13 Then King Balak told Bileam, “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 for me from there.” 14 So he took Bileam 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 Bileam 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 Bileam 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 beside the altar, and Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”

18 Then Bileam 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 Yakov (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 Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim),

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

23 No, there’s no spell against Yakov,

≈ and no divination against Yisrael.

People will talk about Yakov/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 devour its prey

and drunk the blood of those it killed.”

25 Then King Balak scolded Bileam, “Even if you won’t curse them, definitely don’t bless them!”

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