The Wilderness Years

and he taketh him to the field of Zophim, unto the top of Pisgah, and buildeth seven altars, and offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar.

And he saith unto Balak, `Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I--I meet Him there;'

and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

And he cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: `What hath Jehovah spoken?'

And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!

God is not a man--and lieth, And a son of man--and repenteth! Hath He said--and doth He not do it ? And spoken--and doth He not confirm it?

Lo, to bless I have received: Yea, He blesseth, and I can not reverse it.

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor hath He seen perverseness in Israel; Jehovah his God is with him, And a shout of a king is in him.

God is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;

For no enchantment is against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought!

Lo, the people as a lioness riseth, And as a lion he lifteth himself up, He lieth not down till he eateth prey, And blood of pierced ones doth drink.'

And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'

and Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, `Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh--it I do?'

And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Come, I pray thee, I take thee unto another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God--to pierce it for me from thence.'

And Balak taketh Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness,

and Balaam saith unto Balak, `Build for me in this place seven altars, and make ready for me in this place seven bullocks and seven rams;'

and Balak doth as Balaam said, and he offereth a bullock and a ram on an altar.

And Balaam seeth that it is good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face;

and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,

and he taketh up his simile, and saith: `An affirmation of Balaam son of Beor--And an affirmation of the man whose eyes are shut--

An affirmation of him who is hearing sayings of God--Who a vision of the Almighty seeth, Falling--and eyes uncovered:

How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;

As valleys they have been stretched out, As gardens by a river; As aloes Jehovah hath planted, As cedars by waters;

He maketh water flow from his buckets, And his seed is in many waters; And higher than Agag is his king, And exalted is his kingdom.

God is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And with his arrows he smiteth,