The Word Am I

The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 23 -

1
And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
2
And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar.
3
And Balaam said to Balak: “Stand for a little while next to your holocaust, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet with me. And whatever he will command, I shall speak to you.”
4
And after he had quickly departed, God met with him. And Balaam, speaking to him, said: “I have set up seven altars, and I have placed a calf and a ram on each.”
5
Then the Lord placed the word in his mouth, and he said: “Return to Balak, and you shall say this.”
6
Returning, he found Balak standing next to his holocaust, with all the leaders of the Moabites.
7
And taking up his parable, he said: “Balak, king of the Moabites, has led me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘and curse Jacob. Hurry and condemn Israel.’
8
How shall I curse him, whom God has not cursed? For what reason would I condemn him, whom the Lord does not condemn?
9
I will look upon him from the tops of the stones, and I will consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and they shall not be counted among the nations.
10
Who can number the dust that is Jacob, and who can know the number of the stock of Israel? May my soul die a just death, and may my end be like theirs.”
11
And Balak said to Balaam: “What is this that you are doing? I called for you, in order to curse my enemies, and to the contrary, you bless them.”
12
He answered him, “How can I say anything other than what the Lord orders?”

Balaam’s Second Oracle

13
Therefore, Balak said: “Come with me to another place, from where you may see a portion of Israel, though you cannot see them all. Curse them from there.”
14
And when he had led him to a lofty place, on the top of mount Pisgah, Balaam built seven altars, and placing upon each a calf and a ram,
15
he said to Balak, “Stand here next to your holocaust, while I continue on to meet him.”
16
And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said, “Return to Balak, and you shall say this to him.”
17
Returning, he found him standing next to his holocaust, and the leaders of the Moabites were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18
But, taking up his parable, he said: “Stand, Balak, and pay attention. Listen, you son of Zippor.
19
God is not like a man, so that he would lie, nor is he like a son of man, so that he would be changed. Therefore, having spoken, will he not act? Has he ever spoken, and not fulfilled?
20
I was led here to bless, and I have no strength to hinder the blessing.
21
There is no idol in Jacob; neither is there a false image to be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the resound of royal victory is in him.
22
God has led him away from Egypt; his strength is like that of the rhinoceros.
23
There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor any divination in Israel. In their times, it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought.
24
Behold, the people will rise up like a lioness, and lie down like a lion. But they will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
25
And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse him, nor bless him.”
26
And he said, “Have I not told you that whatever God would command of me, I would do?”
27
And Balak said to him: “Come and I will lead you to another place. If perhaps it may please God, then you may curse them from there.”
28
And when he had led him on to the top of mount Peor, which looks out toward the wilderness,
29
Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.”
30
Balak did as Balaam had said, and he placed on each altar a calf and a ram.
1
Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
2
Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
3
Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.
4
God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”
5
The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
6
He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7
He took up his parable, and said,From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.
8
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?
9
For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations.
10
Who can count the dust of Jacob, or count the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!”
11
Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
12
He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Oracle

13
Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”
14
He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
15
He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”
16
The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”
17
He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
18
He took up his parable, and said,Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor.
19
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he won’t do it? Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good?
20
Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.
21
He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them.
22
God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
23
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,What has God done!’
24
Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25
Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
26
But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
27
Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”
28
Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.
29
Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
30
Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.