Chapter 23

T¹hen Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” ²So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” ⁴So Balaam went off to a barren height, and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” ⁵Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.” ⁶So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

⁷And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: ⁸How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? ⁹For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, ¹⁰Who can count the dust of Jacob

¹¹Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!” ¹²But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

T¹³hen Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp — not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.” ¹⁴So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ¹⁵Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.” ¹⁶And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.” ¹⁷So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab.

¹⁸Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: ¹⁹God is not a man, that He should lie, ²⁰I have indeed received a command to bless; ²¹He considers no disaster for Jacob; ²²God brought them out of Egypt ²³For there is no spell against Jacob ²⁴Behold, the people rise like a lioness;

²⁵Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” ²⁶But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” ²⁷“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

²⁸And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. ²⁹Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” ³⁰So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.