¹² He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”^(A)

¹⁶ The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth^(A) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

³⁸ “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”^(A)

¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet^(A) like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words^(B) in his mouth.^(C) He will tell them everything I command him.^(D)

²¹ “As for me, this is my covenant^(A) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,^(B) who is on you, will not depart from you,^(C) and my words that I have put in your mouth^(D) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

⁹ Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched^(A) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.^(B)