Numbers 23

1 - Balaam Said, "Build Me Seven Altars Here, And Prepare Seven Bulls And Seven Rams For Me."

2 - Balak Did As Balaam Said, And The Two Of Them Offered A Bull And A Ram On Each Altar.

3 - Then Balaam Said To Balak, "Stay Here Beside Your Offering While I Go Aside. Perhaps The Lord Will Come To Meet With Me. Whatever He Reveals To Me I Will Tell You." Then He Went Off To A Barren Height.

4 - God Met With Him, And Balaam Said, "I Have Prepared Seven Altars, And On Each Altar I Have Offered A Bull And A Ram."

5 - The Lord Put A Message In Balaam's Mouth And Said, "Go Back To Balak And Give Him This Message."

6 - So He Went Back To Him And Found Him Standing Beside His Offering, With All The Princes Of Moab.

7 - Then Balaam Uttered His Oracle: "Balak Brought Me From Aram, The King Of Moab From The Eastern Mountains. 'Come,' He Said, 'Curse Jacob For Me; Come, Denounce Israel.'

8 - How Can I Curse Those Whom God Has Not Cursed? How Can I Denounce Those Whom The Lord Has Not Denounced?

9 - From The Rocky Peaks I See Them, From The Heights I View Them. I See A People Who Live Apart And Do Not Consider Themselves One Of The Nations.

10 - Who Can Count The Dust Of Jacob Or Number The Fourth Part Of Israel? Let Me Die The Death Of The Righteous, And May My End Be Like Theirs!"

11 - Balak Said To Balaam, "What Have You Done To Me? I Brought You To Curse My Enemies, But You Have Done Nothing But Bless Them!"

12 - He Answered, "Must I Not Speak What The Lord Puts In My Mouth?"

13 - Then Balak Said To Him, "Come With Me To Another Place Where You Can See Them; You Will See Only A Part But Not All Of Them. And From There, Curse Them For Me."

14 - So He Took Him To The Field Of Zophim On The Top Of Pisgah, And There He Built Seven Altars And Offered A Bull And A Ram On Each Altar.

15 - Balaam Said To Balak, "Stay Here Beside Your Offering While I Meet With Him Over There."

16 - The Lord Met With Balaam And Put A Message In His Mouth And Said, "Go Back To Balak And Give Him This Message."

17 - So He Went To Him And Found Him Standing Beside His Offering, With The Princes Of Moab. Balak Asked Him, "What Did The Lord Say?"

18 - Then He Uttered His Oracle: "Arise, Balak, And Listen; Hear Me, Son Of Zippor.

19 - God Is Not A Man, That He Should Lie, Nor A Son Of Man, That He Should Change His Mind. Does He Speak And Then Not Act? Does He Promise And Not Fulfill?

20 - I Have Received A Command To Bless; He Has Blessed, And I Cannot Change It.

21 - "No Misfortune Is Seen In Jacob, No Misery Observed In Israel. The Lord Their God Is With Them; The Shout Of The King Is Among Them.

22 - God Brought Them Out Of Egypt; They Have The Strength Of A Wild Ox.

23 - There Is No Sorcery Against Jacob, No Divination Against Israel. It Will Now Be Said Of Jacob And Of Israel, 'See What God Has Done!'

24 - The People Rise Like A Lioness; They Rouse Themselves Like A Lion That Does Not Rest Till He Devours His Prey And Drinks The Blood Of His Victims."

25 - Then Balak Said To Balaam, "Neither Curse Them At All Nor Bless Them At All!"

26 - Balaam Answered, "Did I Not Tell You I Must Do Whatever The Lord Says?"

27 - Then Balak Said To Balaam, "Come, Let Me Take You To Another Place. Perhaps It Will Please God To Let You Curse Them For Me From There."

28 - And Balak Took Balaam To The Top Of Peor, Overlooking The Wasteland.

29 - Balaam Said, "Build Me Seven Altars Here, And Prepare Seven Bulls And Seven Rams For Me."

30 - Balak Did As Balaam Had Said, And Offered A Bull And A Ram On Each Altar.