He replied,"Must I not be carefulto speakwhatthe LORDputsin my mouth?"
"You are to speakto him and putthe wordsin his mouth;and I, even I, will be with your mouthand his mouth,and I will teachyou whatyou are to do.
Whenhe speaksgraciously,do not believehim, For there are sevenabominationsin his heart.
Godcameto Balaamat nightand saidto him, "Ifthe menhave cometo callyou, riseup [and] gowith them; but onlythe wordwhichI speakto you shall you do."
So Balaamsaidto Balak,"Behold,I have comenowto you! Am I ableto speakanythingat all? The wordthat Godputsin my mouth,that I shall speak."
Then Balaksaidto him, "Pleasecomewith me to anotherplacefrom whereyou may seethem, although you will onlyseethe extremeendof them and will not seeallof them; and cursethem for me from there."
"Behold,I have received[a command] to bless;When He has blessed,then I cannotrevokeit.
But Balaamrepliedto Balak,"Did I not tellyou, 'Whateverthe LORDspeaks,that I must do'?"
Then Balaamsaidto Balak,"Standbesideyour burntoffering,and I will go;perhapsthe LORDwill cometo meetme, and whateverHe showsme I will tellyou." So he wentto a barehill.
ThoughBalakwere to giveme his housefullof silverand gold,I couldnot doanything contraryto the commandof the LORD,either goodorbad,of my own accord.Whatthe LORDspeaks,that I will speak'?
For such menare slaves,not of our LordChristbut of their ownappetites;and by their smoothand flattering speechthey deceivethe heartsof the unsuspecting.
They professto knowGod,but by [their] deedsthey deny[Him], beingdetestableand disobedientand worthlessfor anygooddeed.
