Balaam

Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, then sent to Bil'am and the princes with him.

In the morning Balak took Bil'am and brought him up to the high places of Ba'al; from there he could see a portion of the people.

Bil'am said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here."

Balak did as Bil'am said; then Balak and Bil'am offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Bil'am said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering while I go off; maybe ADONAI will come and meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you." He went off to a bare hill.

God met Bil'am, who said to him, "I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Then ADONAI put a word in Bil'am's mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you."

Balak said to Bil'am, "What have you done to me?! To curse my enemies is why I brought you; and, here, you have totally blessed them!"

ADONAI met Bil'am, put a word in his mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you."

Balak said to Bil'am, "Obviously, you won't curse them. But at least don't bless them!"

However, Bil'am answered Balak, "Didn't I warn you that I must do everything ADONAI says?"

Balak said to Bil'am, "Come, I will take you now to another place; maybe it will please God for you to curse them for me from there."

Balak took Bil'am to the top of P'or, overlooking the desert.

Bil'am said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams."

Balak did as Bil'am said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

When Bil'am saw that it pleased ADONAI to bless Isra'el, he didn't go, as at the other times, to make use of divination, but looked out toward the desert.

Bil'am raised his eyes and saw Isra'el encamped tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,

and he made his pronouncement: "This is the speech of Bil'am, son of B'or; the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;

Balak blazed with fury against Bil'am. He struck his hands together and said to Bil'am, "I summoned you to curse my enemies. But here, you have done nothing but bless them - three times already!

Bil'am answered Balak, "Didn't I tell the messengers you sent me

So he made his pronouncement: "This is the speech of Bil'am, son of B'or; the speech of the man whose eyes have been opened;

Then Bil'am got up, left and returned to his home; and Balak too went his way.

They killed the kings of Midyan along with the others who were slain - Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur and Reva, the five kings of Midyan. They also killed Bil'am the son of B'or with the sword.

Why, these are the ones who - because of Bil'am's advice -caused the people of Isra'el to rebel, breaking faith with ADONAI in the P'or incident, so that the plague broke out among ADONAI's community!

because they did not supply you with food and water when you were on the road after leaving Egypt, and because they hired Bil'am the son of B'or from P'tor in Aram-Naharayim to put a curse on you