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

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

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

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

3 Balaam said to Balak, 'Stand beside your burnt offering while I go. Perhaps the LORD will meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.' Then he went to a barren height.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

4 God met with Balaam, and Balaam said to Him, 'I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have placed a bull and a ram.'

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

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

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 He returned to Balak, and there he was, standing beside his burnt offering along with all the officials of Moab.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

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

And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

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

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

9 For from the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I behold them; they are a people who live apart and do not consider themselves among the nations.

For from the top of the rocks I see him, 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 or number a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!

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

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

12 He answered, 'Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?'

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

13 Then Balak said to him, 'Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will see only a part of them, not all of them. From there, curse them for me.'

And 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.

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

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

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

And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, 'Return to Balak and speak these words.'

And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, 'What did the LORD say?'

And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?

18 Then Balaam proclaimed his oracle, saying: 'Stand up, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor!'

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

19 'God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?'

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 'Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.'

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

21 'He has not observed iniquity in Jacob or seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of a king is among them.'

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

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

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

23 'There is no divination against Jacob, no sorcery against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel: "See what God has done!"'

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 'The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.'

Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

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

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

26 But Balaam replied, 'Didn’t I tell you that I must do whatever the LORD says?'

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

27 Then 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.'

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

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

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

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

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

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