וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו בָּלָ֗ק לך־[לְכָה־] נָּ֨א אִתִּ֜י אֶל־מָק֤וֹם אַחֵר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְאֶ֣נּוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אֶ֚פֶס קָצֵ֣הוּ תִרְאֶ֔ה וְכֻלּ֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִרְאֶ֑ה וְקָבְנוֹ־לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם׃

Balak said to him: Please, go with me to another place that you may see them, the Israelites, from there; you will see only their edge, but you will not see all of them; curse them for me from there. If you gaze upon the Israelites from a different angle, perhaps you will be able to curse them.

וַיִּקָּחֵ֙הוּ֙ שְׂדֵ֣ה צֹפִ֔ים אֶל־רֹ֖אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֑ה וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֔ת וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

He took him to the field of Tzofim, again to the top of the peak, and he built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar, in accordance with Bilam’s instructions.

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק הִתְיַצֵּ֥ב כֹּ֖ה עַל־עֹלָתֶ֑ךָ וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִקָּ֥רֶה כֹּֽה׃

He said to Balak: Stand here as you are, with your burnt offering, and I will be happened upon there. I will walk until I receive a prophecy.

וַיִּקָּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיָּ֥שֶׂם דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֑יו וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃

The Lord happened upon Bilam, and again placed speech in his mouth, and said: Return to Balak, and so you shall speak. Bilam was now instilled with the word of God, although it is possible that he did not yet know what he was about to say.

וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנּ֤וֹ נִצָּב֙ עַל־עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ וְשָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָ֖ב אִתּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ בָּלָ֔ק מַה־דִּבֶּ֖ר יְהוָֽה׃

He came to him, Balak, and behold, he was standing with his burnt offering, as Bilam had commanded, and the princes of Moav were there with him. Balak, who could tell that Bilam had received a prophecy, said to him: What did the Lord speak? Balak mocked Bilam with this question: Since you have repeatedly stated that it is not you who speaks but God, what, then, did God say?

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר׃

He launched his oration, and said: Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, son of Tzipor: Perhaps he addressed him in this manner in response to the disparaging tone he detected in Balak’s comment.

לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃

God is not a man that He will lie and not fulfill His promises, or the son of man who changes his mind, that He will reconsider; will He say and not perform, or would He speak and not fulfill His word?

הִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרֵ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃

This is God’s statement: Behold, for blessing I have taken him, Bilam, and he will bless, and I will not retract it. The blessing will not be retracted, as God loves this nation.

לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃

One has not beheld evil in Jacob, and not seen sin in Israel. When God looks upon His people, He sees nothing reprehensible in them. The Lord his God is with him, and the blast [ teru’at ] of the King is in its midst. The people sound the blast of the shofar, or of some other instrument, or they cheer in the King’s honor. Alternatively, this means that the people are befriended by [ mitro’ea ] their King and are near to Him, and the King wants this close relationship.

אֵ֖ל מוֹצִיאָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם לֽוֹ׃

God who took them out of Egypt is exalted, elevated like the great, impressive horns of the wild ox [ re’em ] for it.

כִּ֤י לֹא־נַ֙חַשׁ֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵאָמֵ֤ר לְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃

For there is no divination that can have an effect in Jacob, and no sorcery in Israel. No sorcery, divination, or magic that I might perform will have any effect upon Israel. God sees no flaw in them, and He elevates them so that I cannot harm them. Now, what God has wrought is what shall be said of Jacob and of Israel. Their fortunes are decided directly by God and cannot be influenced by witchcraft.

הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

Behold, a people will rise like a great cat, and like a lion will raise itself. One who sees a lion rising from a crouching position may observe the strength and sheer power of that movement alone. Furthermore, he knows that the lion will succeed in its quest; it will not lie down again until it will devour prey, and until the blood of the slain it will drink.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם גַּם־קֹ֖ב לֹ֣א תִקֳּבֶ֑נּוּ גַּם־בָּרֵ֖ךְ לֹ֥א תְבָרֲכֶֽנּוּ׃

Balak said to Bilam: Do not curse them; also do not bless them. If you refuse to curse them, at least do not bless them.

וַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֥וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃

Bilam answered and said to Balak: Did I not speak to you and warn you, saying: Everything that the Lord speaks, that I will do? I do not speak of my own volition.