Numbers 22:1-25:2

New International Version

Balak Summons Balaam

22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab^(A) and camped along the Jordan^(B) across from Jericho.^(C)

²Now Balak son of Zippor^(D) saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, ³and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread^(E) because of the Israelites.

⁴The Moabites^(F) said to the elders of Midian,^(G) “This horde is going to lick up everything^(H) around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.^(I)”

So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, ⁵sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor,^(J) who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River,^(K) in his native land. Balak said:

“A people has come out of Egypt;^(L) they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. ⁶Now come and put a curse^(M) 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.^(N) For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”

⁷The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination.^(O) 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.^(P)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

⁹God came to Balaam^(Q) and asked,^(R) “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰Balaam 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.’”

¹²But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.^(S)”

¹³The 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.”

¹⁴So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

¹⁵Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. ¹⁶They came to Balaam and said:

“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, ¹⁷because I will reward you handsomely^(T) and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse^(U) on these people for me.”

¹⁸But 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.^(V) ¹⁹Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.^(W)”

²⁰That night God came to Balaam^(X) and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”^(Y)

Balaam’s Donkey

²¹Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. ²²But God was very angry^(Z) when he went, and the angel of the Lord^(AA) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword^(AB) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it^(AC) to get it back on the road.

²⁴Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. ²⁵When 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.

²⁶Then 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. ²⁷When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry^(AD) and beat it with his staff. ²⁸Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,^(AE) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?^(AF)”

²⁹Balaam 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.^(AG)”

³⁰The 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.

³¹Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,^(AH) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

³²The 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.^[a] ³³The 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,^(AI) but I would have spared it.”

³⁴Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.^(AJ) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

³⁵The 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.

³⁶When Balak^(AK) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon^(AL) border, at the edge of his territory. ³⁷Balak 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.”^(AM)

³⁹Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. ⁴⁰Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,^(AN) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. ⁴¹The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,^(AO) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.^(AP)

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams^(AQ) for me.” ²Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(AR)

³Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.^(AS) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

⁴God met with him,^(AT) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth^(AU) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”^(AV)

⁶So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.^(AW) ⁷Then Balaam^(AX) spoke his message:^(AY)

“Balak brought me from Aram,^(AZ)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.^(BA)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’^(BB)
⁸How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?^(BC)
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?^(BD)
⁹From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.^(BE)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.^(BF)
¹⁰Who can count the dust of Jacob^(BG)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,^(BH)
    and may my final end be like theirs!^(BI)”

¹¹Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,^(BJ) but you have done nothing but bless them!”^(BK)

¹²He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”^(BL)

Balaam’s Second Message

¹³Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place^(BM) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.^(BN) And from there, curse them for me.^(BO)” ¹⁴So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,^(BP) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(BQ)

¹⁵Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”

¹⁶The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth^(BR) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

¹⁷So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.^(BS) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸Then he spoke his message:^(BT)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.^(BU)
¹⁹God is not human,^(BV) that he should lie,^(BW)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.^(BX)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise^(BY) and not fulfill?
²⁰I have received a command to bless;^(BZ)
    he has blessed,^(CA) and I cannot change it.^(CB)

²¹“No misfortune is seen in Jacob,^(CC)
    no misery observed^[b] in Israel.^(CD)
The Lord their God is with them;^(CE)
    the shout of the King^(CF) is among them.
²²God brought them out of Egypt;^(CG)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.^(CH)
²³There is no divination against^[c] Jacob,
    no evil omens^(CI) against^[d] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
²⁴The people rise like a lioness;^(CJ)
    they rouse themselves like a lion^(CK)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood^(CL) of its victims.”

²⁵Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

²⁶Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”^(CM)

Balaam’s Third Message

²⁷Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.^(CN) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me^(CO) from there.” ²⁸And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,^(CP) overlooking the wasteland.

²⁹Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ³⁰Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(CQ)

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,^(CR) he did not resort to divination^(CS) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.^(CT) ²When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him^(CU) ³and he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,^(CV)
⁴the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,^(CW)
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,^[e]^(CX)
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵“How beautiful are your tents,^(CY) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!

⁶“Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,^(CZ)
like aloes^(DA) planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.^(DB)
⁷Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;^(DC)
their kingdom will be exalted.^(DD)

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;^(DE)
    with their arrows they pierce them.^(DF)
⁹Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness^(DG)—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed^(DH)
and those who curse you be cursed!”^(DI)

¹⁰Then Balak’s anger burned^(DJ) against Balaam. He struck his hands together^(DK) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,^(DL) but you have blessed them^(DM) these three times.^(DN) ¹¹Now leave at once and go home!^(DO) I said I would reward you handsomely,^(DP) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

¹²Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,^(DQ) 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^(DR)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?^(DS) ¹⁴Now 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.”^(DT)

Balaam’s Fourth Message

¹⁵Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
¹⁶the prophecy of one who hears the words^(DU) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,^(DV)
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.^(DW)
A star will come out of Jacob;^(DX)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.^(DY)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,^(DZ)
    the skulls^[f]^(EA) of^[g] all the people of Sheth.^[h]
¹⁸Edom^(EB) will be conquered;
    Seir,^(EC) his enemy, will be conquered,^(ED)
    but Israel^(EE) will grow strong.
¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob^(EF)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

²⁰Then Balaam saw Amalek^(EG) and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”^(EH)

Balaam’s Sixth Message

²¹Then he saw the Kenites^(EI) and spoke his message:

“Your dwelling place is secure,^(EJ)
your nest is set in a rock;
²²yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur^(EK) takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?^[i]
²⁴ Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;^(EL)
they will subdue Ashur^(EM) and Eber,^(EN)
but they too will come to ruin.^(EO)”

²⁵Then Balaam^(EP) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,^(EQ) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality^(ER) with Moabite^(ES) women,^(ET) ²who invited them to the sacrifices^(EU) to their gods.^(EV) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.

Footnotes

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.