Numbers 21:10-25:18

New International Version

The Journey to Moab

¹⁰The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.^(A) ¹¹Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab^(B) toward the sunrise. ¹²From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.^(C) ¹³They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon^(D), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.^(E) ¹⁴That is why the Book of the Wars^(F) of the Lord says:

“. . . Zahab^[a] in Suphah and the ravines,
the Arnon ¹⁵and^[b] the slopes of the ravines
that lead to the settlement of Ar^(G)
and lie along the border of Moab.”

¹⁶From there they continued on to Beer,^(H) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”

¹⁷Then Israel sang this song:^(I)

“Spring up, O well!
    Sing about it,
¹⁸about 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, ¹⁹from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah^(J) overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

²¹Israel sent messengers^(K) to say to Sihon^(L) king of the Amorites:^(M)

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.^(N)”

²³But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.^(O) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,^(P) he fought with Israel.^(Q) ²⁴Israel, however, put him to the sword^(R) and took over his land^(S) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,^(T) but only as far as the Ammonites,^(U) because their border was fortified. ²⁵Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites^(V) and occupied them,^(W) including Heshbon^(X) and all its surrounding settlements. ²⁶Heshbon was the city of Sihon^(Y) king of the Amorites,^(Z) who had fought against the former king of Moab^(AA) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.^(AB)

²⁷That 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.^(AC)
It consumed^(AD) Ar^(AE) of Moab,
    the citizens of Arnon’s heights.^(AF)
²⁹Woe to you, Moab!^(AG)
    You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!^(AH)
He has given up his sons as fugitives^(AI)
    and his daughters as captives^(AJ)
    to Sihon king of the Amorites.

³⁰“But we have overthrown them;
Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon.^(AK)
We have demolished them as far as Nophah,
which extends to Medeba.^(AL)”

³¹So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.^(AM)

³²After Moses had sent spies^(AN) to Jazer,^(AO) the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. ³³Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan^(AP),^(AQ) and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.^(AR)

³⁴The 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.^(AS)”

³⁵So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.^(AT) And they took possession of his land.^(AU)

Balak Summons Balaam

22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab^(AV) and camped along the Jordan^(AW) across from Jericho.^(AX)

²Now Balak son of Zippor^(AY) 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^(AZ) because of the Israelites.

⁴The Moabites^(BA) said to the elders of Midian,^(BB) “This horde is going to lick up everything^(BC) around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.^(BD)”

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

“A people has come out of Egypt;^(BG) they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. ⁶Now come and put a curse^(BH) 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.^(BI) 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.^(BJ) 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.^(BK)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

⁹God came to Balaam^(BL) and asked,^(BM) “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.^(BN)”

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^(BO) and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse^(BP) 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.^(BQ) ¹⁹Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.^(BR)”

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

Balaam’s Donkey

²¹Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. ²²But God was very angry^(BU) when he went, and the angel of the Lord^(BV) 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^(BW) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it^(BX) 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^(BY) and beat it with his staff. ²⁸Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,^(BZ) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?^(CA)”

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.^(CB)”

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,^(CC) 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.^[c] 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,^(CD) but I would have spared it.”

³⁴Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.^(CE) 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^(CF) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon^(CG) 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.”^(CH)

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

Balaam’s First Message

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

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

⁴God met with him,^(CO) 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^(CP) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”^(CQ)

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

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

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

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

Balaam’s Second Message

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

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^(DM) 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.^(DN) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸Then he spoke his message:^(DO)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.^(DP)
¹⁹God is not human,^(DQ) that he should lie,^(DR)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.^(DS)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise^(DT) and not fulfill?
²⁰I have received a command to bless;^(DU)
    he has blessed,^(DV) and I cannot change it.^(DW)

²¹“No misfortune is seen in Jacob,^(DX)
    no misery observed^[d] in Israel.^(DY)
The Lord their God is with them;^(DZ)
    the shout of the King^(EA) is among them.
²²God brought them out of Egypt;^(EB)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.^(EC)
²³There is no divination against^[e] Jacob,
    no evil omens^(ED) against^[f] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
²⁴The people rise like a lioness;^(EE)
    they rouse themselves like a lion^(EF)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood^(EG) 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?”^(EH)

Balaam’s Third Message

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹²Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,^(FL) 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^(FM)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?^(FN) 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.”^(FO)

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^(FP) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,^(FQ)
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.^(FR)
A star will come out of Jacob;^(FS)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.^(FT)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,^(FU)
    the skulls^[h]^(FV) of^[i] all the people of Sheth.^[j]
¹⁸Edom^(FW) will be conquered;
    Seir,^(FX) his enemy, will be conquered,^(FY)
    but Israel^(FZ) will grow strong.
¹⁹A ruler will come out of Jacob^(GA)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

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

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

Balaam’s Sixth Message

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

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

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?^[k]
²⁴ Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;^(GG)
they will subdue Ashur^(GH) and Eber,^(GI)
but they too will come to ruin.^(GJ)”

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

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,^(GL) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality^(GM) with Moabite^(GN) women,^(GO) ²who invited them to the sacrifices^(GP) to their gods.^(GQ) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³So Israel yoked themselves to^(GR) the Baal of Peor.^(GS) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders^(GT) of these people, kill them and expose^(GU) them in broad daylight before the Lord,^(GV) so that the Lord’s fierce anger^(GW) may turn away from Israel.”

⁵So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death^(GX) those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”^(GY)

⁶Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite^(GZ) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping^(HA) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁷When Phinehas^(HB) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear^(HC) in his hand ⁸and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;^(HD) ⁹but those who died in the plague^(HE) numbered 24,000.^(HF)

¹⁰The Lord said to Moses, ¹¹“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.^(HG) Since he was as zealous for my honor^(HH) among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. ¹²Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace^(HI) with him. ¹³He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood,^(HJ) because he was zealous^(HK) for the honor^(HL) of his God and made atonement^(HM) for the Israelites.”^(HN)

¹⁴The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman^(HO) was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.^(HP) ¹⁵And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi^(HQ) daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.^(HR)

¹⁶The Lord said to Moses,^(HS) ¹⁷“Treat the Midianites^(HT) as enemies^(HU) and kill them.^(HV) ¹⁸They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident^(HW) involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

Footnotes

Numbers 21:14 Septuagint; Hebrew Waheb
Numbers 21:15 Or “I have been given from Suphah and the ravines / of the Arnon ¹⁵to
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.