Balak: 13 Well, come over here. Admittedly, from the place where I’m bringing you, you can only see a small part of that whole congregation. But I am commanding you: from this new place, curse them!

Pisgah dominates the Abarim Mountains and is thus used as a lookout to warn of possible attack.

Balaam (to Balak): 15 You stand here, by the altars with their burnt offerings, while I go just over there to talk with the Eternal One.

Eternal One: Go back to Balak, and recite what I’ve told you.

Balak (to Balaam): What did the Eternal say?

Balaam: Listen up, Balak, and attend to these words:
        Hear, son of Zippor, what God has to say to you.
19     God is not a man—He doesn’t lie.
        God isn’t the son of a man to want to take back what He’s said,
    Or say something and not follow through,
        or speak and not act on it.

20     Look here, I received a word of blessing,
        and He has spoken a blessing.
        I cannot take it back.
21     There is no vision of wrongdoing by Jacob;
        God has seen no trouble for Israel.
    The Eternal One abides among them;
        and the shout of a king is among them.
22     God, who leads them out of Egypt,
        His splendor is like the wild bull:
23     There is no divination against Jacob
        or enchantment against Israel.
    Soon, people will say of Jacob and Israel,
        “Look at what God has accomplished!”
24     Look at this people rise up like a lion,
        like a lion who gets up and does not lie down
        until it devours its prey,
        even drinking the blood of the slain.

Balak (to Balaam): 25 Don’t curse them, but don’t bless them either!

Balaam: 26 Haven’t you been listening? Whatever the Eternal tells me, I must do.

Balak: 27 I think we should try a different spot. Come on and maybe God will be happy to let you curse them for me from over there.

Balaam (to Balak): 29-30 You know what to do: get the seven altars ready and burn the offerings, just as you did before.