1 ¶ And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

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

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

3 A nd Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell thee. And thus he went alone.

And 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.

4 A nd God met Balaam; and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bullock and a ram.

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

5 A nd the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

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

6 A nd he returned unto him, and, behold, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.

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

7 A nd he took up his parable and said, Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob and come, denounce Israel.

Balaam 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.

8 W hy should I curse one whom God has not cursed? And why should I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced?

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

9 F or from the top of the rocks I have seen him, and from the hills I beheld him; behold, a people that shall dwell in confidence and shall not be counted among the Gentiles.

For 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.

10 W ho shall count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

Who 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!

11 T hen Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

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

12 A nd he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD has put in my mouth?

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

13 ¶ And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from which thou may see them; thou hast seen but the utmost part of them and hast not seen them all; and from there thou shalt curse them for me.

Balak 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.

14 A nd 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.

So 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.

15 T hen he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

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

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

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

17 A nd he came unto him, and behold, he stood by his burnt offering and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What has the LORD spoken?

And 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?

18 T hen he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

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

19 G od is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent; he said and shall he not do it? He spoke and shall he not execute it?

God 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?

20 B ehold, I have received blessing; and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

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

21 H e has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen rebellion in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the battle-cry of a king is in him.

has 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.

22 G od brought them out of Egypt; he has, as it were the strength of a unicorn.

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

23 B ecause there is no enchantment in Jacob, neither is there any divination in Israel. According to this time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What God has made!

Surely 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!

24 B ehold the people, who shall rise up as a great lion and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eats of the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

Behold, 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.

25 T hen Balak said unto Balaam, Now that you do not curse them, do not bless them either.

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

26 T hen Balaam said unto Balak, Did I not tell thee that all that the LORD says unto me, that I must do?

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

27 A nd Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou may curse them for me from there.

And 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.

28 A nd Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looks toward Jeshimon.

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

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

And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams.

30 A nd Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

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