Balaam’s Second Oracle
Balak leads Balaam to another place where only part of Israel can be seen and repeats the sacrifices. Balaam again goes to meet the LORD, receives a message, and returns to Balak and the princes.
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.
In the second oracle Balaam says God does not lie or change His mind, and the command he has received is to bless. Israel bears no successful spell against it, for God is with them, brought them from Egypt, and gives them a fierce, lionlike strength.
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;
Balak, exasperated, tells Balaam to do neither one thing nor the other: neither curse nor bless. Balaam repeats that he can do only what the LORD says, but Balak still proposes one more attempt from another place.
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.”
Balak takes Balaam to the top of Peor overlooking the wasteland. There Balaam again calls for seven altars and the same offerings, and Balak complies.
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.