and drunk the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.”
But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the LORD says, that is what I must do’?”
27 So Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.[57 (#ulink_dfd8d06f-edce-5b0a-9d47-3f7ecb656b6c)]
Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
24 Now Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him,
and he uttered his oracle, saying:
“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is clear,[58 (#ulink_c3c5d0bc-f2e8-5b41-83e0-07d339fe3344)]
the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,[59 (#ulink_3b3e3b14-68c2-5106-aa14-a31599ee37a9)]
who falls down, but with eyes uncovered:
how fair are your tents, O Jacob,
your encampments, O Israel!
Like palm groves that stretch far away,
like gardens beside a river,
like aloes that the LORD has planted,
like cedar trees beside the waters.
Water shall flow from his buckets,
and his seed shall have abundant water,
his king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shall be exalted.
God who brings him out of Egypt,
is like the horns of a wild ox for him;
he shall devour the nations that are his foes
and break their bones.
He shall strike with his arrows.[60 (#ulink_c3da8b09-ad92-5a51-bfda-916a585fb5f5)]
He crouched, he lay down like a lion,
and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you,
and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
10 Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them these three times.
Now be off with you! Go home! I said, ‘I will reward you richly,’ but the LORD has denied you any reward.”
And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me,
‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will; what the LORD says, that is what I will say’?
So now, I am going to my people; let me advise you what this people will do to your people in days to come.”
15 So he uttered his oracle, saying:
“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is clear,[61 (#ulink_48d8553d-e687-55a3-b591-95f53fd040c7)]
the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,[62 (#ulink_ba8dd5c3-2c4c-57fd-8862-727036a32633)]
who sees the vision of the Almighty,[63 (#ulink_3749c118-aec8-5b19-bb8a-3f740ef9c8fb)]
who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered:
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near—
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
