| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. | 1Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho. |
| 2Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites. | 2Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, |
| 3And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. | 3and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites. |
| 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, | 4So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time, |
| 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. | 5he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. |
| 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.” | 6So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.” |
| 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. | 7The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak. |
| 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. | 8“Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and I will give you the answer that the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. |
| 9That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?” | 9Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” |
| 10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: | 10And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: |
| 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.’” | 11‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’ ” |
| 12But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!” | 12But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.” |
| 13The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you.” | 13So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” |
| 14So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.” | 14And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” |
| 15Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time. | 15Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers. |
| 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. | 16They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, |
| 17I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!” | 17for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’ ” |
| 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. | 18But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God. |
| 19But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me.” | 19So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.” |
| 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 | 20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.” |
| 21So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. | 21So in the morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. |
| 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, | 22Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. |
| 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. | 23When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path. |
| 24Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. | 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side. |
| 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. | 25And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her once again. |
| 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. | 26And the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left. |
| 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. | 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff. |
| 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. | 28Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” |
| 29“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” | 29Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” |
| 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. | 30But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied. |
| 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. | 31Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown. |
| 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. | 32The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me. |
| 33Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.” | 33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.” |
| 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.” | 34“I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.” |
| 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. | 35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. |
| 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. | 36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. |
| 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?” | 37And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?” |
| 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.” | 38“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.” |
| 39Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth, | 39So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. |
| 40where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him. | 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him. |
| 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. | 41The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people. |
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