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.'

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 doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak -- Balaam also -- offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

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

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.

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 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. 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 Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost 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 turneth back unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, 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 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 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 W hat -- do I pierce? -- God hath not pierced! And what -- am I indignant? -- Jehovah hath not been indignant!

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

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 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 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 saith unto Balaam, `What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee -- and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'

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

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 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, “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 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 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 saith unto Balak, `Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I -- I meet there;'

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

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.'

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

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?'

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 taketh up his simile, and saith: `Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!

Then Balaam began speaking and said, “Rise, O Balak, and hear! Listen to me, O 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 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 L o, to bless I have received: Yea, He blesseth, and I not 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, Nor hath He seen perverseness in Israel; Jehovah his God with him, And a shout of a king in him.

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 is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;

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

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!

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 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.'

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

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

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 tell you that I must do whatever the Lord says?” Balaam Tells What Will Happen the Third Time

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.'

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

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

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;'

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 doth as Balaam said, and he offereth a bullock and a ram on an altar.

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