The Wilderness Years

He took him through the field of Tzofim to the top of the Pisgah Range, built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar

Bil'am said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I go over there for a meeting."

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

He came to him and stood by his burnt offering, with all the princes of Mo'av. Balak asked him, "What did ADONAI say?"

Then Bil'am made his pronouncement: "Get up, Balak, and listen! Turn your ears to me, son of Tzippor!

"God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind. When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it

Look, I am ordered to bless; when he blesses, I can't reverse it.

"No one has seen guilt in Ya'akov, or perceived perversity in Isra'el; ADONAI their God is with them and acclaimed as king among them

"God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox;

thus one can't put a spell on Ya'akov, no magic will work against Isra'el. It can now be said of Ya'akov and Isra'el, 'What is this that God has done?!'

"Here is a people rising up like a lioness; like a lion he rears himself up -he will not lie down till he eats up the prey and drinks the blood of the slain."

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;

the speech of him who hears God's words; who sees what Shaddai sees, who has fallen, yet has open eyes:

"How lovely are your tents, Ya'akov; your encampments, Isra'el!

They spread out like valleys, like gardens by the riverside, like succulent aloes planted by ADONAI, like cedar trees next to the water.

"Water will flow from their branches, their seed will have water aplenty. Their king will be higher than Agag and his kingdom lifted high.

God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox. They will devour the nations opposing them, break their bones, pierce them with their arrows.