Balaam's First Oracle

1 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram upon every altar. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, Remain by your burnt offering; and I will go, if perhaps the Memra may meet me from before the Lord; and the word that He shows me I will disclose to you. And he went alone. 4 And the Memra from before the Lord met Balaam; and he said to Him, I have set the seven altars in order, and have offered a bull and a ram upon every altar. 5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said to him: Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say. 6 And he returned to him, and, look, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the nobles of Moab. 7 And he took up his oracle, and said: Balak, king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east: Come, curse Jacob for me, Come, hunt down Israel for me. 8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I persecute whom God has not persecuted? 9 For from the top of the mountain I see him, And look at him from the heights; Look, the people by themselves are to possess the world, And among the nations they shall not be condemned to destruction. 10 Who can count the dust of the house of Jacob, Of whom it is said, They shall increase as the dust of the earth, Or of one of the four camps of Israel? Let me die the death of his truthful ones, And let my end be like theirs! 11 And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and, look, you have done nothing but bless them. 12 But he said, That which the Lord has put in my mouth must I not be careful to speak?

Balaam's Second Oracle

13 And Balak said to him, Come now with me to another place, from where you may see them, where you can see only the outskirts of the people, but not all of them, and curse him for me from there. 14 And he brought him to the field of the watch-tower on the top of the hill; and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar. 15 And he said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering, and I will go over there. 16 And the Memra from before the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus speak. 17 And he came to him, and he was standing by his burnt offering, and the nobles of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord spoken? 18 And he took up his oracle, and said: Rise, Balak, and listen, Listen to my words, Son of Zippor: 19 The word of Eloha is not as the words of men; The sons of men speak, but lie; Nor is it as the deeds of mortal beings, Who resolve to act but reconsider and change their plans. What He has said He will perform, And His every word is reliable.⁠a 20 Look, I have received blessings to bless Israel, And I may not turn my blessing from him. 21 I have seen no idol worshipers in the house of Jacob,⁠b Nor those who practice falsehood in Israel. The Memra of the Lord their God is their helper, And the Shekinah of their King is among them. 22 God, who brought them out from Egypt, Becomes his strength and exaltation. 23 For no divination can prosper against the house of Jacob, Nor sorcery against the myriads of Israel. At the proper time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has Eloah done! 24 Look, the people shall dwell as a lioness, And as a lion he shall rise; Until he has killed his prey, He will not rest in his land, And inherit the treasures of the nations. 25 And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them nor bless them. 26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell you, saying, All that the Lord speaks, that I must do? 27 And Balak said to Balaam, Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it may be pleasing before the Lord, so that you may curse them for me from there. 28 And Balak led Balaam to the top of the high place that looks toward Beth-jeshimon. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams. 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.