1AND Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2And Balak did as Balaam had told him; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3And Balaam said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you. So he went away quietly.

4And God appeared to Balaam and said to him, You have prepared seven altars, and have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said to him, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak. 6And he returned to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offerings, he and all the princes of Moab.

7And he took up his parable and said, Balak the king of the Moabites has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, destroy Israel for me.

8How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I destroy whom the LORD has not destroyed?

9For from the top of the mountains I see him, and from the hills I behold him; lo, the people are dwelling alone and are not reckoned among the nations.

10Who can count the multitude of the descendants of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like theirs!

11And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have surely blessed them. 12And Balaam answered and said, Behold, whatever the LORD puts in my mouth that thing will I speak.

13And Balak said to him, Come with me to another place, from which you may see them; but you shall see the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all; and curse them for me from thence. 14And he brought him to the field of watchmen, to the top of the hill, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15And Balaam said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go yonder. 16And the LORD appeared to Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said to him, Go again to Balak and say thus. 17And when he came to him, he was standing by his burnt offerings, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the LORD spoken?

18And he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; and give ear to my testimony, O son of Zippor;

19God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should be given counsel; he speaks and he shall do it, and his word abides for ever.

20Behold, I was brought here to bless; and I cannot reverse the blessing.

21I do not behold iniquity in Jacob, neither have I seen malice in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the glory of his King is among them.

22God brought them out of Egypt with his might and excellency.

23For there is no augury in Jacob, neither is there any divination in Israel; according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

24Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion and march like a lion; he shall not lie down until he eats the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

25Then Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. 26But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell you. All that the LORD speaks to me, that very thing I must do?

27And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there. 28Then Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward Ashimon. 29And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars and prepare me seven bullocks and seven rams. 30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.