Numbers 23:7–24:9

⁷Then Balaam delivered this message: 

“Balak brought me from Aram. 

The king of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains. 

‘Come, curse Jacob for me,’ he said. 

‘Come, condemn Israel.’ 

⁸How can I curse those whom God hasn’t cursed? 

How can I condemn those whom the Lord hasn’t condemned? 

⁹I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, 

I look at them from the hills. 

I see a nation that lives by itself, 

people who do not consider themselves 

to be like other nations. 

¹⁰The descendants of Jacob are like specks of dust. 

Who can count them 

or number even one-fourth of the people of Israel? 

Let me die the death of innocent people. 

Let my end be like theirs.” 

¹¹Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you’ve done is bless them!” 

¹²Balaam answered, “I must say what the Lord tells me to say.” 

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

¹³Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you can see the Israelites. You will see only some of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there.” 

¹⁴So he took him to the Field of Zophim^aon top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ¹⁵Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet with God over there.” 

¹⁶The Lord came to Balaam and told him, “Go back to Balak, and give him my message.” 

¹⁷He came to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?” ¹⁸Then Balaam delivered this message: 

“Stand up, Balak, and listen! 

Hear me, son of Zippor! 

¹⁹God is not like people. He tells no lies. 

He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. 

When he says something, he does it. 

When he makes a promise, he keeps it. 

²⁰I have received a command to bless. 

He has blessed, and I can’t change it. 

²¹He doesn’t want any trouble for the descendants of Jacob. 

He sees no misfortune for the people of Israel. 

The Lord their God is with them, 

praised as their king. 

²²The God who brought them out of Egypt 

has the strength of a wild bull. 

²³No spell can curse the descendants of Jacob. 

No magic can harm the people of Israel. 

Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel: 

‘See what God has done!’ 

²⁴Here is a nation that attacks like a lioness 

and is as ferocious as a lion. 

It doesn’t lie down until it eats its prey 

and drinks the blood of its victim.” 

²⁵Balak said to Balaam, “If you won’t curse them, then at least don’t bless them!” 

²⁶Balaam answered, “Didn’t I tell you that I must do whatever the Lord says?” 

²⁷Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Maybe God wants you to curse them for me from there.” ²⁸So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon. 

²⁹Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ³⁰Balak did what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 

24TH CHAPTER

Balaam’s Third Prophecy

¹When Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, he didn’t look for omens as he had done before. He turned toward the desert, ²looked up, and saw Israel’s camp grouped by tribes. The Spirit of God entered him, ³and he delivered this message: 

“This is the message of Balaam, son of Beor. 

This is the message of the man whose eyesight is clear. 

⁴This is the message of the one who hears God’s words, 

has a vision from the Almighty, 

and falls ⸤into a trance⸥ with his eyes open: 

⁵How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, 

and the places where you live, Israel. 

⁶Your tents spread out like rivers, 

like gardens by a river, 

like aloes planted by the Lord, 

like cedars by the water. 

⁷Water will flow from their buckets, 

and their crops will have plenty of water. 

Their king will be greater than Agag, 

and their kingdom will be considered the best. 

⁸The God who brought them out of Egypt 

has the strength of a wild bull. 

He will devour nations that are his enemies, 

crush their bones, 

and pierce them with arrows. 

⁹His people lie down ⸤and⸥ rest like a lion. 

They are like a lioness. Who dares to disturb them? 

Those who bless you will be blessed! 

Those who curse you will be cursed!”