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Numbers 21-24
New King James Version
Numbers 21-24
New King James Version
Canaanites Defeated at Hormah
21 The (A)king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. 2 (B)So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then (C)I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called [a]Hormah.
The Bronze Serpent
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to (D)go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very [b]discouraged on the way. 5 And the people (E)spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul [c]loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So (F)the Lord sent (G)fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7 (H)Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have (I)sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; (J)pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, (K)“Make a (L)fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So (M)Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
From Mount Hor to Moab
10 Now the children of Israel moved on and (N)camped in Oboth. 11 And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at [d]Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 (O)From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for (P)the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord:
[e]“Waheb in Suphah,
The brooks of the Arnon,
15 And the slope of the brooks
That reaches to the dwelling of (Q)Ar,
And lies on the border of Moab.”
16 From there they went (R)to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 17 (S)Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!
All of you sing to it—
18 The well the leaders sank,
Dug by the nation’s nobles,
By the (T)lawgiver, with their staves.”
And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the [f]country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks (U)down on the [g]wasteland.
King Sihon Defeated(V)
21 Then (W)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 (X)“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 (Y)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and [h]went out against Israel in the wilderness, (Z)and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 Then (AA)Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified. 25 So Israel took all these cities, and Israel (AB)dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore those who speak in [i]proverbs say:
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built;
Let the city of Sihon be repaired.
28 “For (AC)fire went out from Heshbon,
A flame from the city of Sihon;
It consumed (AD)Ar of Moab,
The lords of the (AE)heights of the Arnon.
29 Woe to you, (AF)Moab!
You have perished, O people of (AG)Chemosh!
He has given his (AH)sons as fugitives,
And his (AI)daughters into captivity,
To Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 “But we have shot at them;
Heshbon has perished (AJ)as far as Dibon.
Then we laid waste as far as Nophah,
Which reaches to (AK)Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32 Then Moses sent to [j]spy out (AL)Jazer; and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
King Og Defeated(AM)
33 (AN)And they turned and went up by the way to (AO)Bashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle (AP)at Edrei. 34 Then the Lord said to Moses, (AQ)“Do not fear him, for I have [k]delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and (AR)you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” 35 (AS)So they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of his land.
Balak Sends for Balaam
22 Then (AT)the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.
2 Now (AU)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And (AV)Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. 4 So Moab said to (AW)the elders of Midian, “Now this company will [l]lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 Then (AX)he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at (AY)Pethor, which is near [m]the River in the land of [n]the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! 6 (AZ)Therefore please come at once, (BA)curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with (BB)the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. 8 And he said to them, (BC)“Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 (BD)Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10 So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”
12 And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for (BE)they are blessed.”
13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.”
14 And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more [o]honorable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 17 for I will certainly (BF)honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. (BG)Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”
18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, (BH)“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, (BI)I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, please, you also (BJ)stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”
20 (BK)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but (BL)only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel
22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, (BM)and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now (BN)the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Then the Lord (BO)opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have [p]abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, (BP)for now I would kill you!”
30 (BQ)So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever [q]disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord (BR)opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out [r]to stand against you, because your way is (BS)perverse[s] before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, (BT)“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it [t]displeases You, I will turn back.”
35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, (BU)but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, (BV)he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, (BW)which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. 37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able (BX)to honor you?”
38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? (BY)The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” 39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. 40 Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
Balaam’s First Prophecy
41 So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the (BZ)high places of Baal, that from there he might observe [u]the extent of the people.
The Prophecies of Balaam
23 Then Balaam said to Balak, (CA)“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam (CB)offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, (CC)“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come (CD)to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. 4 (CE)And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”
5 Then the Lord (CF)put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he (CG)took up his [v]oracle and said:
“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
(CH)‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, (CI)denounce Israel!’
8 “How(CJ) shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! (CK)A people dwelling alone,
(CL)Not reckoning itself among the nations.
10 “Who(CM) can count the [w]dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die (CN)the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (CO)I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”
12 So he answered and said, (CP)“Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Prophecy
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” 14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, (CQ)and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I [x]meet the Lord over there.”
16 Then the Lord met Balaam, and (CR)put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 17 So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18 Then he took up his oracle and said:
(CS)“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 “God(CT) is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He (CU)said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;
(CV)He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 “He(CW) has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen [y]wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
(CX)And the shout of a King is among them.
22 (CY)God brings them out of Egypt;
He has (CZ)strength like a wild ox.
23 “For there is no [z]sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any [aa]divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, (DA)what God has done!’
24 Look, a people rises (DB)like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
(DC)It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”
26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, (DD)‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
Balaam’s Third Prophecy
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that (DE)overlooks the [ab]wasteland. 29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.
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 (DF)other times, to seek to use [ac]sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel (DG)encamped according to their tribes; and (DH)the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 (DI)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,
4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who (DJ)falls down, with eyes wide open:
5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6 Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
(DK)Like aloes (DL)planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7 He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be (DM)in many waters.
8 “God(DP) brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall (DQ)consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall (DR)break their bones
And (DS)pierce them with his arrows.
9 ‘He(DT) bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’
(DU)“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”
10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he (DV)struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, (DW)“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. (DX)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, (DY)I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the (DZ)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(EA) see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
(EB)A Star shall come out of Jacob;
(EC)A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And [ad]batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of [ae]tumult.
18 “And (ED)Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does [af]valiantly.
19 (EE)Out of Jacob One [ag]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 (EF)Cyprus,[ah]
And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict (EG)Eber,
And so shall [ai]Amalek, until he perishes.”
25 So Balaam rose and departed and (EH)returned to his place; Balak also went his way.
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:3 Lit. Utter Destruction
- Numbers 21:4 impatient
- Numbers 21:5 detests
- Numbers 21:11 Lit. The Heaps of Abarim
- Numbers 21:14 Ancient unknown places; Vg. What He did in the Red Sea
- Numbers 21:20 Lit. field
- Numbers 21:20 Heb. Jeshimon
- Numbers 21:23 attacked
- Numbers 21:27 parables
- Numbers 21:32 secretly search
- Numbers 21:34 given you victory over him
- Numbers 22:4 consume
- Numbers 22:5 The Euphrates
- Numbers 22:5 Or the people of Amau
- Numbers 22:15 distinguished
- Numbers 22:29 mocked
- Numbers 22:30 accustomed
- Numbers 22:32 as an adversary
- Numbers 22:32 contrary
- Numbers 22:34 Lit. is evil in your eyes
- Numbers 22:41 the farthest extent
- Numbers 23:7 prophetic discourse
- Numbers 23:10 Or dust cloud
- Numbers 23:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. call; LXX go and ask God
- Numbers 23:21 trouble
- Numbers 23:23 enchantment
- Numbers 23:23 fortune-telling
- Numbers 23:28 Heb. Jeshimon
- Numbers 24:1 enchantments
- Numbers 24:17 shatter the forehead
- Numbers 24:17 Heb. Sheth, Jer. 48:45
- Numbers 24:18 mightily
- Numbers 24:19 shall rule
- Numbers 24:24 Heb. Kittim
- Numbers 24:24 Lit. he or that one
Numbers 21-24
New International Version
Numbers 21-24
New International Version
Arad Destroyed
21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,(A) who lived in the Negev,(B) heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow(C) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy[a](D) their cities.” 3 The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites(E) over to them. They completely destroyed them(F) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.[b](G)
The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor(H) along the route to the Red Sea,[c](I) to go around Edom.(J) But the people grew impatient on the way;(K) 5 they spoke against God(L) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt(M) to die in the wilderness?(N) There is no bread! There is no water!(O) And we detest this miserable food!”(P)
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes(Q) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.(R) 7 The people came to Moses(S) and said, “We sinned(T) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord(U) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed(V) for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;(W) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake(X) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.(Y)
The Journey to Moab
10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.(Z) 11 Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab(AA) toward the sunrise. 12 From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.(AB) 13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon(AC), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.(AD) 14 That is why the Book of the Wars(AE) of the Lord says:
“. . . Zahab[d] in Suphah and the ravines,
the Arnon 15 and[e] the slopes of the ravines
that lead to the settlement of Ar(AF)
and lie along the border of Moab.”
16 From there they continued on to Beer,(AG) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”
17 Then Israel sang this song:(AH)
“Spring up, O well!
Sing about it,
18 about the well that the princes dug,
that the nobles of the people sank—
the nobles with scepters and staffs.”
Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah(AI) overlooks the wasteland.
Defeat of Sihon and Og
21 Israel sent messengers(AJ) to say to Sihon(AK) king of the Amorites:(AL)
22 “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.(AM)”
23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.(AN) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,(AO) he fought with Israel.(AP) 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword(AQ) and took over his land(AR) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,(AS) but only as far as the Ammonites,(AT) because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites(AU) and occupied them,(AV) including Heshbon(AW) and all its surrounding settlements. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon(AX) king of the Amorites,(AY) who had fought against the former king of Moab(AZ) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.(BA)
27 That is why the poets say:
“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
let Sihon’s city be restored.
28 “Fire went out from Heshbon,
a blaze from the city of Sihon.(BB)
It consumed(BC) Ar(BD) of Moab,
the citizens of Arnon’s heights.(BE)
29 Woe to you, Moab!(BF)
You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!(BG)
He has given up his sons as fugitives(BH)
and his daughters as captives(BI)
to Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 “But we have overthrown them;
Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon.(BJ)
We have demolished them as far as Nophah,
which extends to Medeba.(BK)”
31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.(BL)
32 After Moses had sent spies(BM) to Jazer,(BN) the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan(BO),(BP) and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.(BQ)
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.(BR)”
35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.(BS) And they took possession of his land.(BT)
Balak Summons Balaam
22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab(BU) and camped along the Jordan(BV) across from Jericho.(BW)
2 Now Balak son of Zippor(BX) saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread(BY) because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites(BZ) said to the elders of Midian,(CA) “This horde is going to lick up everything(CB) around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.(CC)”
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor,(CD) who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River,(CE) in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt;(CF) they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse(CG) on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.(CH) For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination.(CI) When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.(CJ)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam(CK) and asked,(CL) “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.(CM)”
13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said:
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely(CN) and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse(CO) on these people for me.”
18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.(CP) 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.(CQ)”
20 That night God came to Balaam(CR) and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”(CS)
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry(CT) when he went, and the angel of the Lord(CU) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword(CV) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it(CW) to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry(CX) and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,(CY) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?(CZ)”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.(DA)”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,(DB) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[f] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now,(DC) but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.(DD) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak(DE) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon(DF) border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(DG)
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,(DH) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(DI) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(DJ)
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(DK) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(DL)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(DM) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(DN) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(DO) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(DP)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(DQ) 7 Then Balaam(DR) spoke his message:(DS)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(DT)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(DU)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(DV)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(DW)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(DX)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(DY)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(DZ)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(EA)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(EB)
and may my final end be like theirs!(EC)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(ED) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(EE)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(EF)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(EG) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(EH) And from there, curse them for me.(EI)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(EJ) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(EK)
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(EL) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(EM) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(EN)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(EO)
19 God is not human,(EP) that he should lie,(EQ)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(ER)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(ES) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(ET)
he has blessed,(EU) and I cannot change it.(EV)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(EW)
no misery observed[g] in Israel.(EX)
The Lord their God is with them;(EY)
the shout of the King(EZ) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(FA)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(FB)
23 There is no divination against[h] Jacob,
no evil omens(FC) against[i] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(FD)
they rouse themselves like a lion(FE)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(FF) of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(FG)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(FH) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(FI) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(FJ) overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(FK)
24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(FL) he did not resort to divination(FM) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(FN) 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(FO) 3 and he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(FP)
4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(FQ)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,[j](FR)
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents,(FS) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river,(FT)
like aloes(FU) planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.(FV)
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
and break their bones in pieces;(FY)
with their arrows they pierce them.(FZ)
9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
like a lioness(GA)—who dares to rouse them?
10 Then Balak’s anger burned(GD) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(GE) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(GF) but you have blessed them(GG) these three times.(GH) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(GI) I said I would reward you handsomely,(GJ) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(GK) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(GL)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(GM) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(GN)
Balaam’s Fourth Message
15 Then he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(GO) of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,(GP)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.(GQ)
A star will come out of Jacob;(GR)
a scepter will rise out of Israel.(GS)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(GT)
the skulls[k](GU) of[l] all the people of Sheth.[m]
18 Edom(GV) will be conquered;
Seir,(GW) his enemy, will be conquered,(GX)
but Israel(GY) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(GZ)
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(HA) and spoke his message:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”(HB)
Balaam’s Sixth Message
21 Then he saw the Kenites(HC) and spoke his message:
“Your dwelling place is secure,(HD)
your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur(HE) takes you captive.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message
23 Then he spoke his message:
“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[n]
24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;(HF)
they will subdue Ashur(HG) and Eber,(HH)
but they too will come to ruin.(HI)”
25 Then Balaam(HJ) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
- Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.
- Numbers 21:4 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Numbers 21:14 Septuagint; Hebrew Waheb
- Numbers 21:15 Or “I have been given from Suphah and the ravines / of the Arnon 15 to
- Numbers 22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
- Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
- Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
- Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
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