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

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me. And make ready seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

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

Balak did as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam gave a bull and a ram on each altar in worship.

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 whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt gift, and I will go. It might be that the Lord will come to me. And whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went up to a hill without trees.

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

God met Balaam. Balaam said to Him, “I have made seven altars. And I have given a bull and a ram on each altar in worship.”

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

Then the Lord put words in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak. This is what you should say.”

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

So Balaam returned to Balak, and saw him and all the leaders of Moab standing beside his burnt gift.

7 A nd 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.

Balaam began speaking and said, “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,’ he said. ‘Come, say that Israel should be punished!’

8 H ow shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I say that those should be punished whom God has not said should be punished?

9 F or 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.

I see Israel from the top of the rocks. I look at them from the hills. See, the people live apart. They will not be thought of as one of the nations.

10 W ho 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!

Who can number the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of those who are right and good. Let my end be like theirs!”

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

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse those who hate me. But see, you have asked that good would come to them!”

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

Balaam answered, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Second Time

13 A nd 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.

Balak said to him, “I beg you, come with me to another place from where you will see them. But you will only see a part of them and not all of them. 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 him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and gave a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 A nd he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder.

Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt gift, while I meet the Lord over there.”

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

The Lord met Balaam and put words in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak. This is what you should say.”

17 A nd 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 the Lord spoken?

So he returned to Balak, and saw him and all the leaders of Moab standing beside his burnt gift. Balak said to him, “What has the Lord said?”

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

Then Balaam began speaking and said, “Rise, O Balak, and hear! Listen to me, O son of Zippor!

19 G od 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?

God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a son of man, that He should be sorry for what He has said. Has He said, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not keep His Word?

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

See, I have been told to speak good of Israel. When He has spoken good of them, I cannot change it.

21 H e hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

No hard times are seen in Jacob. No trouble is seen in Israel. The Lord their God is with them. And the cry of a king is among them.

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

God brings them out of Egypt. He is for them like the horns of the wild bull.

23 S urely 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 God wrought!

For there is no special thing that has been shown against Jacob. Nothing has told of a bad future for Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘Look what God has done!’

24 B ehold, 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.

See, people rise like a female lion. It lifts itself like a lion. It will not lie down until it eats the food it has killed, and drinks the blood of the kill.”

25 A nd Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all or pray that good would come to them!”

26 B ut Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?

But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must do whatever the Lord says?” Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Third Time

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 mayest curse me them from thence.

Then Balak said to Balaam, “I beg you, come. I will take you to another place. It might be that God will be pleased to have you curse them for me from there.”

28 A nd Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward jeshimon.

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which looks over the desert.

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

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

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

Balak did just as Balaam had said. He gave a bull and a ram on each altar in worship.