Numbers 22 NLT NIV Parallel

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◄ Numbers 22 ►

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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 to the plains of Moab and camped along 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 because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of 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,

4The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak son of Zippor, who 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.

5sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people has come out of Egypt; 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.”

6Now come and put a curse 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. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is 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 left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.

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 said to them, "and I will report back to you with the answer the LORD gives me." So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

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

9God 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:

10Balaam 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.’”

11A 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 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 must not put a curse on those people, because 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.”

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 King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

14So the Moabite officials 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 officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first.

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: Do not let anything keep 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!”

17because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these 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 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.

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

19Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the LORD will 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, go with them, but do only what I tell you."

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

21Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.

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,

22But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on 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, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.

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 path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides.

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.

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 farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.

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.

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, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it 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 it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat 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 only 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.

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, 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 his sword drawn. So he 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? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one 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 it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it."

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.”

34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."

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.

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 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 town 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?”

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?"

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"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."

39Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth,

39Then Balaam went with Balak 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 gave some to Balaam and the officials 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 up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.

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