New King James Version

New Living Translation

1Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

1Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.

2Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

2Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.

3And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.

3And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.

4So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will 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.

4The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” So Balak, king of Moab,

5Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of 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!

5sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: “Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me.

6Therefore please come at once, 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.”

6Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”

7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.

7Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him.

8And he said to them, “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.

8“Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.

9Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

9That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?”

10So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message:

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.’ ”

11‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’”

12And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

12But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”

13So 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.”

13The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you.”

14And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

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

15Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they.

15Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.

16And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;

16They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me.

17for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

17I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!”

18Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

18But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God.

19Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.”

19But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me.”

20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”

20That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.” Balaam and His Donkey

21So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

21So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.

22Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, 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.

22But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,

23Now 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.

23Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.

24Then 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.

24Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.

25And 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.

25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again.

26Then 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.

26Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.

27And 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.

27This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.

28Then the LORD 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?”

28Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.

29And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

29“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”

30So 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 disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

30“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.

31Then the LORD 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.

31Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.

32And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.

32“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the LORD demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.

33The 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.”

33Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”

34And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

34Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”

35Then the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

35But the angel of the LORD told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials.

36Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory.

36When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.

37Then 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 to honor you?”

37“Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”

38And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.”

38Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.”

39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.

39Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth,

40Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

40where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.

41So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.

41The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.