Numbers 23

1And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

1Balaam said to Balak, 'Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.'

2And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

2Balak did exactly what Balaam asked, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.

3Then Balaam said to Balak, 'Stay here by your burnt offering while I go over there. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he reveals to me, I will tell you.' Then he went off to a bare hilltop.

4And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

4God met with Balaam, and Balaam said to him, 'I have set up seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.'

5And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

5The LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, 'Go back to Balak and give him this message.'

6And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

6So he went back and found Balak standing beside his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.

7And 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.

7Then Balaam delivered his message: 'Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains. "Come," he said, "curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel."

8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?

8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?

9For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.

9I see them from the top of the rocks; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live alone and do not consider themselves like other nations.

10Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!

10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like theirs!'

11And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

11Balak said to Balaam, 'What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!'

12And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?

12Balaam answered, 'Must I not be careful to say only what the LORD puts in my mouth?'

13And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

13Then Balak said to him, 'Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see part of them, not the whole camp. Curse them for me from there.'

14And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

14So he took him to the field of Zophim on top of Mount Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.

15Balaam said to Balak, 'Stay here by your burnt offering while I meet with the LORD over there.'

16And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

16The LORD met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, 'Go back to Balak and give him this message.'

17And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken?

17So he went to him and found him standing beside his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, 'What did the LORD say?'

18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

18Then Balaam delivered his message: 'Stand up, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.

19God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?

19God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not a human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not followed through?

20Behold, I have receivedcommandmentto bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

20Listen, I received a command to bless. He has blessed them, and I cannot change it.

21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

21He has seen no misfortune for Jacob and no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of a king is among them.

22God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.

22God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.

23Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

23No magic charms can work against Jacob, and no fortune-telling against Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel, "Look at the great things God has done!"

24Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.

24The people rise up like a lioness; they take their stand like a lion that does not rest until it devours its prey and drinks the blood of the slain.'

25And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

25Then Balak said to Balaam, 'If you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!'

26But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do?

26Balaam answered Balak, 'Didn't I tell you that I must do everything the LORD says?'

27And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

27Then Balak said to Balaam, 'Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps God will be pleased to let you curse them for me from there.'

28And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks out over the wasteland.

29And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

29Balaam said, 'Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.'

30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

30Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.