Balaam's First Oracle

Numbers 23

¹ Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." ² Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offerings while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height. ⁴ Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar." ⁵ The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you must say." ⁶ So he returned to Balak, ₁ who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.

⁷ Then Balaam ₂ uttered his oracle, saying:

"Balak has brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
"Come, curse Jacob for me;
Come, denounce Israel!'
⁸ How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?
⁹ For from the top of the crags I see him,
from the hills I behold him.
Here is a people living alone,
and not reckoning itself among the nations!
¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number the dust-cloud ₃ of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!"

¹¹ Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them." ¹² He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?"