41 And it happened, in the morning Balak took Balaam and took him up to Bamoth-Baal, and he saw from there the end of the nation.

Balaam’s Oracles

23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me this: seven altars. And prepare for me this: seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 And Balak did just as Balaam spoke, and Balak offered Balaam a bull and a ram on the altar. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself at your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell to you.” So he went to a barren height.

4 And God met with Balaam, and he said to him, “I have arranged seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar.” 5 Yahweh put a word in the mouth of Balaam and said, “Return to Balak, and you must speak thus.” 6 So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab. 7 And he lifted up his oracle and said,

“From Aram Balak lead me,

from the mountains of the east the king of Moab,

‘Go for me, curse Jacob,

and go, denounce Israel.’

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed,

and how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?

9 Because from the top of the rocks I see him,

from hilltops I watch him.

Behold, a people who dwell alone,

they do not consider themselves among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,

or as a number the fourth part of Israel?

Let my life die the death of an upright person,

and let my end be like his!”

11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have surely blessed them!” 12 He answered and said, “⌊Should I not speak⌋a what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”

13 Then Balak said, “Please walk with me to another place where you will see them, but you will only see part of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and he built seven altars, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaamb said to Balak, “Station yourself here at the burnt offering while I myself meet with Yahweh there.” 16 Then Yahweh met with Balaam, and he put a word in his mouth, and he said, “Return to Balak, and you must speak thus.” 17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing at his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh spoken?” 18 Then ⌊he uttered⌋c his oracle, and said,

“Stand up, Balak, and hear;

listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a son of humankind,

that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;

when he has blessed, I cannot cause it to return.

21 He has no regard for evil in Jacob,

and he does not see trouble in Israel;

Yahweh his God is with him,

and a shoutd of a king is among them.e

22 God, who brings them out from Egypt,

is like the strengthf of a wild ox for them.g

23 Because there is no sorcery against Jacob,

and there is no divination against Israel.

Nowh it will be said to Jacob and Israel,

what God has done!

24 Look! the people will rise like the lion;

he raises himself and will not lie down

until he eats the prey

and drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse themi at all, nor bless themj at all!” 26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Whatever Yahweh speaks I will do’?”

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please, come, I will take you to another place; perhaps ⌊it will be acceptable to⌋k God, and you will curse for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks down on the face of the Jeshimon.l 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me these seven altars, and prepare for me these seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did just as Balaam said, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam Continues to Utter Oracles

24 And Balaam saw that ⌊it pleased⌋a Yahweh to bless Israel, and he did not go ⌊as other times⌋b ⌊to seek out⌋c sorcery; instead, he set his face toward the desert. 2 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God was upon him. 3 He ⌊uttered⌋e his oracle and said,

“The declaration of Balaam son Beor,

the declaration of the man whose eyes are closed,

4 the declaration of the hearer of God’s words,f

who sees the revelation of Shaddai,g

falling down but whose eyes are uncovered.

5 How good are your tents, O Jacob,

your dwellings, O Israel!

6 They are spread out like valleys,

like gardens on a river,

like aloes planted by Yahweh,

like cedars at the waters.

7 He will pour water from his buckets,

and his offspring will be like many waters;

his king will be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom will be exalted.

8 God, who brings him out from Egypt,

is like the strengthh of a wild ox for him.

He will devour the nations who are his enemies;

he will break their bones;

he will pierce them with his arrows.

9 He crouches, he lies down like a lion,

and like a lioness, who will rouse him?

They who bless you will be blessed,

and they who curse you will be cursed.”

10 Then ⌊Balak became angry with⌋i Balaam, and he clapped his hands and said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but look, you have surely blessed them these three times. 11 ⌊Flee⌋j to your place now. I said I would richly honor you, but look, Yahweh has withheld honor from you.” 12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak gave to me the fullness of his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond ⌊the command of Yahweh⌋k to do good or evil, from my heart; what Yahweh speaks, I will speak’?l 14 And now, look, I am about to go to my people; I will advise you what this people will do to your people ⌊in the following days⌋.”m