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

2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. 3 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you."

He went to a bare height. 4 God met Balaam, and he said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar."

5 Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

6 He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 He took up his parable, and said,

"From Aram has Balak brought me,

the king of Moab from the mountains of the East.

Come, curse Jacob for me.

Come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him.

From the hills I see him.

Behold, it is a people that dwells alone,

and shall not be listed among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,

or count the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous!

Let my last end be like his!"

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether."

12 He answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?"

13 Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me."

14 He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. 15 He said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there."

16 Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and say this."

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What has Yahweh spoken?"

18 He took up his parable, and said,

"Rise up, Balak, and hear!

Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a son of man, that he should repent.

Has he said, and he won’t do it?

Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless.

He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.

21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob.

Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel.

Yahweh his God is with him.

The shout of a king is among them.

22 God brings them out of Egypt.

He has 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 it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,

‘What has God done!’

24 Behold, a people rises up as a lioness.

As a lion he lifts himself up.

He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey,

and drinks the blood of the slain."

25 Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

26 But Balaam answered Balak, "Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do?’"

27 Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."

28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert. 29 Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every 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 whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And thus he went alone.

4 And God met Balaam; and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [each] 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, behold, 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, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, [saying], Come, curse me Jacob and come, denounce Israel.

8 Why should I curse one whom God has not cursed? And why should I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the rocks I have seen him, and from the hills I beheld him; behold, a people that shall dwell in confidence and shall not be counted among the Gentiles.

10 Who shall count 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 last end be like his!

11 Then Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse my 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 has put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from which thou may see them; thou hast seen but the utmost part of them and hast not seen them all; and from there thou shalt curse them for me.

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 Then 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 unto him, Go again unto Balak and say thus.

17 And he came unto him, and behold, he stood by his burnt offering and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What has the LORD spoken?

18 Then 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; he said and shall he not do [it]? He spoke and shall he not execute it?

20 Behold, I have received blessing; and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen rebellion in Israel; the LORD his God [is] with him, and the battle-cry of a king [is] in him.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; he has, as it were the strength of a unicorn.

23 Because there is no enchantment in Jacob, neither [is there] any divination in Israel. According to this time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What God has made!

24 Behold the people, who shall rise up as a great lion and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eats [of] the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

25 Then Balak said unto Balaam, Now that you do not curse them, do not bless them either.

26 Then Balaam said unto Balak, Did I not tell thee that all that the LORD says unto me, 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 may curse them for me from there.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looks 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.: