Online Bible

The Prophecies of Balaam

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams here.” 2 Balak did just as Balaam had said, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me; and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate hill.

4 Now God met Balaam, who said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5 Then the LORD ^aput a speech in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.” 6 Balaam returned to Balak, and behold, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the leaders of Moab. 7 Balaam took up his first discourse (oracle) and said:“Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me ^afrom Aram (Syria) ,from the mountains of the east, saying,‘^bCome, curse the descendants of Jacob for me;And come, violently denounce Israel.’

8 “^aHow shall I curse those whom God has not cursed?Or how can I violently denounce those the LORD has not denounced?9 “For from the top of the rocks I see Israel,And from the hills I look at him.^aBehold, the people of Israel shall dwell aloneAnd will not be reckoned among the nations.10 “^aWho can count the dust (the descendants) of JacobAnd the number of even the fourth part of Israel?^bLet me die the death of the righteous those who are upright and in right standing with God,^cAnd let my end be like his!” Ps 37:37; Rev 14:13

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? ^aI brought you to curse my enemies, but here you have thoroughly blessed them instead!” 12 Balaam answered, “Must I not be obedient and careful to speak ^awhat the LORD has put in my mouth?”

13 Balak said to him, “Come with me, I implore you, to another place from where you can see them, although you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there.” 14 So he took Balaam to the field of Zophim to the top of Mount Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I go to meet the LORD over there.” 16 Then the LORD met Balaam and ^aput a speech in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak and you shall speak thus.” 17 When Balaam returned to Balak, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” 18 Balaam took up his second discourse (oracle) and said:“Rise up, O Balak, and hear;Listen closely to me, son of Zippor.

19 “^aGod is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent.^bHas He said, and will He not do it?Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?20 “Behold, I have received His command to bless Israel.^aHe has blessed, and ^bI cannot reverse it.21 “^aGod has not observed wickedness in Jacob for he is forgiven,^bNor has He seen trouble in Israel.^cThe LORD their God is with Israel,^dAnd the shout of their King is among the people. Rom 4:7, 8; 1+@John 3:1, 222 “^aGod brought them out of Egypt;They have the ^bstrength of a wild ox.23 “^aFor there is no enchantment or omen against Jacob,Nor is there any divination against Israel.At the proper time it shall be said to JacobAnd to Israel, what has God done!24 “^aBehold, a people rises up like a lionessAnd lifts itself up like a lion;He will not lie down until he devours the preyAnd drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not say to you, ‘^aAll that the LORD speaks, that I must do?’”

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak brought Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, that overlooks the wasteland. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams here.” 30 Balak did just as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.