Balaam Foretells the Happiness of Israel

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at (A)other times, to seek to use [a]sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel (B)encamped according to their tribes; and (C)the Spirit of God came upon him.

(D)Then he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who (E)falls down, with eyes wide open:

“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
(F)Like aloes (G)planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be (H)in many waters.

“His king shall be higher than (I)Agag,
And his (J)kingdom shall be exalted.

“God(K) brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall (L)consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall (M)break their bones
And (N)pierce them with his arrows.
‘He(O) bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

(P)“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he (Q)struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, (R)“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. (S)I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? 14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, (T)I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the (U)latter days.”

Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy

15 So he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
And has the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

17 “I(V) see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
(W)A Star shall come out of Jacob;
(X)A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And [b]batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of [c]tumult.

18 “And (Y)Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does [d]valiantly.
19 (Z)Out of Jacob One [e]shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city.”

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

23 Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from the coasts of (AA)Cyprus,[f]
And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict (AB)Eber,
And so shall [g]Amalek, until he perishes.”

25 So Balaam rose and departed and (AC)returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

25 Now Israel remained in (AD)Acacia Grove,[h] and the (AE)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. (AF)They invited the people to (AG)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and (AH)bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and (AI)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

Then the Lord said to Moses, (AJ)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, (AK)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to (AL)the judges of Israel, (AM)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, (AN)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Now (AO)when Phinehas (AP)the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So (AQ)the plague was (AR)stopped among the children of Israel. And (AS)those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 (AT)“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in (AU)My zeal. 12 Therefore say, (AV)‘Behold, I give to him My (AW)covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and (AX)his descendants after him a covenant of (AY)an everlasting priesthood, because he was (AZ)zealous for his God, and (BA)made [i]atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of (BB)Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 (BC)“Harass the Midianites, and [j]attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their (BD)schemes[k] by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

The Second Census of Israel

26 And it came to pass, after the (BE)plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: (BF)“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel (BG)from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.” So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them (BH)in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying: Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the Lord (BI)commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”

(BJ)Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These are the families of the Reubenites: those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. And the son of Pallu was Eliab. The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, (BK)representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord; 10 (BL)and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; (BM)and they became a sign. 11 Nevertheless (BN)the children of Korah did not die.

12 The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of [l]Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of [m]Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of [n]Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15 The sons of Gad according to their families were: of [o]Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 of [p]Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of [q]Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.

19 (BO)The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 And (BP)the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. 21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23 The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of [r]Puah, the family of the [s]Punites; 24 of [t]Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26 (BQ)The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.

28 (BR)The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim, were: 29 The sons of (BS)Manasseh: of (BT)Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: of [u]Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Now (BU)Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of [v]Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred.

These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

38 (BV)The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of (BW)Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of (BX)Shupham,[w] the family of the Shuphamites; of [x]Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 And the sons of Bela were [y]Ard and Naaman: (BY)of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of [z]Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44 (BZ)The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48 (CA)The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of [aa]Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of (CB)Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

51 (CC)These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 53 (CD)“To these the land shall be (CE)divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names. 54 (CF)To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them. 55 But the land shall be (CG)divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. 56 According to the lot their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller.”

57 (CH)And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was (CI)Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 (CJ)To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 And (CK)Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the Lord.

62 (CL)Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and above; (CM)for they were not numbered among the other children of Israel, because there was (CN)no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel.

63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel (CO)in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 64 (CP)But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the (CQ)Wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, “They (CR)shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, (CS)except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Inheritance Laws

27 Then came the daughters of (CT)Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: “Our father (CU)died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, (CV)in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be (CW)removed[ab] from among his family because he had no son? (CX)Give us a [ac]possession among our father’s brothers.”

So Moses (CY)brought their case before the Lord.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; (CZ)you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel (DA)a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel(DB)

12 Now the Lord said to Moses: (DC)“Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it, you also (DD)shall [ad]be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you (DE)rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the (DF)waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 “Let the Lord, (DG)the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 (DH)who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be (DI)like sheep which have no shepherd.”

18 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man (DJ)in whom is the Spirit, and (DK)lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and (DL)inaugurate[ae] him in their sight. 20 And (DM)you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel (DN)may be obedient. 21 (DO)He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him (DP)by the judgment of the Urim. (DQ)At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him (DR)and [af]inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 24:1 enchantments
  2. Numbers 24:17 shatter the forehead
  3. Numbers 24:17 Heb. Sheth, Jer. 48:45
  4. Numbers 24:18 mightily
  5. Numbers 24:19 shall rule
  6. Numbers 24:24 Heb. Kittim
  7. Numbers 24:24 Lit. he or that one
  8. Numbers 25:1 Heb. Shittim
  9. Numbers 25:13 Lit. covering
  10. Numbers 25:17 be hostile toward
  11. Numbers 25:18 tricks
  12. Numbers 26:12 Jemuel, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15
  13. Numbers 26:12 Jarib, 1 Chr. 4:24
  14. Numbers 26:13 Zohar, Gen. 46:10
  15. Numbers 26:15 Ziphion, Gen. 46:16
  16. Numbers 26:16 Ezbon, Gen. 46:16
  17. Numbers 26:17 Sam., Syr. Arodi and Gen. 46:16
  18. Numbers 26:23 So with Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg.; Heb. Puvah, Gen. 46:13; 1 Chr. 7:1
  19. Numbers 26:23 Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg. Puaites
  20. Numbers 26:24 Job, Gen. 46:13
  21. Numbers 26:30 Abiezer, Josh. 17:2
  22. Numbers 26:35 Bered, 1 Chr. 7:20
  23. Numbers 26:39 MT Shephupham; Shephuphan, 1 Chr. 8:5
  24. Numbers 26:39 Huppim, Gen. 46:21
  25. Numbers 26:40 Addar, 1 Chr. 8:3
  26. Numbers 26:42 Hushim, Gen. 46:23
  27. Numbers 26:48 Jahziel, 1 Chr. 7:13
  28. Numbers 27:4 withdrawn
  29. Numbers 27:4 inheritance
  30. Numbers 27:13 Die and join your ancestors
  31. Numbers 27:19 commission
  32. Numbers 27:23 commissioned

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