Numbers 23:7-18

7Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains: “Come, put a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel!”

8How can I curse someone God has not cursed? How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?

9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. There is a people living alone; it does not consider itself among the nations.

10Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered even one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs.

11“What have you done to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!”

12He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

13Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.”

14So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there.”

16The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”

17So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

18Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!