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The next morning after Balaam arrived in Moab, Balak took him up onto Mount Ba-moth-baal to see the size of the vast armies of Israel. Balaam knew that he could do nothing until he conferred with the Lord. He also had done his homework and he knew what sacrifices to make to speak to the Lord. He told Balak to build 7 altars and prepare 7 young bulls and to sacrifice them unto the Lord. Then he told Balak to wait until he went and contacted the Lord for His instructions.
When Balaam returned he told Balak that he could not curse what God had blessed and Balak was furious, "I told you to curse them not to bless them." But again Balaam reminds Balak that he could do only what Jehovah told him to say and do. But Balak was not finished yet; he took Balaam to a place where he could see only a portion of Israel and asked him to curse only what he could see. So Balaam instructed Balak to build 7 altars again and this time sacrifice one young bull and a ram on each alter to the Lord. Again, Balaam went to talk to the Lord. This time the Lord appeared to be impatient with Balaam, "I am not a man, I do not change my mind like humans do. Go bless the Israelites for they have not sinned."
When Balak heard these words he was angry... "Please, if you are not going to curse them, don't bless them." The chapter ends with Balak taking Balaam to another mountain; perhaps the Lord will allow Balaam to curse the Israelites there.
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