Balaam’s First Message From God
1Balaam 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 the Moabite officials 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 Israelites?
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 Israelites from there. You won’t see all of them. You will only see the outer edges of their camp. 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 Balak 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 Balaam went to Balak. He found him standing beside his offering. The Moabite officials 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 human. 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 Israelites 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 must 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 the Israelites 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.
Balaam’s first message
1Balaam said, ‘Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.’ 2Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.’ Then he went off to a barren height.
4God met with him, and Balaam said, ‘I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.’
5The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, ‘Go back to Balak and give him this word.’
6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. 7Then 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.”
8How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?
9From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.
I see people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may my final end be like theirs!’
11Balak said to Balaam, ‘What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!’
12He answered, ‘Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?’
Balaam’s second message
13Then Balak said to him, ‘Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.’ 14So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.’
16The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, ‘Go back to Balak and give him this word.’
17So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, ‘What did the Lord say?’
18Then he spoke his message:
‘Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.
19God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfil?
20I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21‘No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery observed23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offences / or on the wrongs found in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
the shout of the King is among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
23There is no divination against23:23 Or in Jacob,
no evil omens against23:23 Or in Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, “See what God has done!”
24The people rise like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood of its victims.’
25Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!’
26Balaam answered, ‘Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?’
Balaam’s third message
27Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.’ 28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.
29Balaam said, ‘Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.’ 30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
