13 Then King Balak told Bil’am (Balaam), “Please come with me to another place that you’ll be able to see them from. You won’t be able to see all of them, only the edge of that large group, but you’ll will curse Yisrael (Israel) for me from there.” 14 So he took Bil’am to a field at the top of Mt. Pisgah, and he built seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Bil’am said to the king, “You stand here beside your burnt offering, while I go over there so Yahweh can meet me.”

16 Then Yahweh met with Bil’am and gave him a message and told him, “Go back to Balak, and give him that message.” 17 So he returned to him where he was standing with the leaders from Moav (Moab) beside the altar, and Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”

18 Then Bil’am gave his speech,

“Look here, Balak, and listen.

≈ Pay attention to me, son of Tsipor.

19 God doesn’t lie because he’s not a human being,

≈ and he’s not a mortal who might change his mind.

Whatever he’s said, he’ll do it.

≈ Anything he promised, he’ll make it happen.

20 Listen, I’ve received a command to bless.

≈ Yes, he’s decided to bless and I can’t reverse it.

21 Yahweh hasn’t considered hardship for Ya’akov (Jacob),

≈ and he hasn’t seen trouble for Yisrael (Israel).

His god Yahweh is with that people group,

and the king’s shout is over him.

22 God brought them out of Mitsrayim (Egypt),

→ giving them strength like a wild bull’s horns.

23 No, there’s no spell against Ya’akov,

≈ and no divination against Yisrael.

People will talk about Ya’akov/Yisrael,

→ saying look what God has done.

24 That population stands up like a lioness,

≈ and like a lion, it lifts itself up.

It won’t lie down until it’s devoured its prey

and drunk the blood of those it killed.”

25 Then King Balak scolded Bil’am (Balaam), “Even if you won’t curse them, definitely don’t bless them!”

26 “Didn’t I already tell you,” Bil’am answered Balak, “that I can only pronounce what Yahweh tells me to.”