1 ARST Balaam said to King Balak,“Build here seven altars for me. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams for a sacrifice.” BSB BSB: Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 ARST So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram as a sacrifice on each altar. BSB BSB: So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 ARST Then Balaam said to Balak,“You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill. BSB BSB: “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.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,
4 ARST While he was on the top of the hill, God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him,“We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram as a sacrifice to you on each altar.” BSB BSB: 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.”
5 ARST Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said,“Go back and tell him what I told you.” BSB BSB: Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
6 ARST When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned on the altar. BSB BSB: So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.
7 ARST This is the message that Balaam told them,“Balak summoned me to come here from Aram; the king of Moab brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Aram. He said,‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me! Come and say that bad things will happen to these Israelite people!’ BSB BSB: And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
8 ARST But how can I curse people whom God has not cursed? How can I fight against people against whom Yahweh does not fight? BSB BSB: How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
9 ARST I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks, I have seen them from the hills. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves. They have separated themselves from other nations. BSB BSB: For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.
10 ARST Who can count the descendants of Jacob, as numerous as particles of dust! Who can count even a fourth of the number of the Israelite people? I wish that I will die like righteous people die. I hope that I will die peacefully like they will die.” BSB BSB: Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”
11 ARST Then Balak said,“What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them!” BSB BSB: Then 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!”
12 ARST But Balaam replied,“I can say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.” BSB BSB: But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
13 ARST Then King Balak told Balaam,“Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israelite people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.” BSB BSB: Then 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.”
14 ARST So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Mount Pisgah. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram as a sacrifice on each altar. BSB BSB: So 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.
15 ARST Then Balaam said to the king,“Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.” BSB BSB: Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
16 ARST So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said,“Go back to Balak and tell him that message.” BSB BSB: And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”
17 ARST So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him,“What did Yahweh say?” BSB BSB: So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
18 ARST Then Balaam told him this message,“Balak, listen carefully, hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor! BSB BSB: Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
19 ARST God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does. Whatever he has promised to do, he has done it. BSB BSB: God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
20 ARST He commanded me to request him to bless the Israelites, So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that. BSB BSB: I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 ARST Yahweh their God is with them; the people shout that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed, they will not endure trouble without God. BSB BSB: He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.
22 ARST God brought them out slavery in Egypt and has led them through the wilderness with strength like a wild ox. BSB BSB: God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
23 ARST When people curse the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed, when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob,‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelites!’ BSB BSB: For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’
24 ARST They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack other animals. They stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have killed and eaten their prey and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.” BSB BSB: Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
25 ARST Then Balak said to Balaam,“If you will not curse them, then I certainly do not want you to bless them!” BSB BSB: Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 ARST But Balaam replied,“I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!” BSB BSB: But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
27 ARST Then King Balak said to Balaam,“Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.” BSB BSB: “Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”
28 ARST So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor where they could look down and see the Israelites in the desert. BSB BSB: And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
29 ARST Balaam again told Balak,“Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams for a sacrifice.” BSB BSB: Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30 ARST So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices. BSB BSB: So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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