Numbers 22

Balak Sends for Balaam

1Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. 2Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites. 3And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified. 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, 5sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor*22:5a Or who was at Pethor in the land of the Amavites. near the Euphrates River.*22:5b Hebrew the 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. 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.”

7Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel.*22:7 Hebrew set out with the money of divination in their hand. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him. 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.

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

10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has 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.’”

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

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

14So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “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. 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. 17I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse 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. 19But stay here one more night, and I will see if the Lord has anything else to say to 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

21So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off 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, 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 at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. 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 moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. 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 gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.

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

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 roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.

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

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.”

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. 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.

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?”

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.” 39Then Balaam accompanied 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. 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.

Numbers 23

Balaam Blesses Israel

1Then Balaam said to King Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 2Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.

3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the Lord will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill, 4and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.”

5The Lord gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”

6So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. 7This was the message Balaam delivered:

“Balak summoned me to come from Aram;

the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills.

‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me!

Come and announce Israel’s doom.’

8But how can I curse those

whom God has not cursed?

How can I condemn those

whom the Lord has not condemned?

9I see them from the cliff tops;

I watch them from the hills.

I see a people who live by themselves,

set apart from other nations.

10Who can count Jacob’s descendants, as numerous as dust?

Who can count even a fourth of Israel’s people?

Let me die like the righteous;

let my life end like theirs.”

11Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!”

12But Balaam replied, “I will speak only the message that the Lord puts in my mouth.”

Balaam’s Second Message

13Then King Balak told him, “Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!” 14So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.

15Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the Lord.”

16And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”

17So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked eagerly.

18This was the message Balaam delivered:

“Rise up, Balak, and listen!

Hear me, son of Zippor.

19God is not a man, so he does not lie.

He is not human, so he does not change his mind.

Has he ever spoken and failed to act?

Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

20Listen, I received a command to bless;

God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!

21No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob;

no trouble is in store for Israel.

For the Lord their God is with them;

he has been proclaimed their king.

22God brought them out of Egypt;

for them he is as strong as a wild ox.

23No curse can touch Jacob;

no magic has any power against Israel.

For now it will be said of Jacob,

‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’

24These people rise up like a lioness,

like a majestic lion rousing itself.

They refuse to rest

until they have feasted on prey,

drinking the blood of the slaughtered!”

25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Fine, but if you won’t curse them, at least don’t bless them!”

26But Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you that I can do only what the Lord tells me?”

Balaam’s Third Message

27Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.”

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland.*23:28 Or overlooking Jeshimon. 29Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 30So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.

Numbers 24

1By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, 2where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3and this is the message he delivered:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,

4the message of one who hears the words of God,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who bows down with eyes wide open:

5How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob;

how lovely are your homes, O Israel!

6They spread before me like palm groves,*24:6 Or like a majestic valley.

like gardens by the riverside.

They are like tall trees planted by the Lord,

like cedars beside the waters.

7Water will flow from their buckets;

their offspring have all they need.

Their king will be greater than Agag;

their kingdom will be exalted.

8God brought them out of Egypt;

for them he is as strong as a wild ox.

He devours all the nations that oppose him,

breaking their bones in pieces,

shooting them with arrows.

9Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down;

like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel,

and cursed is everyone who curses you.”

10King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. 11Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.”

12Balaam told Balak, “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said, 13‘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.’ I told you that I could say only what the Lord says! 14Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”

Balaam’s Final Messages

15This is the message Balaam delivered:

“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,

the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,

16the message of one who hears the words of God,

who has knowledge from the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

who bows down with eyes wide open:

17I see him, but not here and now.

I perceive him, but far in the distant future.

A star will rise from Jacob;

a scepter will emerge from Israel.

It will crush the heads of Moab’s people,

cracking the skulls*24:17 As in Samaritan Pentateuch; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. of the people of Sheth.

18Edom will be taken over,

and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered,

while Israel marches on in triumph.

19A ruler will rise in Jacob

who will destroy the survivors of Ir.”

20Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message:

“Amalek was the greatest of nations,

but its destiny is destruction!”

21Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message:

“Your home is secure;

your nest is set in the rocks.

22But the Kenites will be destroyed

when Assyria*24:22 Hebrew Asshur; also in 24:24. takes you captive.”

23Balaam concluded his messages by saying:

“Alas, who can survive

unless God has willed it?

24Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus*24:24 Hebrew Kittim.;

they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber,

but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.”

25Then Balaam left and returned home, and Balak also went on his way.