17. When Balaam came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18. Balaam uttered his oracle, and said,“Rise up, Balak, and hear;Listen to me, son of Zippor:
19. God is not a man, that he should lie,nor a human being, that he should change his mind.Has he said, and will he not do it?Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?
20. Indeed, I have received a command to bless;he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21. He has not looked on iniquity in Jacob,nor has he seen trouble in Israel.The Lord their God is with them;his acclamation as king is among them.
22. God brought them out of Egypt.They have, as it were, the strength of a wild bull.
23. For there is no spell against Jacob,nor is there any divination against Israel.At this time it must be said of Jacoband of Israel, ‘Look at what God has done!’
24. Indeed, the people will rise up like a lioness,and like a lion raises himself up;they will not lie down until they eat their prey,and drink the blood of the slain.”
25. Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26. But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord speaks, I must do’?”
27. Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”
28. So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward the wilderness.
29. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here for me, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams.”
30. So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.