Numbers 23

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

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 caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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

3 Then said Balaam unto Balak: Station thyself by thine ascending-sacrifice, and let me go my way—peradventure Yahweh may come and meet me, and what thing soever he may show me, I will tell thee. So he went his way to a bare height.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure YHWH will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

4 And God came unto Balaam, —so he said unto him The seven altars, have I built in a row, and have caused to ascend, bullock and a ram on each altar.

And Elohim 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 Yahweh put a word into the mouth of Balaam, —and said—Return unto Balak, and, thus, shalt thou speak.

And YHWH put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 So he returned unto him, and lo! he was stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, —he, and all the princes of Moab.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 So he took up his parable and said, —From Aram, doth Balak conduct me, The king of Moab, from the mountains of the East, Come thou! curse me Jacob, Yea, come thou! rage on Israel.

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 can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged?

How shall I curse, whom El hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom YHWH hath not defied?

9 Surely from the head of the rocks, do I see him, Yea, from the hills, do I observe him, —Lo! a people, who alone doth dwell, And among the nations, he doth not reckon himself.

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 hath counted the dust of Jacob? Or who hath numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my hereafter be like his!

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 Then said Balak unto Balaam, What hast thou done for me? To revile mine enemies, I summoned thee, and lo! thou hast kept on blessing.

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, —Was it not to be so that whatsoever Yahweh should put into my mouth, the same, should I take heed to speak?

And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which YHWH hath put in my mouth?

13 Then said Balak unto him—Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see him, nothing but his utmost part, shalt thou see, but all of him, shalt thou not see, —and so revile me him from thence.

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 took him to the field of Zophim, unto the head of Pisgah, —and built seven altars, and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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 said he to Balak, Station thyself here by thine ascending-sacrifice, —while, I, meet him yonder.

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

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

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

17 So he came in unto him and, there he was-stationed by his ascending-sacrifice, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Yahweh spoken?

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 YHWH spoken?

18 Then took he up his parable and said, —Rise, Balak, and hear, Give ear unto me son of Zippor!

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, Nor a son of Adam, that he should repent, —Hath, he, said, and will not perform? Yea spoken, and will not make it stand fast?

El 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 Lo! to bless, have I received [command], —And I will bless, nor will I take it back.

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

21 He hath not discovered trouble in Jacob, Neither hath he seen wretchedness in Israel, —Yahweh, his God, is with him, And, the acclaim of a king, in his midst:

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: YHWH his Elohim is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

22 GOD having brought them forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his:

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

23 Surely, there is no enchantment against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, —Now, shall it be said—Of Jacob and of Israel, What hath GOD wrought!

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 El wrought!

24 Lo, a people, like a lioness, shall rise, And like a strong lion, shall rouse himself up; He will not lie down till he eat the torn, And the blood of the slain, he drink.

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 Then said Balak unto Balaam, Thou shalt neither revile, him, —nor bless him.

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

26 And Balaam responded, and said unto Balak, —Spake I not unto thee, saying, All that Yahweh shall speak, that, must I do?

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

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee! let me take thee unto another place, —peradventure, it may be right in the eyes of God, that thou revile me him. from thence.

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

28 So Balak took Balaam, —unto the head of Peor, that looketh over the face of the Jeshimon.

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.

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 said, —and caused to ascend a bullock and a ram on each altar.

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