AB - Numbers - 23

23:1  And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven calves, and seven rams.

23:2  And Balak did as Balaam told him; and he offered up a calf and a ram on every altar.

23:3  And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your sacrifice, and I will go and see if God will appear to me and meet me, and the word which He shall show me, I will report to you. And Balak stood by his sacrifice.

23:4  And Balaam went to inquire of God; and he went straight forward, and God appeared to Balaam. And Balaam said to Him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered a calf and a ram on every altar.

23:5  And God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, and said, you shall return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.

23:6  And he returned to him, and moreover he stood over his whole burnt offerings, and all the princes of Moab with him; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

23:7  And he took up his parable, and said, Balak king of Moab sent for me out of Mesopotamia, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, call for a curse upon Israel for me.

23:8  How can I curse whom the Lord has not cursed? Or how can I denounce whom God has not denounced?

23:9  For from the top of the mountains I shall see him, and from the hills I shall observe him. Behold, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

23:10  Who has calculated the seed of Jacob, and who shall number the families of Israel? Let my soul die with the souls of the righteous, and let my seed be as their seed.

23:11  And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I called you to curse my enemies, and behold you have greatly blessed them!

23:12  And Balaam said to Balak, Whatsoever the Lord shall put into my mouth, shall I not take heed to speak this?

23:13  And Balak said to him, Come yet with me to another place where you shall not see the people, but you shall only see a part of them, and shall not see them all; and curse them for me from there.

23:14  And he took him to a high place of the field to the top of the quarried rock, and he built there seven altars, and offered a calf and a ram on every altar.

23:15  And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your sacrifice, and I will go to inquire of God.

23:16  And God met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.

23:17  And he returned to him. And he also as standing by his whole burnt sacrifice, and all the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord spoken?

23:18  And he took up his parable, and said, rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken as a witness, you son of Zippor.

23:19  God is not as a man that He should waver, nor as a son of man that He should be threatened; shall He say and not perform? Shall He speak and not keep His word?

23:20  Behold, I have received commandment to bless: I will bless, and not turn back.

23:21  There shall not be trouble in Jacob, neither shall sorrow be seen in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, the glories of rulers are in him.

23:22  It was God who brought him out of Egypt; he has the glory of a unicorn.

23:23  For there is no divination in Jacob, nor enchantment in Israel; in season it shall be told to Jacob and Israel what God shall perform.

23:24  Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion's whelp, and shall exalt himself as a lion; he shall not lie down till he has eaten the prey, and he shall drink the blood of the slain.

23:25  And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse the people at all for me, nor bless them at all.

23:26  And Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell you, saying, Whatsoever thing God shall speak to me, that will I do?

23:27  And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I will take you to another place, if it shall please God, and curse them for me from there.

23:28  And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which extends to the wilderness.

23:29  And Balaam said to Balak, build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven calves, and seven rams.

23:30  And Balak did as Balaam told him, and offered a calf and a ram on every altar.