Numbers 23

1Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.” 2So Balak did as Balaam requested. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on every altar. 3Then 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. 4While 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.” 5Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak to him.” 6So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering, and all the leaders of Moab were with him. 7Then Balaam began to speak his prophecy and said, 8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? 9For from the top of the rocks I see him; 10Who can count the dust of Jacob 11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them.” 12Balaam answered and said, “Should I not be careful to say only what Yahweh puts in my mouth?” 13So 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.” 14So 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. 15Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet with Yahweh over there.” 16So Yahweh met Balaam and put a message in his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and give him my message.” 17Balaam 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?” 18Balaam began his prophecy. He said, 19God is not a man, that he should lie, 20Look, I have been commanded to bless. 21He has seen no hardship in Jacob 22God brought them out of Egypt 23There is no sorcery that works against Jacob, 24Look, the people rise like a lioness, 25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all.” 26But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must say all that Yahweh tells me to say?” 27So 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.” 28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wilderness. 29Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”