11. “What have you done to me? ” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them! ”
12. He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth? ”
13. Then 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.”
14. So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15. Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there.”
16. The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
17. So 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? ”
18. Balaam proclaimed his poem:Balak, get up and listen;son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
19. God is not a man who lies,or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act,or promise and not fulfill?
20. I have indeed received a command to bless;since He has blessed, I cannot change it.
21. He 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.
22. God brought them out of Egypt;He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.
23. There is no magic curse against Jacoband no divination against Israel.It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,“What great things God has done! ”
24. A people rise up like a lioness;They rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour the preyand drink the blood of the slain.
25. Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them! ”
26. But Balaam answered him, “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the Lord says, I must do? ”
27. Again 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.”
28. So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
29. Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”