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“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.”
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Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.
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Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him.
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The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
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Balaam’s First Message
Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
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Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
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God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
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The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
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Then Balaam spoke his message: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’
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Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
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Balaam’s Second Message
Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.”
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Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
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The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
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Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
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Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”
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Balaam’s Third Message
Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”
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And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.
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Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
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Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.
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When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him
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and he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
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Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.
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Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,
