NumbersChapter 23

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¹Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here for me. And get seven bulls and seven rams ready for me." ²So Balak did what Balaam told him. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering while I'm gone. Maybe the LORD will come to meet me. I'll tell you whatever he shows me." Then Balaam went off to a bare hilltop. ⁴There God met with him. Balaam said, "I have set up seven altars. On each altar I have offered a bull and a ram." ⁵Then the LORD put a message in Balaam's mouth. He said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message." ⁶So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak was standing beside his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab. ⁷Then Balaam spoke this message:
"Balak brought me from Aram.
The king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains.
He said, 'Come and curse Jacob for me.
Come and speak against Israel!' ⁸How can I curse people God has not cursed?
How can I speak against people the LORD has not spoken against? ⁹From the tops of the rocky cliffs I see them.
From the hills I watch them.
Look, they are a people who live apart.
They do not count themselves as one of the nations. ¹⁰Who can count Jacob's people? They are like dust.
Who can 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. But look, all you've done is bless them!" ¹²But Balaam answered, "Shouldn't I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?" ¹³Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You'll see only the edge of their camp, not all of them. Curse them for me from there." ¹⁴So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, on the top of Pisgah. There he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ¹⁵Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering. I'll go meet the LORD over there." ¹⁶The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, "Go back to Balak and say what I tell you." ¹⁷So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak was standing beside his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. Balak asked, "What did the LORD say?" ¹⁸Then Balaam spoke this message:
"Get up, Balak, and listen.
Hear me, son of Zippor. ¹⁹God is not a man, that he should lie.
He is not a human, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he make a promise and not keep it? ²⁰Look, I was told to bless.
God has blessed, and I can't change it. ²¹He sees no disaster coming for Jacob.
He sees no trouble ahead for Israel.
The LORD their God is with them.
They shout for their King among them. ²²God brought them out of Egypt.
He is as strong as a wild ox for them. ²³No magic spell can work against Jacob.
No reading of omens can work against Israel.
Now people will say about Jacob and Israel,
'Look at the great things God has done!' ²⁴Look, the people rise up like a lioness.
They stir themselves like a lion.
They do not rest until they eat their prey
and drink the blood of those they have killed." ²⁵Then Balak said to Balaam, "Don't curse them at all, and don't bless them at all!" ²⁶But Balaam answered, "Didn't I tell you? I must do whatever the LORD says." ²⁷Balak said, "Please come. I'll take you to another place. Maybe God will be pleased to let you curse them for me from there." ²⁸So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor. It looks down over the wasteland. ²⁹Balaam said, "Build seven altars here for me. And get seven bulls and seven rams ready for me." ³⁰So Balak did what Balaam told him. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.