1 A nd Balaam saith unto Balak, `Build for me in this seven altars, and make ready for me in this seven bullocks 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 doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak -- Balaam also -- offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

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

3 a nd Balaam saith to Balak, `Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me -- I have declared to thee;' and he goeth a high place.

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 cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, `The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;'

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 Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost 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 turneth back unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, 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 taketh up his simile, and saith: `From Aram he doth lead me -- Balak king of Moab; From mountains of the east: Come -- curse for me Jacob, And come -- be indignant 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 hat -- do I pierce? -- God hath not pierced! And what -- am I indignant? -- Jehovah hath not been indignant!

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 rocks I see it, And from heights I behold it; Lo a people! alone it doth tabernacle, And among nations doth not reckon itself.

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 hath counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, 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 A nd Balak saith unto Balaam, `What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee -- and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'

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 answereth and saith, `That which Jehovah doth put in my mouth -- it do I not take heed to speak?'

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

13 A nd Balak saith unto him, `Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou dost see it, only its extremity thou dost see, and all of it thou dost not see, and pierce it for me thence;'

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 taketh him the field of Zophim, unto the top of Pisgah, and buildeth seven altars, and offereth a bullock and a ram on the 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 A nd he saith unto Balak, `Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I -- I meet there;'

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

16 a nd Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

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 cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: `What hath Jehovah 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 A nd he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!

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

19 G od not a man -- and lieth, And a son of man -- and repenteth! Hath He said -- and doth He not do ? And spoken -- and doth He not confirm 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 L o, to bless I have received: Yea, He blesseth, and I not 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 hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor hath He seen perverseness in Israel; Jehovah his God with him, And a shout of a king 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 is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;

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

23 F or no enchantment against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought!

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 L o, the people as a lioness riseth, And as a lion he lifteth himself up, He lieth not down till he eateth prey, And blood of pierced ones doth drink.'

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 A nd Balak saith unto Balaam, `Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'

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

26 a nd Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, `Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh -- it I do?'

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

27 A nd Balak saith unto Balaam, `Come, I pray thee, I take thee unto another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God -- to pierce it for me from thence.'

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 taketh Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness,

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

29 a nd Balaam saith unto Balak, `Build for me in this seven altars, and make ready for me in this 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 doth as Balaam said, and he offereth a bullock and a ram on an altar.

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