English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

1Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

2Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

2So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height,

3Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the LORD will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So he went to a barren hill.

4and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

4God met with him and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

5And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."

6And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering.

6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.

7And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’

7Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains: "Come, put a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel!"

8How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

8How can I curse someone God has not cursed? How can I denounce someone the LORD has not denounced?

9For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations!

9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. There is a people living alone; it does not consider itself among the nations.

10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”

10Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered even one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs.

11And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.”

11"What have you done to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!"

12And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

12He answered, "Shouldn't I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

13And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.”

13Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won't see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me."

14And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

14So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.”

15Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the LORD over there."

16And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.”

16The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."

17And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”

17So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?"

18And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor:

18Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!

19God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

19God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?

20Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

20I have indeed received a command to bless; since he has blessed, I cannot change it.

21He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.

21He considers no disaster for Jacob; he sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and there is rejoicing over the King among them.

22God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

22God brought them out of Egypt; he is like the horns of a wild ox for them.

23For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’

23There is no magic curse against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said about Jacob and Israel, "What great things God has done!"

24Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”

24A people rise up like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.

25And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.”

25Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them and don't bless them!"

26But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD says, that I must do’?”

26But Balaam answered him, "Didn't I tell you: Whatever the LORD says, I must do?"

27And 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.”

27Again Balak said to Balaam, "Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there."

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert.

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

29And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

29Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

30So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.