Balaam’s First Oracle 1 WBS And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen 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 WBS And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. BSB BSB: So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 WBS And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: it may be the LORD will come to meet me: and whatever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a high place. 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 WBS And God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 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 WBS And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. BSB BSB: Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
6 WBS And he returned to him and lo, he stood by his burnt-sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. BSB BSB: So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.
7 WBS 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 Jacob for me, and 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 WBS How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? BSB BSB: How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
9 WBS 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. 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 WBS 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! 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 WBS And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 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 WBS And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put 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 WBS And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and from thence 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet the LORD yonder. BSB BSB: Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
16 WBS And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus. 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 WBS And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What hath the LORD spoken? 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 WBS And he took up his parable, and said, Rise, Balak, and hear; hearken to me, thou 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 WBS 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 spoke, and shall he not make it good? 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 WBS Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. BSB BSB: I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 WBS 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. 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 WBS God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn. BSB BSB: God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
23 WBS 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! 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 WBS 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 shall eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. 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 WBS And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. BSB BSB: Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 WBS But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do? BSB BSB: But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
27 WBS And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee to another place; perhaps it will please God that thou mayest from thence curse them 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 WBS And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that looketh towards Jeshimon. BSB BSB: And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
29 WBS And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. BSB BSB: Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30 WBS And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. BSB BSB: So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.