains of the east: Comecurse for me Jacob, And comebe indignant with Israel.

⁸Whatdo I pierce? God hath not pierced! And whatam I indignant? Jehovah hath not been indignant!

⁹For 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.

¹⁰Who 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!'

¹¹And Balak saith unto Balaam, `What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken theeand lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'

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

¹³And 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;'

¹⁴and 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.

¹⁵And he saith unto Balak, `Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and II meet Him there;'

¹⁶and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

¹⁷And 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?'

¹⁸And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!

¹⁹God is not a manand lieth, And a son of manand repenteth! Hath He saidand doth He not do it ? And spokenand doth He not confirm it?

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

²¹He 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.

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

²³For no enchantment is against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought!

²⁴Lo, 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.'

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

²⁶and Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, `Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speakethit I do?'

²⁷And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Come, I pray thee, I take thee unto another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of Godto pierce it for me from thence.'

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

²⁹and 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;'

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