Numbers 23

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.*23.3 to an…: or, solitary 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!*23.10 me: Heb. my soul, or, my life 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.*23.14 Pisgah: or, the hill 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!*23.23 against: or, in 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.

巴勒和巴兰献祭

1 巴兰对巴勒说："你要在这里给我筑七座祭坛，给我预备七头公牛，七只公绵羊。"2 巴勒照着巴兰吩咐的行了；巴勒和巴兰在每座祭坛上献一头公牛和一只公绵羊。3 巴兰对巴勒说："你要站在你的燔祭旁边，我要往前去，或者耶和华会来迎见我；他指示我甚么，我必告诉你。"于是巴兰上了一块高地。4 　神迎见巴兰；巴兰对　神说："我已经预备了七座祭坛，在各座祭坛上献了一头公牛和一只公绵羊。"5 耶和华把话传给巴兰，又说："你要回到巴勒那里去，要这样这样说。"6 他就回到巴勒那里，见他和摩押所有的领袖都站在燔祭旁边。

巴兰第一次预言

7 巴兰就作歌，说：

"巴勒把我从亚兰领出来，

摩押王引我出东山，说：

‘来吧，为我咒骂雅各，

来啊，咒骂以色列。’

8 　神没有咒诅的，我怎能咒诅呢？

耶和华没有咒骂的，我怎能咒骂呢？

9 我从高峰观看他们，

从山上眺望他们；

这是独居的民族，

不列在万国之中。

10 谁能数算雅各的灰尘？

谁能计算以色列的四分之一呢？

愿我的死像正直人的死，

愿我之终如正直人之终。"

11 巴勒对巴兰说："你向我作的是甚么事呢？我领你来咒诅我的仇敌，你反倒给他们祝福。"12 巴兰回答，说："耶和华传给我的话，我怎能不谨慎说呢？"

13 巴勒对巴兰说："请你与我到另一个地方去，从那里你可以看见他们；不过你不能看见他们全部，只能看见他们边界的一部分；在那里你要为我咒诅他们。"14 于是巴勒带巴兰到了琐腓田，上了毘斯迦山顶，筑了七座祭坛，在每座祭坛上献了一头公牛和一只公绵羊。15 巴兰对巴勒说："你要在这里站在你的燔祭旁边，等我到那边去迎见耶和华。"16 耶和华见了巴兰，把话传给他，说："你回到巴勒那里去，要这样这样说。"17 巴兰回到巴勒那里，见他站在自己的燔祭旁边，摩押的领袖也与他在那里。巴勒问巴兰："耶和华说了甚么话呢？"

巴兰第二次预言

18 巴兰作歌，说：

"巴勒啊，要起来听；

西拨的儿子啊，侧耳听我。

19 　神不是人，必不致说谎，

也不是人子，必不致后悔。

他说话，怎能不作？

他发言，怎能不作成？

20 我奉命来祝福；

神要赐福，我不能改变。

21 在雅各中不见罪孽，

在以色列中也不见患难；

耶和华他们的　神与他们同在，

有君王欢呼的声音在他们中间。

22 领他们出埃及的　神，

对他们有如野牛的角。

23 在雅各中没有观兆的，

在以色列中也没有占卜；

到了适当的时候，必有话对雅各和以色列说：

‘　神为他们行了何等的大事！’

24 这民族起来有如母狮，

挺身好象公狮；

不吃下猎物，不喝被杀的人的血，

决不卧下。"

25 巴勒对巴兰说："你一点不要咒诅他们，也不要祝福他们。"26 巴兰回答巴勒说："我不是告诉过你说：‘耶和华吩咐我的，我都必要遵行’吗？"

27 巴勒对巴兰说："你来，我领你到另一个地方去，或者　神喜欢你，你就可以在那里为我咒诅他们。"28 于是，巴勒领巴兰到了俯视旷野的毘珥山顶去。29 巴兰对巴勒说："你要在这里给我筑七座祭坛，也要为我预备七头公牛和七只公绵羊。"30 巴勒就照着巴兰所说的行了，在每座祭坛上，献上一头公牛和一只公绵羊。