unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams." And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. And Balaam said unto Balak," Stand by thy burntoffering, and I will go: peradventure Yahweh will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee." And he went to a bare height. And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar." And Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, " Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. And he took up his parable, and said,

"From Aram hath Balak brought me,

The king of Moab from the mountains of the East:
Come, curse me Jacob,

And come, defy Israel.

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?

And how shall I defy, whom Yahweh hath not defied?

For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him:

Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone,

And shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my last end be like his! "

And Balak said unto Balaam, "What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether." And he answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh putteth in my mouth? " And Balak said unto him, " Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and of Israel.

What hath God wrought!

Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness,

And as a lion doth he lift himself up:

He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,

And drink the blood of the slain."

And Balak said unto Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all." But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, "Told not I thee, saying, 'All that Yahweh speaketh, that I must do?""

And Balak said unto Balaam, "Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence." And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert. And Balaam said unto Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams." And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

And when Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said,

up

"Balaam the son of Beor saith,

And the man whose eye was closed saith:
He saith, who heareth the words of God,
Who seeth the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, and having his eyes open:
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,
Thy tabernacles, O Israel!

As valleys are they spread forth,

As gardens by the river-side,

As lign-aloes which Yahweh hath planted,
As cedar-trees beside the waters.

Water shall flow from his buckets,

And his seed shall be in many waters,

And his king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.

God bringeth him forth out of Egypt;

He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox:
He shall eat up the nations his adversaries,
And shall break their bones in pieces,

And smite them through with his arrows.
He couched, he lay down as a lion,

And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
Blessed be every one that blesseth thee,
And cursed be every one that curseth thee."

And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, “I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour: but, lo, Yahweh hath kept thee back from honor." And Balaam said unto Balak, “Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying,' If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Yahweh speaketh, that will I speak?' And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days." And he took up his parable, and said,

"Balaam the son of Beor saith,

And the man whose eye was closed saith:
He saith, who heareth the words of God,

And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High,

Who seeth the vision of the Almighty,

Falling down, and having his eyes open:

I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not nigh:

There shall come forth a star out of Jacob,

And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel,

And shall smite through the corners of Moab,

And break down all the sons of tumult.

And Edom shall be a possession,

Seir also shall be a possession, which were his enemies;

While Israel doeth valiantly.

And out of Jacob shall one have dominion,

And shall destroy the remnant from the city.

And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said,

Amalek was the first of the nations;

But his latter end shall come to destruction.

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and

said,

Strong is thy dwelling-place.

And thy nest is set in the rock.

Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted,

Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

And he took up his parable, and said,

Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?

But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim,

And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber;

And he also shall come to destruction."

And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab: for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeors: And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel. And Yahweh said unto Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel." And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor."