Numbers 23:5-30 The Message (MSG)

5. Then God gave Balaam a message: “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

11. Balak said to Balaam, “What’s this? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and all you’ve done is bless them.”

12. Balaam answered, “Don’t I have to be careful to say what God gives me to say?”

13. Balak said to him, “Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp—you won’t be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake.”

14. So he took him to Watchmen’s Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15. Balaam said to Balak, “Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there.”

16. God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, “Return to Balak and give him the message.”

25. Balak said to Balaam, “Well, if you can’t curse them, at least don’t bless them.”

26. Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak’?”

29. Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice.”

30. Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars.

Numbers 23