Balaam’s First Oracle 1 UEB Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls and seven rams." BSB BSB: Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 UEB So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar. BSB BSB: So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 UEB Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand at your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you." So he went away to a hilltop with no trees. 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 UEB While he was on the hilltop, God met him, and Balaam said to him, "I have built seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each one." 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 UEB Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak and speak to him." BSB BSB: Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
6 UEB So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him. BSB BSB: So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.
7 UEB Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, "Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, defy Israel.' 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 UEB How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I oppose those whom Yahweh does not oppose? BSB BSB: How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
9 UEB For from the top of the rocks I see him; from the hills I look at him. See, there is a people who live alone and do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation. 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 UEB Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even only one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of a righteous person, and let my life's end be like his!" 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 UEB Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, 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 UEB Balaam answered and said, "Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?" BSB BSB: But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Oracle 13 UEB So Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the nearest of them, not all of them. There you will curse them 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 UEB So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim, to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven more altars. He offered up a bull and a ram 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 UEB Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there." BSB BSB: Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
16 UEB So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, "Return to Balak and give him my 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 UEB Balaam returned to him, and look, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. Then Balak said to him, "What has Yahweh said?" 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 UEB Balaam began his prophecy. He said, "Rise up, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, 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 UEB God is not a man, that he should lie, Or a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he promised anything without doing it? Has he said he would do something without carrying it out? 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 UEB Look, I have been commanded to bless. God has given a blessing, and I cannot reverse it. BSB BSB: I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 UEB He has seen no hardship in Jacob or trouble in Israel. Yahweh their God is with them, and shouts for their king are among them. 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 UEB God brought them out of Egypt with strength like that of a wild ox. BSB BSB: God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
23 UEB There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, and no fortune-telling harms Israel. Instead, it must be said about Jacob and Israel, 'Look what God has done!' 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 UEB Look, the people rise like a lioness, as a lion emerges and attacks. He does not lie down until he eats his victim and drinks the blood of what he has killed." 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 UEB Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them or bless them at all." BSB BSB: Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 UEB But Balaam answered and said to Balak, "Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?" BSB BSB: But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
27 UEB So Balak replied to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them there for me." 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 UEB So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness. BSB BSB: And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
29 UEB Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams." BSB BSB: Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30 UEB So Balak did as Balaam had said; he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. BSB BSB: So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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