God

But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”

“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,

and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?

But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.

God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”

“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him,

the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

They spread out like palm groves, like gardens beside a stream, like aloes the LORD has planted, like cedars beside the waters.

God brought him out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox, to devour hostile nations and crush their bones, to pierce them with arrows.

Therefore, flee at once to your home! I said I would richly reward you, but instead the LORD has denied your reward.”

that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD? I will speak whatever the LORD says.

the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: