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23
1 Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said, and together they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 Balaam said to Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I go and see if perhaps the Lord will come and meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me, I'll share with you.” Then Balaam left to climb up a rocky crag.
4 God met with him there, and Balaam said. “I have built seven altars and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord gave Balaam a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.”
6 So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.
7 This is the declaration that Balaam gave:
“Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the mountains of the east. He said, ‘Come and curse Jacob for me! Come and condemn Israel!’
8 But how can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I condemn what the Lord has not condemned? 9 For I'm looking down on them from the top of rocky crags; I'm watching them from the hills. I see a people who live on their own, different from the other nations.
10 Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites?
I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”
11 Then Balak complained to Balaam, “What on earth have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and now look! All you have done is bless them!”
12 But Balaam replied, “Don't you think I should say precisely what the Lord tells me?”
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. But you'll only see a part of their camp—you won't see all of them. You can curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the field of Zophim at the top of Mount Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam told Balak, “Wait here beside your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.” 16 The Lord met Balaam and gave him a message to share. He told him, “Go back to Balak and this is what you are to say to him.” 17 So he went back to Balak, who was waiting there beside his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite leaders.
“What did the Lord say?” Balak asked.
18 This is the prophecy that Balaam delivered:
“Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 God isn't a human being who would lie. He's not a mere mortal who changes his mind. Does he say he's going to do something but doesn't? Does he make promises he doesn't carry out?
20 Look, I have been ordered to give a blessing. God has blessed, and I can't change that. 21 He's not expecting anything bad will happen to Jacob; he doesn't foresee any trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them; they celebrate him as their king. 22 God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox. 23 No spell can be cast against Jacob; no magic can be used against Israel. People will talk about Jacob and Israel, saying, ‘What amazing things God has done for them!’ 24 Look! The Israelites go out hunting like a lioness; they chase like a lion. They don't rest until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of their dead victim.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you can't give them any curses then at least don't give them any blessings!”
26 But Balaam replied, “Didn't I explain to you that I have to do whatever the Lord tells me?”
27 “Please come with me and I will take you somewhere else,” Balak said. “Maybe God would let you curse them for me from there.” 28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which looks down on the wastelands.
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 30 Balak did what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher