The Father Blesses What Balak Would Curse
Balak builds seven altars twice and gets a blessing twice. Balaam's answer is that our Father is not a man that he should lie or change his mind; what he has blessed cannot be revoked, however many hilltops the king tries next.
23 1Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here, prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."
2Balak did as Balaam said; Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Balaam told Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering while I go; maybe God will meet me, and I'll tell you whatever he shows me." Then he went to a bare height.
4Our Father met Balaam, who said to him, "I have set up seven altars and offered a bull and ram on each altar."
5Our Father put a word in Balaam's mouth: "Return to Balak and say this."
6He went back to Balak—there Balak stood beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab. 7He took up his oracle and said: "From Aram Balak brought me, Moab's king from the eastern mountains: Come, curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel. 8How can I curse those our Father has not cursed? How can I denounce those our Father has not denounced? 9From the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I look on them: a people dwelling alone, not counting itself among the nations. 10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die as the upright die, and let my end be like theirs!"
11Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and look—you've only blessed them!"
12He answered, "Must I not be careful to say what God puts in my mouth?"
Our Father's Word Stands Firm
13Then Balak said, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will see only their outer edge, not all of them, and curse them for me from there."
14He took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each. 15Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet with him over there."
16Our Father met Balaam, put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak and say this."
17He came to him—there, standing by his burnt offering, with Moab's princes. Balak said to him, "What has God spoken?"
18He took up his oracle: "Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, son of Zippor: 19Our Father is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he ever said something and not done it? Has he ever spoken and not fulfilled it? 20Look, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. 21He has seen no misfortune in Jacob, nor seen trouble in Israel. Our Father is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. a a v21 The shout of a King: Israel's God reigns over them as King, and his triumphant cry goes before them into battle. 22Our Father, who brought them out of Egypt, is for them like the horns of the wild ox. b b v22 The wild ox was a massive, now-extinct animal; its horns pictured raw, untameable strength. 23There is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what our Father has done!' 24Look, a people rising up like a lioness, rousing itself like a lion; it will not lie down until it devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain."
25Balak said to Balaam, "Don't curse them at all, and don't bless them at all!"
26But Balaam answered Balak, "Didn't I tell you I must do all that God says?"
27Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you elsewhere. Maybe God will let you curse them for me from there."
28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. 29Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams here."
30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
