Numbers 23

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Balak's offering, Balaam pronounces a blessing instead of a curse

And Balaam said to Balak, Make me here seven altars and get ready seven oxen and seven male sheep. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
And Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam made an offering on every altar of an ox and a male sheep. And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
Then Balaam said to Balak, Take your place by your burned offering, and I will go and see if the Lord comes to me: and I will give you word of whatever he says to me. And he went to an open place on a hill. And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
And God came to Balaam, and Balaam said to him, I have made ready seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar. And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
And the Lord put words in Balaam's mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say. And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
So he went back to him where he was waiting by his burned offering with all the chiefs of Moab. And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, From Aram Balak has sent for me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: come, put curses on Jacob for me and be angry with Israel. And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
How may I put curses on him who is not cursed by God? how may I be angry with him with whom the Lord is not angry? How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
From the top of the rocks I see him, looking down on him from the hills: it is a people made separate, not to be numbered among the nations. For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Who is able to take the measure of the dust of Jacob or the number of the thousands of Israel? May my death be the death of the upright and my last end like his! Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

Balak's disappointment, and second offering, Balaam again gives a blessing to Israel

Then Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I sent for you so that my haters might be cursed, and see, you have given them a blessing. And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
And in answer he said, Am I not ordered to say only what the Lord puts into my mouth? And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
And Balak said to him, Come with me now into another place from which you will not be able to see them all, but only the outskirts of them; and you will send curses on them from there. 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.
So he took him into the country of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and there they made seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar. 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.
Then he said to Balak, Take your place here by your burned offering, while I go over there to the Lord. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
And the Lord came to Balaam, and put words in his mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say. And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
So he came to him where he was waiting by his burned offering with the chiefs of Moab by his side. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said? 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?
And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, Up! Balak, and give ear; give attention to me, O son of Zippor: And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
God is not a man, to say what is false; or the son of man, that his purpose may be changed: what he has said, will he not do? and will he not give effect to the words of his mouth? 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?
See, I have had orders to give blessing: and he has given a blessing which I have no power to take away. Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
He has seen no evil in Jacob or wrongdoing in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the glad cry of a king is among them. 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.
It is God who has taken them out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox. God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
No evil power has effect against Jacob, no secret arts against Israel; at the right time it will be said of Jacob and of Israel, See what God has done! 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!
See, Israel comes up like a she-lion, lifting himself up like a lion: he will take no rest till he has made a meal of those he has overcome, drinking the blood of those he has put to death. 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.
Then Balak said to Balaam, If you will not put a curse on them, at all events do not give them a blessing. And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
But Balaam in answer said to Balak, Did I not say to you, I may only do what the Lord says? But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
Then Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take you to another place; it may be that God will let you put a curse on them from there. And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, looking down over the waste land. And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
And Balaam said to Balak, Make me seven altars here and get seven oxen and seven male sheep ready for me. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
And Balak did as Balaam said, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
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