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23
1 And Bileam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Bileam had spoken, and Balak and Bileam offered up a bullock and a ram upon every altar. 3 And Bileam said to Balak, Remain by thy burnt offering; and I will go, if perhaps the Word may meet me from before the Lord; and the word that He showeth me I will disclose unto thee. And he went solitary. 4 And the Word from before the Lord met Bileam; and he said to Him; The seven altars have I set in order, and have offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar. 5 And the Lord put a word upon Bileam’s mouth, and said to him: Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. 6 And he returned to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the nobles of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said: Balak, king of Moab, hath brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east: Come, curse me, Jakob, Come, hunt down Israel for me. 8 How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? How shall I persecute whom God hath not? 9 For from the top of the mountain I discern him, And look upon him from the heights; Lo, the people by themselves are to possess the world, And among the nations they shall not be judged with consumption. 10 Who can number the dust of the house of Jakob, Of whom it is said, They shall increase as the dust of the earth, Or of one of the four camps of Israel? Let mine be the death of his truthful ones, And let my end be as theirs!
11 And Balak said to Bileam, What hast thou done to me? I brought thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, blessing hast thou blessed them. 12 But he said, That which the Lord hath put in my mouth must I not observe to speak?
13 And Balak said to him, Come now with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see him, where thou canst see only the outer side, but not the whole, and curse him for me from thence. 14 And he brought him to the field of the watch-tower on the top of the hill; and builded seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15 And he said to Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, and I will go yonder. 16 And the Word from before the Lord met Bileam, 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 hath the Lord spoken? 18 And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear, Listen to my words, Bar 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 works of the children of flesh, Who decree to do, but repent, and change their counsels. What He hath said He will perform, And His every word is steadfast. 20 Behold, I have received benedictions to bless Israel, And I may not turn my blessing from him. 21 I have seen that in the house of Jakob The worshippers of idols are not, Nor in Israel the workers of the work of lies. The Word of the Lord their God is their helper, And the Shekinah of their King is among them. 22 God, who brought them out from Mizraim, Becomes his strength and exaltation. 23 For no divinations can prosper against the house of Jakob, Nor enchantments against the myriads of Israel. According to the time it shall be said of Jakob and of Israel, What hath Eloah wrought! 24 Behold, the people shall dwell as a lioness, And as a lion shall he lift himself up; Until he hath slain with slaughter, He will not rest in his land, And inherit the treasures of the nations.
25 And Balak said to Bileam, Neither cursing curse them, nor blessing bless them. 26 But Bileam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do? 27 And Balak said to Bileam, Come now, I will take thee to another place; perhaps it may be pleasing before the Lord, that thou mayest curse them for me from thence. 28 And Balak conducted Bileam to the top of the high place that looketh toward the face of Beth Jeshimon. 29 And Bileam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30 And Balak did as Bileam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

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