Numbers 23:16-26

¹⁶So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”

¹⁷So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”

¹⁸Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor DOU!

¹⁹God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.

²⁰He commanded me to request him to bless the Israelis, So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.

²¹Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles DOU.

²²God brought them out of Egypt where they were slaves; he is as strong as a wild ox.

²³When people curse PRS the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’

²⁴They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack other animals; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have killed and eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”

²⁵Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then I certainly do not want you to bless them!”

²⁶But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”