18 Then he took up his 1discourse and said,

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;

Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!

19 “aGod is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

bHas He said, and will He not do it?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 “Behold, I have received a command to bless;

aWhen He has blessed, then bI cannot revoke it.

21 “aHe has not observed 1misfortune in Jacob;

bNor has He seen trouble in Israel;

cThe Lord his God is with him,

dAnd the shout of a king is among them.

22 “aGod brings them out of Egypt,

He is for them like the bhorns of the wild ox.

23 “aFor there is no omen against Jacob,

Nor is there any divination against Israel;

At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob

And to Israel, what God has done!

24 “aBehold, a people rises like a lioness,

And as a lion it lifts itself;

It will not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.”