Numbers 23:5–8

5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. 7 Then Balaam spoke his message:

“Balak brought me from Aram,

the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.

‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;

come, denounce Israel.’

8 How can I curse

those whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce

those whom the Lord has not denounced?

5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“From Aram Balak has brought me,

the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:

‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

and come, denounce Israel!’

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said,

Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram,

Out of the mountains of the east, saying,

Come, curse me Jacob,

And come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?

Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

5 Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

7 And he took up his oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

From the mountains of the east.

‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

And come, denounce Israel!’

8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

5 The Lord told Balaam what he should say. Then the Lord said, “Go back to Balak and give him this message.”

6 So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering 7 when Balaam gave them this message:

“Balak brought me here from Aram;

the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains.

Balak said, ‘Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me.

Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.’

8 But God has not cursed them,

so I cannot curse them.

The Lord has not called down evil on them,

so I cannot call down evil on them.

5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said,

From Aram hath Balak brought me,

The king of Moab from the mountains of the East:

Come, curse me Jacob,

And come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?

And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?

5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. 6 And he returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse me Jacob, and come, denounce Israel! 8 How shall I curse whom •God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce?

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

6 So he went back to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab. 7 Then 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.’ 

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

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

5 Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”

6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.

7 Balaam proclaimed his poem:

Balak brought me from Aram;

the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:

“Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;

come, denounce Israel!”

8 How can I curse someone God has not cursed?

How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?

5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you must say.” 6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. 7 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying,

“Balak has brought me from Aram,

the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:

‘Come, curse Jacob for me.

Come, denounce Israel!’

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

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?

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

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

7 Then 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.’

8 But how can I put a curse on

people God hasn’t cursed?

How can I speak against

people the Lord hasn’t spoken against?

5 Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall 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 He took up his discourse and said,

“From Aram Balak has brought me,

Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,

‘Come curse Jacob for me,

And come, denounce Israel!’

8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?