Numbers 22:41-23:12

English Standard Version

⁴¹And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.

Balaam's First Oracle

23 And Balaam said to Balak, ^(A)“Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” ²Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam ^(B)offered on each altar a bull and a ram. ³And Balaam said to Balak, ^(C)“Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come ^(D)to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, ⁴^(E)and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” ⁵And the Lord ^(F)put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ⁶And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. ⁷And Balaam ^(G)took up his discourse and said,

“From ^(H)Aram Balak has brought me,
    the king of Moab ^(I)from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, ^(J)curse Jacob for me,
    and come, denounce Israel!’
⁸How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
    How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
⁹For from the top of the crags ^(K)I see him,
    from the hills I behold him;
behold, ^(L)a people dwelling alone,
    and ^(M)not counting itself among the nations!
¹⁰^(N)Who can count the dust of Jacob
    or number the fourth part^[a] of Israel?
Let me die ^(O)the death of the upright,
    and let my end be like his!”

¹¹And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? ^(P)I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” ¹²And he answered and said, ^(Q)“Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”