International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Balaam told Balak, "Build for me here seven altars and prepare here for me seven bulls and seven rams."

1Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

2So Balak did just as Balaam instructed. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

2Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

3Then Balaam instructed Balak, "Stand by your offering and leave me alone by myself. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. I'll tell you whatever he reveals to me." And so he went to a high place,

3Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you." So he went to a bare hill.

4where the LORD met with Balaam, who told him, "I've prepared seven altars and offered bulls and rams on an altar."

4Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

5Then the LORD gave Balaam this message. "Return to Balak and speak to him."

5Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus."

6So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by all the Moabite officials.

6So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.

7Then Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "King Balak of Moab brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains, and told me, 'Come and curse Jacob for me. Come and curse Israel.'

7He took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, Moab's king from the mountains of the East, 'Come curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!'

8But how can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD hasn't denounced?

8"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

9I saw them from the top of the rocks. I watched them from the hills. Truly this is a people that lives by itself and doesn't matter among the nations.

9"As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.

10Who can count the dust of Jacob? Who can number the dust of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may I end up like him."

10"Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my end be like his!"

11"What are you doing to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, not pronounce a blessing!"

11Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!"

12But in response, Balaam asked, "Shouldn't I be careful to communicate only what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

12He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

13"Come with me to another place where you can see them," Balak replied. "You'll only see a portion of them, because you won't be able to see them completely. Come and curse them from there for me."

13Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there."

14So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars and then offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

14So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15Then he told Balak, "Stand by your offering while I go alone to meet the LORD."

15And he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there."

16Then the LORD met with Balaam and gave a message to him. "Now go back to Balak and speak to him."

16Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

17So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by the Moabite officials. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked him.

17He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?"

18In response, Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, you son of Zippor!

18Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!

19God is not a human male— he doesn't lie, nor is he a human being— he never vacillates. Once he speaks up, he's going to act, isn't he? Once he makes a promise, he'll fulfill it, won't he?

19"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20Look! I've received a blessing, and so I will bless. I won't withdraw it.

20"Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.

21He has not responded to iniquity in Jacob or gazed at mischief in Israel. The LORD his God is with them, and the triumphant cry of a king is among them.

21"He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

22From Egypt God brought them— his strength was like a wild ox!

22"God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

23No Satanic plan against Jacob nor divination against Israel can ever prevail. When the time is right, it is to be asked about Jacob and Israel, 'What has God accomplished?'

23"For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!

24Look! The people are like lions. Like the lion, he rises up! He does not lie down again until he has consumed his prey and drunk the blood of the slain."

24"Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain."

25Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them or bless them!"

25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

26"Didn't I tell you," Balaam responded to Balak, "that I'll say whatever the LORD tells me to say?"

26But Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not tell you, 'Whatever the LORD speaks, that I must do '?"

27So Balak exhorted Balaam, "Let's go right now! I'll take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to have you curse them for me from there."

27Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there."

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks the open wilderness.

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland.

29Balaam told Balak, "Build seven altars for me right here. Then prepare seven bulls and seven rams."

29Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

30Balak did just what Balaam had instructed—he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

30Balak did just as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org