¶ And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me¹ here seven altars², and prepare me here seven oxen³ and seven rams.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered⁴ on every altar a bullock and a ram.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand⁵ by thy burnt⁶ offering, and I will go: peradventure⁷ the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place⁸.

And God⁹ met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared¹⁰ seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

¹¹And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

¹²And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

And he took¹³ up his parable¹⁴, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram¹⁵, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come¹⁶, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel¹⁷.

¹⁸How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people¹⁹ shall dwell alone²⁰, and shall not²¹ be reckoned among the nations.

¶ Who can count²² the dust²³ of Jacob, and the number of the fourth²⁴ part of Israel? Let me²⁵ die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

²⁶And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

²⁷And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?

¶ And Balak said unto²⁸ him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost²⁹ part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me³⁰ them from thence.

And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah³¹, and built seven³² altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

³³And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

³⁴And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

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, What³⁵ hath the LORD spoken?

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up³⁶, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

God³⁷ 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 he³⁸ spoken, and shall he not make it good?

¶ Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath³⁹ blessed; and I cannot⁴⁰ reverse it.

He hath not⁴¹ beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD⁴² his God is with him, and the shout⁴³ of a king is among them.

God⁴⁴ brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength⁴⁵ of an unicorn⁴⁶.

Surely there is no enchantment⁴⁷ against⁴⁸ Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath⁴⁹ God wrought!

Behold, the people shall rise up as a great⁵⁰ lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall⁵¹ not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

⁵²And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

⁵³But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come⁵⁴, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure⁵⁵ it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon⁵⁶.

⁵⁷And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

¶ And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.