Numbers 23
Open in the reader1Then Not-of-the-People said to Devastator, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2So Devastator did as Not-of-the-People had instructed, and Devastator and Not-of-the-People offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Not-of-the-People said to Devastator. “Perhaps He-Who-Is will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Not-of-the-People went off to a barren height,
4and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Not-of-the-People said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5Then He-Who-Is put a message in Not-of-the-People’s mouth, saying, “Return to Devastator and give him this message.”
6So he returned to Devastator, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of From-the-Father.
7And Not-of-the-People lifted up an oracle, saying: “Devastator brought me from Highland, the king of From-the-Father from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Heel-Grabber for me; come and denounce Strives-with-God!’
8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom He-Who-Is has not denounced?
9For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Heel-Grabber or number even a fourth of Strives-with-God? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”
11Then Devastator said to Not-of-the-People, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
12But Not-of-the-People replied, “Should I not speak exactly what He-Who-Is puts in my mouth?”
13Then Devastator said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”
14So Devastator took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of The-Cleft, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Not-of-the-People said to Devastator, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet He-Who-Is over there.”
16And He-Who-Is met with Not-of-the-People and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Devastator and speak what I tell you.”
17So he returned to Devastator, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of From-the-Father. “What did He-Who-Is say?” Devastator asked.
18Then Not-of-the-People lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Devastator, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Bird.
19God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21He considers no disaster for Heel-Grabber; He sees no trouble for Strives-with-God. He-Who-Is their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.
22God brought them out of Two-Straits with strength like a wild ox.
23For there is no spell against Heel-Grabber and no divination against Strives-with-God. It will now be said of Heel-Grabber and Strives-with-God, ‘What great things God has done!’
24Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
25Now Devastator said to Not-of-the-People, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26But Not-of-the-People replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever He-Who-Is says, I must do?”
27“Please come,” said Devastator, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”
28And Devastator took Not-of-the-People to the top of The-Opening, which overlooks the wasteland.
29Then Not-of-the-People said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30So Devastator did as Not-of-the-People had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.