Numbers 23
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New International VersionNew American Standard Bible 1995
1Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."1Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."
2Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.2Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you." Then he went off to a barren height.3Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you." So he went to a bare hill.
4God met with him, and Balaam said, "I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram."4Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."
5The LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word."5Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus."
6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.6So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.
7Then Balaam spoke his message: "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come,' he said, 'curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.'7He took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, Moab's king from the mountains of the East, 'Come curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!'
8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?8"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
9From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.9"As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!"10"Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my end be like his!"
11Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!"11Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!"
12He answered, "Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"12He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"
13Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me."13Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there."
14So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.14So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there."15And he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there."
16The LORD met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word."16Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
17So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?"17He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?"
18Then he spoke his message: "Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.18Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
19God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?19"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.20"Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.
21"No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.21"He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.22"God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23There is no divination against Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!'23"For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!
24The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims."24"Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain."
25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"
26Balaam answered, "Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?"26But Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not tell you, 'Whatever the LORD speaks, that I must do '?"
27Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there."27Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there."
28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the wasteland.
29Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."29Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."
30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.30Balak did just as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.
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Numbers 22
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