Balaam’s Second Message

13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(A) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(B) And from there, curse them for me.(C) 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(D) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(E)

15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”

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

17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(G) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

18 Then he spoke his message:(H)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.(I)
19 God is not human,(J) that he should lie,(K)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.(L)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise(M) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(N)
    he has blessed,(O) and I cannot change it.(P)

21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(Q)
    no misery observed[a] in Israel.(R)
The Lord their God is with them;(S)
    the shout of the King(T) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(U)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.(V)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens(W) 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;(X)
    they rouse themselves like a lion(Y)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood(Z) of its victims.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(AA)

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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

13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder.

16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?

18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?

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