13 That day, the Mosheh scroll was read out aloud to the people, and it was discovered that it had been written that no Ammonite or Moabite is ever allowed to join the congregation[ref] 2 because instead of helping the travelling Israelis with food and water, they had hired Bil’am (Balaam) to curse them (even though God had turned that curse into blessing).[ref]

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 bside 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.”

27 Then King Balak told Bileam, “Come with me. I’ll take you to another place. Perhaps it will pleased God if you curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took him to the top of Mt. Peor that faces down to the wilderness, 29 and again Bileam told him, “Build seven altars and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 30 So Balak followed those instructions and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

24 By now, Bileam had realised that Yahweh wanted to bless the Israelis, so he didn’t use his usual divinations but instead, he just looked towards the wilderness. 2 He looked up and saw Yisrael in their tents laid out by tribe. Then God’s spirit came onto him, 3 and he made his pronouncement,

“This is the declaration of Bileam, son of Beor—

≈ the utterance of a man whose eyes are open.

4 The declaration of someone who heard God’s message,

≈ someone who sees the all-powerful one’s vision,

who bows to the ground with his eyes wide open.

5 Yes Yakov, your tents look good.

≈ Yes Yisrael, the places where you’re living:

6 They stretch out like a riverbed.

≈ Like gardens beside a river.

Like palms that Yahweh has planted,

≈ Like cedar trees beside the waters.

7 Water will spill over the top of his buckets,

and his descendants will flow out like water.

Yisrael’s king will be greater than King Agag,

and his kingdom will become honoured.

8 God is bringing him here from Egypt

with power like the horns of a wild bull.

He’ll devastate those nations that oppose him.

He’ll break their bones, and his arrows will pierce them.

9 He crouched—lying down like a lion or a lioness.

Who will rouse him?

Those who bless, you will be blessed,

^ but those who curse you, will be cursed.[ref]