1 A nd Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

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

2 A nd Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

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

3 A nd Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me; and whatever He shows me I will tell you. And he went to a bare height.

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 G od met Balaam, who said to Him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

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 A nd the Lord put a speech in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak and thus shall you speak.

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

6 B alaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.

He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 B alaam took up his speech and said: Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me; and come, violently denounce Israel.

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 H ow can I curse those God has not cursed? Or how can I denounce those the Lord has not denounced?

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?

9 F or from the top of the rocks I see Israel, and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned and esteemed among the nations.

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 W ho can count the dust (the descendants) 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 theirs!

Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!”

11 A nd Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and here you have blessed them instead!

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 A nd Balaam answered, Must I not be obedient and speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?

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

13 B alak said to him, Come with me, I implore you, to another place from which you can see them, though you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there.

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 S o he took Balaam into the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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 B alaam said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering while I go to meet the Lord yonder.

He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet over there.”

16 A nd the Lord met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak and speak thus.

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

17 A nd when he returned to Balak, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said?

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 B alaam took up his discourse and said: Rise up, Balak, and hear; listen to me, son of Zippor.

He took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

19 G od is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

20 Y ou see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse or qualify it.

Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.

21 h as not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has He seen mischief or perverseness in Israel. The Lord their God is with Israel, and the shout of praise to their King is among the people.

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 G od brought them forth out of Egypt; they have as it were the strength of a wild ox.

God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

23 S urely there is no enchantment with or against Jacob, neither is there any divination with or against Israel. now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

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 B ehold, a people! They rise up as a lioness and lift themselves up as a lion; he shall not lie down until he devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

Behold, the 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 A nd Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all.

Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”

26 B ut Balaam answered Balak, Did I not say to you, All the Lord speaks, that I must do?

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

27 A nd Balak said to Balaam, Come, I implore you; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.

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 S o Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks Jeshimon.

Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.

29 A nd Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams.

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

30 A nd Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.