8. How can I curse someone God has not cursed?How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
9. I 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.
10. Who has counted the dust of Jacobor numbered the dust clouds of Israel?Let me die the death of the upright;let the end of my life be like theirs.
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?