23Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” ²Balak did just as Balaam said. The two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

³Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I’ll go and try to find out what the Lord wants me to do. Maybe he’ll come and meet with me. Then I’ll tell you what he says to me.” So Balaam went off to a bare hilltop.

⁴God met with him there. Balaam said, “I’ve prepared seven altars. On each altar I’ve offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵The Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth. The Lord said, “Go back to Balak. Give him my message.”

⁶So Balaam went back to him. He found Balak standing beside his offering. All of the princes of Moab were with him.

⁷Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Balak brought me from the land of Aram.

The king of Moab sent for me from the mountains in the east.

‘Come,’ he said. ‘Put a curse on Jacob’s people for me.

Come. Speak against Israel.’

⁸But how can I put a curse on

people God hasn’t cursed?

How can I speak against

people the Lord hasn’t spoken against?

⁹I see them from the rocky peaks.

I view them from the hills.

I see a group of people who live by themselves.

They don’t consider themselves to be one of the nations.

¹⁰Jacob’s people are like the dust of the earth.

Can dust be counted?

Who can count even a fourth of the people of Israel?

Let me die as godly people die.

Let my death be like theirs!”

¹¹Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to put a curse on my enemies! But all you have done is give them a blessing!”

¹²He answered, “I have to speak only the words the Lord puts in my mouth.”

Balaam’s Second Message From God

¹³Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place. You can see the people of Israel from there. You will see only some of them. You won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.”

¹⁴So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim. It was on the highest slopes of Pisgah. There he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I’ll meet with the Lord over there.”

¹⁶The Lord met with Balaam. He put a message in Balaam’s mouth. The Lord said, “Go back to Balak. Give him my message.”

¹⁷So he went to him. He found him standing beside his offering. The princes of Moab were with him. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Balak, rise up and listen.

Son of Zippor, hear me.

¹⁹God isn’t a mere man. He can’t lie.

He isn’t a human being. He doesn’t change his mind.

He speaks, and then he acts.

He makes a promise, and then he keeps it.

²⁰He has commanded me to bless Israel.

He has given them his blessing. And I can’t change it.

²¹“I don’t see any trouble coming on the people of Jacob.

I don’t see any suffering in Israel.

The Lord their God is with them.

The shout of the King is among them.

²²God brought them out of Egypt.

They are as strong as a wild ox.

²³There isn’t any magic that can hurt the people of Jacob.

No one can use magic words to harm Israel.

Here is what will be said about the people of Jacob.

Here is what will be said about Israel.

People will say, ‘See what God has done!’

²⁴The people of Israel are going to wake up like a female lion.

They are going to get up like a male lion.

They are like a lion that won’t rest

until it eats what it has caught.

They are like a lion that won’t rest

until it drinks the blood of what it has killed.”

²⁵Then Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t put a curse on them at all! And don’t give them a blessing at all!”

²⁶Balaam answered, “Didn’t I tell you that I have to do only what the Lord says?”

Balaam’s Third Message From God

²⁷Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come. Let me take you to another place. Perhaps God will be pleased to let you put a curse on them for me from there.” ²⁸Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor. It looks out over a dry and empty land.

²⁹Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” ³⁰Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

24Balaam saw that the Lord was pleased to give his blessing to Israel. So he didn’t try to use evil magic as he had done at other times. Instead, he turned and looked toward the desert. ²He looked out and saw Israel. They had set up their camps tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him.

³Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor.

It’s the message God gave to the one who sees clearly.

⁴It’s the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God.

He sees a vision from the Mighty One.

He falls down flat with his face toward the ground.

His eyes have been opened by the Lord.

⁵“People of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful.

Israel, the places where you live are very beautiful.

⁶“They spread out like valleys.

They are like gardens beside a river.

They are like aloes the Lord has planted.

They are like cedar trees beside a stream.

⁷Their water buckets will run over.

Their seeds will have plenty of water.

“Their king will be greater than King Agag.

Their kingdom will be honored.

⁸“God brought them out of Egypt.

They are as strong as a wild ox.

They eat up nations that are at war with them.

They break their bones in pieces.

They wound them with their arrows.

⁹Like a male lion they lie down and sleep.

They are like a female lion.

Who dares to wake them up?

May those who bless you be blessed!

May those who call down a curse on you be cursed!”

¹⁰Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He slapped his hands together. He said to Balaam, “I sent for you to put a curse on my enemies. But you have given them a blessing three times. ¹¹Get out of here right away! Go home! I said I’d make you very rich. But the Lord has kept you from getting rich.”

¹²Balaam answered Balak, “Here is what I told the messengers you sent me. ¹³I said, ‘Balak could give me his palace filled with silver and gold. Even if I wanted to, I still couldn’t do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord commands. I have to say only what the Lord tells me to say.’

¹⁴“Now I’m going back to my people. But come. Let me warn you about what these people will do to your people in days to come.”

Balaam’s Fourth Message From God

¹⁵Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor.

It’s the message God gave to the one who sees clearly.

¹⁶It’s the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God.

The Most High God has given him knowledge.

He sees a vision from the Mighty One.

He falls down flat with his face toward the ground.

His eyes have been opened by the Lord.

¹⁷“I see him, but I don’t see him now.

I view him, but he isn’t near.

A star will come from among the people of Jacob.

A king will rise up out of Israel.

He’ll crush the foreheads of the people of Moab.

He’ll crush the skulls of all of the sons of Sheth.

¹⁸He’ll win the battle over Edom.

He’ll win the battle over his enemy Seir.

But Israel will grow strong.

¹⁹A ruler will come from among the people of Jacob.

He’ll destroy those from the city who are still alive.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message From God

²⁰Then Balaam saw the people of Amalek. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Amalek was the first nation to attack Israel.

But they will finally be destroyed.”

Balaam’s Sixth Message From God

²¹Then he saw the Kenites. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“The place where you live is safe.

Your nest is on a high cliff.

²²But you Kenites will be destroyed.

Assyria will take you as prisoners.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message From God

²³Then he spoke the message he had received from God. He said,

“Who can live when God does this?

²⁴Ships will come from the shores of Kittim.

They will bring Assyria and Eber under their control.

But they themselves will also be destroyed.”

²⁵Then Balaam got up and returned home. And Balak went on his way.

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