Numbers 23

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

4And 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.

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

7And 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.

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

9For 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.

10Who 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!footnote b

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 the LORD hath put 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 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.footnote c

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

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

17And 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?

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 shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21He 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.

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

23Surely 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!footnote d

24Behold, 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.

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 the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

27And 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.

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

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 a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Balaam’s First Oracle

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

2So 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, 4and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

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

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

7And 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!’ 8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? 9For 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. 10Who can count the dust of Jacobor number even a fourth of Israel?Let me die the death of the righteous;let my end be like theirs!”

11Then 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!”

12But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Oracle

13Then 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.”

14So 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.

15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

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

17So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab.
“What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.

18Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying:“Arise, O Balak, and listen;give ear to me, O son of Zippor. 19God 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? 20I have indeed received a command to bless;He has blessed, and I cannot change it. 21He 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. 22God brought them out of Egyptwith strength like a wild ox. 23For there is no spell against Jacoband no divination against Israel.It will now be said of Jacob and Israel,‘What great things God has done!’ 24Behold, the people rise like a lioness;they rouse themselves like a lion,not resting until they devour their preyand drink the blood of the slain.”

25Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26But 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.”

28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.footnote a

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

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