Numbers 22
22Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.H1121H3478H5265H2583H6160H4124H5676H3383H34052Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.H1111H1121H6834H7200H3478H6213H5673And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.H4124H3966H1481H6440H5971H7227H4124H6973H6440H1121H34784The 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,H4124H559H2205H4080H6951H3897H5439H7794H3897H3418H7704H1111H1121H6834H4428H4124H62565sent 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.H7971H4397H1109H1121H1160H6604H5104H776H1121H5971H7121H559H5971H3318H4714H3680H5869H776H3427H41366Please 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."H3212H779H5971H6099H3201H5221H1644H776H3045H1288H1288H779H7797Balak'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.H2205H4124H2205H4080H3212H7081H3027H935H1109H1696H1697H11118"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.H559H3885H3915H7725H1697H7725H3068H1696H8269H4124H3427H11099That night God came to Balaam and asked him, "Who are these men visiting you?"H430H935H1109H559H58210Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message.H1109H559H430H1111H1121H6834H4428H4124H797111'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.'"H5971H3318H4714H3680H5869H776H3212H6895H3201H3898H164412But God told Balaam, "Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!"H430H559H1109H3212H779H5971H128813The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's officials, "Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you."H1109H6965H1242H559H8269H1111H3212H776H3068H3985H5414H198014So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us."H8269H4124H6965H935H1111H559H1109H3985H198015Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.H1111H7971H3254H8269H7227H351316They 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.H935H1109H559H559H1111H1121H6834H4513H198017I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!"H3513H3966H3513H3513H6213H559H3212H6895H597118But 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.H1109H6030H559H5650H1111H1111H5414H1004H4393H3701H2091H3201H5674H6310H3068H430H6213H6996H141919But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me."H3427H3915H3045H3068H1696H325420That 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."H430H935H1109H3915H559H582H935H7121H6965H3212H389H1697H1696H621321So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.H1109H6965H1242H2280H860H3212H8269H412422But 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,H430H639H2734H1980H4397H3068H3320H1870H7854H7392H860H8147H528823Balaam'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.H860H7200H4397H3068H5324H1870H2719H8025H3027H860H5186H1870H3212H7704H1109H5221H860H5186H187024Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.H4397H3068H5975H4934H3754H1447H144725When 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.H860H7200H4397H3068H3905H7023H3905H1109H7272H7023H5221H325426Then 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.H4397H3068H5674H3254H5975H6862H4725H1870H5186H3225H804027This 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.H860H7200H4397H3068H7257H1109H1109H639H2734H5221H860H473128Then 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.H3068H6605H6310H860H559H1109H6213H5221H7969H727229"You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!"H1109H559H860H5953H3863H3426H2719H3027H202630"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.H860H559H1109H860H7392H3117H5532H5532H6213H55931Then 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.H3068H1540H5869H1109H7200H4397H3068H5324H1870H2719H8025H3027H6915H7812H63932"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.H4397H3068H559H5221H860H7969H7272H3318H7854H1870H339933Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."H860H7200H5186H6440H7969H7272H194H5186H6440H2026H242134Then 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."H1109H559H4397H3068H2398H3045H5324H1870H7125H7489H5869H772535But 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.H4397H3068H559H1109H3212H582H657H1697H1696H1696H1109H3212H8269H111136When 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.H1111H8085H1109H935H3318H7125H5892H4124H1366H769H7097H136637"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?"H1111H559H1109H7971H7971H7121H1980H3201H552H351338Balaam 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."H1109H559H1111H935H3201H3201H1696H3972H1697H430H7760H6310H169639Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth,H1109H3212H1111H935H2351H715540where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.H1111H2076H1241H6629H7971H1109H826941The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.H1242H1111H3947H1109H5927H1116H1120H7200H7097H5971
Numbers 23
23Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."H1109H559H1111H1129H7651H4196H3559H7651H6499H7651H3522Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.H1111H6213H1109H1696H1111H1109H5927H4196H6499H3523Then 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,H1109H559H1111H3320H5930H3212H3068H7136H7125H1697H7200H5046H3212H82054and 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."H430H7136H1109H559H6186H7651H4196H5927H4196H6499H3525The LORD gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."H3068H7760H1697H1109H6310H559H7725H1111H16966So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.H7725H5324H5930H8269H41247This 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.'H5375H4912H559H1111H4428H4124H5148H758H2042H6924H3212H779H3290H3212H2194H34788But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the LORD has not condemned?H4100H5344H410H6895H2194H3068H21949I 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.H7218H6697H7200H1389H7789H5971H7931H910H2803H147110Who 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."H4487H6083H3290H4557H7255H3478H4191H5315H4194H3477H31911Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!"H1111H559H1109H6213H3947H6895H341H1288H128812But Balaam replied, "I will speak only the message that the LORD puts in my mouth."H6030H559H8104H1696H3068H7760H631013Then 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!"H1111H559H3212H312H4725H7200H7200H657H7097H7200H689514So 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.H3947H7704H6839H6822H7218H6449H1129H7651H4196H5927H6499H352H419615Then Balaam said to the king, "Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the LORD."H559H1111H3320H3541H5930H7136H354116And the LORD met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."H3068H7136H1109H7760H1697H6310H559H7725H1111H169617So 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.H935H5324H5930H8269H4124H1111H559H3068H169618This was the message Balaam delivered: "Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor.H5375H4912H559H6965H1111H8085H238H1121H683419God 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?H410H376H3576H1121H120H5162H559H6213H1696H696520Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!H3947H1288H1288H772521No 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.H5027H205H3290H7200H5999H3478H3068H430H8643H442822God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox.H410H3318H4714H8443H721423No 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!'H5173H3290H7081H3478H6256H559H3290H3478H410H646624These 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!"H5971H6965H3833H5375H738H7901H398H2964H8354H1818H249125Then Balak said to Balaam, "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!"H1111H559H1109H5344H6895H1288H128826But Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you that I can do only what the LORD tells me?"H1109H6030H559H1111H1696H559H3068H1696H621327Then 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."H1111H559H1109H3212H3947H312H4725H3474H5869H430H689528So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland.H1111H3947H1109H7218H6465H8259H6440H345229Balaam again told Balak, "Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."H1109H559H1111H1129H7651H4196H3559H7651H6499H7651H35230So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.H1111H6213H1109H559H5927H6499H352H4196
Numbers 24
24By 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,H1109H7200H5869H2895H3068H1288H3478H1980H6471H7125H5173H7896H6440H40572where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,H1109H5375H5869H7200H3478H7931H7626H7307H4303and this is the message he delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,H5375H4912H559H1109H1121H1160H5002H1397H5869H8365H50024the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open.H5002H8085H561H410H2372H4236H7706H5307H5869H15405How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel!H2895H168H3290H4908H34786They spread before me like palm groves, like gardens by the riverside. They are like tall trees planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters.H5158H5186H1593H5104H174H3068H5193H730H43257Water will flow from their buckets; their offspring have all they need. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.H5140H4325H5140H1805H2233H7227H4325H4428H7311H90H4438H53758God 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.H410H3318H4714H8443H7214H398H1471H6862H1633H6106H4272H26719Like 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."H3766H7901H738H3833H6965H1288H1288H779H77910King 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.H1111H639H2734H1109H5606H3709H5606H1111H559H1109H7121H6895H341H1288H1288H7969H647111Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward."H1272H4725H559H3513H3513H3513H3068H4513H351912Balaam told Balak, "Don't you remember what I told your messengers? I said,H1109H559H1111H1696H4397H7971H55913'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!H1111H5414H1004H4393H3701H2091H3201H5674H6310H3068H6213H2896H7451H3820H3068H1696H169614Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future."H1980H5971H3212H3289H5971H6213H5971H319H311715This is the message Balaam delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,H5375H4912H559H1109H1121H1160H5002H1397H5869H8365H500216the 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.H5002H8085H561H410H3045H1847H5945H2372H4236H7706H5307H5869H154017I 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 foreheads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.H7200H7789H7138H1869H3556H3290H7626H6965H3478H4272H6285H4124H6979H1121H8352H835118Edom will be taken over, and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered, while Israel marches on in triumph.H123H3424H8165H3424H341H3478H6213H242819A ruler will rise in Jacob who will destroy the survivors of Ir."H3290H7287H6H8300H589220Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: "Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!"H7200H6002H5375H4912H559H6002H7225H1471H319H8H570321Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message: "Your home is secure; your nest is set in the rocks.H7200H7017H5375H4912H559H386H4186H7760H7064H555322But the Kenites will be destroyed when Assyria takes you captive."H7014H518H1197H804H761723Balaam concluded his messages by saying: "Alas, who can survive unless God has willed it?H5375H4912H559H188H2421H410H776024Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber, but they, too, will be utterly destroyed."H6716H3027H3794H6031H804H6031H5677H8H570325Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.H1109H6965H3212H7725H4725H1111H1980H1870
Dublin, OH
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.H7971
