4. God met Balaam, who said to Him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.
5. And the Lord put a speech in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak and thus shall you speak.
6. Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.
7. Balaam took up his [figurative] speech and said: Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me; and come, violently denounce Israel.
8. How can I curse those God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced?
9. For from the top of the rocks I see Israel, and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the people [of Israel] shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned and esteemed among the nations.
10. Who can count the dust (the descendants) of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God], and let my last end be like theirs! [Ps. 37:37; Rev. 14:13.]
11. And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and here you have [thoroughly] blessed them instead!
12. And Balaam answered, Must I not be obedient and speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?
13. Balak said to him, Come with me, I implore you, to another place from which you can see them, though you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there.
14. So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim to the top of [Mount] Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15. Balaam said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering while I go to meet the Lord yonder.
16. And the Lord met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak and speak thus.