18 Then he spoke his message:(A)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.(B)
19 God is not human,(C) that he should lie,(D)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.(E)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise(F) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(G)
    he has blessed,(H) and I cannot change it.(I)

21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(J)
    no misery observed[a] in Israel.(K)
The Lord their God is with them;(L)
    the shout of the King(M) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(N)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.(O)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens(P) against[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(Q)
    they rouse themselves like a lion(R)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood(S) of its victims.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
  2. Numbers 23:23 Or in
  3. Numbers 23:23 Or in

18 Then he uttered[a] his oracle, and said,

“Stand up, Balak, and hear;
    listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 God is not a man, that he should lie,
    nor a son of humankind,
that he should change his mind.
    Has he said, and will he not do it?
And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20     Behold, I have received a command to bless;
when he has blessed, I cannot cause it to return.
21     He has no regard for evil in Jacob,
and he does not see trouble in Israel;
    Yahweh his God is with him,
and a shout[b] of a king is among them.[c]
22     God, who brings them out from Egypt,
is like the strength[d] of a wild ox for them.[e]
23     Because there is no sorcery against Jacob,
and there is no divination against Israel.
    Now[f] it will be said to Jacob and Israel,
    what God has done!
24 Look! the people will rise like the lion;
    he raises himself and will not lie down
until he eats the prey
    and drinks the blood of the slain.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 23:18 Literally “he lifted up”
  2. Numbers 23:21 Or “a blast”
  3. Numbers 23:21 Hebrew “him”
  4. Numbers 23:22 Or “like the horns”
  5. Numbers 23:22 Hebrew “him”
  6. Numbers 23:23 Or “At the right time”