THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

 

Numbers Chapter 23

1 ¶ And Balaam said to Balak, Build seven altars here for me, and prepare seven oxen and seven rams.

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

3 And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go: perhaps the LORD will come to meet me: and whatever he shows me I will tell you. And he went to a high place.

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

5 And the LORD put a speech in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say.

6 And he returned to him, and, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 And Balaam began his speech, and said, Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse, those God has not cursed? or how shall I defy, those whom the LORD has not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see Israel, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

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

11 And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.

12 And Balaam answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD has put in my mouth?

13 ¶ And Balak said to him, Come, I pray you, with me to another place, from which you can see them: you shall see only the nearest, and shall not see all of them: and there curse them for me.

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

15 And he said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.

16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a speech in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and say this.

17 And when he returned to him, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the LORD said?

18 And he began his speech, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; listen to me, you son of Zippor:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; nor the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a commandment to bless: and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 God has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and there is rejoicing over the king among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; they have as it were the strength of a rhinoceros.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel: now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift himself as a young lion: he will not rest until he eats the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse them, or bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell you, All that the LORD says, that I must do?

27 And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I pray you, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.

28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of mount Peor, that overlooks Jeshimon.

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

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