Numbers 22:2-25:5
New International Reader's Version
2 Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. Balak was the son of Zippor. 3 The Moabites were terrified because there were so many Israelites. In fact, the Moabites were filled with panic because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites spoke to the elders of Midian. They said, “This huge mob is going to destroy everything around us. They’ll lick it up as an ox licks up all the grass in the fields.”
Balak, the son of Zippor, was the king of Moab at that time. 5 He sent messengers to get Balaam. Balaam was the son of Beor. Balaam was at the city of Pethor near the Euphrates River. Pethor was in the land where Balaam had been born. Balak told the messengers to say to Balaam,
“A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the face of the land. They’ve set up camp next to me. 6 So come and put a curse on these people. They are too powerful for me. Maybe I’ll be able to win the battle over them. Maybe I’ll be able to drive them out of the land. I know that whoever you bless is blessed. And I know that whoever you cursed is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took with them the money they knew Balaam would ask for. They wanted him to use evil magic to figure things out for them. They came to where Balaam was. And they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them. “I’ll report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam. He asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak king of Moab, the son of Zippor, sent me a message. 11 He said, ‘A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the whole surface of the land. So come and put a curse on them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them. Maybe I’ll be able to drive them away.’ ”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. I have blessed them.”
13 The next morning Balaam got up. He said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country. The Lord won’t let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak. They said, “Balaam wouldn’t come with us.”
15 Then Balak sent other officials. They were more important than the first ones. And there were more of them. 16 They came to Balaam. They said,
“Balak, the son of Zippor, says, ‘Don’t let anything keep you from coming to me. 17 I’ll make you very rich. I’ll do anything you say. So come and put a curse on those people for me.’ ”
18 But Balaam gave them his answer. He said, “Balak could give me all the silver and gold in his palace. Even then, I still couldn’t do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord my God commands. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.”
20 That night God came to Balaam. He said, “These men have come to get you. So go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning. He put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when Balaam went. So the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey. His two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. The angel was holding a sword. He was ready for battle. So the donkey left the road and went into a field. Balaam hit the donkey. He wanted to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path. The path went through the vineyards. There were walls on both sides. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it moved close to the wall. It crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he hit the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead. He stood in a narrow place. There was no room to turn, either right or left. 27 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it lay down under Balaam. That made him angry. He hit the donkey with his walking stick. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth. It said to Balaam, “What have I done to you? Why did you hit me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey. He said, “You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand. If I did, I’d kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “I’m your own donkey. I’m the one you have always ridden. Haven’t you been riding me to this very day? Have I ever made you look foolish before?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes. He saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. He saw that the angel was holding a sword. The angel was ready for battle. So Balaam bowed down. He fell with his face to the ground.
32 The angel of the Lord spoke to him. He asked him, “Why have you hit your donkey three times? I have come here to oppose you. What you are doing is foolish. 33 The donkey saw me. It turned away from me three times. Suppose it had not turned away. Then I would certainly have killed you by now. But I would have spared the donkey.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Tell me whether you are pleased with me. If you aren’t, I’ll go back.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So he went out to meet him. They met at a Moabite town near the Arnon River. The town was on the border of Balak’s territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I send messengers to you? I wanted you to come quickly. So why didn’t you come? I can make you very rich.”
38 “Well, I’ve come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I can only speak the words God puts in my mouth.”
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep. He gave some to Balaam. He also gave some to the officials with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he could see the outer edges of the Israelite camp.
Balaam’s First Message From God
23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 2 Balak did just as Balaam said. The two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I’ll go and try to find out what the Lord wants me to do. Maybe he’ll come and meet with me. Then I’ll tell you what he says to me.” So Balaam went off to a bare hilltop.
4 God met with him there. Balaam said, “I’ve prepared seven altars. On each altar I’ve offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth. The Lord said, “Go back to Balak. Give him my message.”
6 So Balaam went back to him. He found Balak standing beside his offering. All the Moabite officials were with him. 7 Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Balak brought me from the land of Aram.
The king of Moab sent for me from the mountains in the east.
‘Come,’ he said. ‘Put a curse on Jacob’s people for me.
Come. Speak against Israel.’
8 But how can I put a curse on
people God hasn’t cursed?
How can I speak against
people the Lord hasn’t spoken against?
9 I see them from the rocky peaks.
I view them from the hills.
I see a group of people who live by themselves.
They don’t consider themselves to be one of the nations.
10 Jacob’s people are like the dust of the earth.
Can dust be counted?
Who can count even a fourth of the Israelites?
Let me die as godly people die.
Let my death be like theirs!”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to put a curse on my enemies! But all you have done is give them a blessing!”
12 He answered, “I have to speak only the words the Lord puts in my mouth.”
Balaam’s Second Message From God
13 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place. You can see the Israelites from there. You won’t see all of them. You will only see the outer edges of their camp. From there, put a curse on them for me.” 14 So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim. It was on the highest slopes of Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering. I’ll meet with the Lord over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam. He put a message in Balaam’s mouth. The Lord said, “Go back to Balak. Give him my message.”
17 So Balaam went to Balak. He found him standing beside his offering. The Moabite officials were with him. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Balak, rise up and listen.
Son of Zippor, hear me.
19 God isn’t a mere human. He can’t lie.
He isn’t a human being. He doesn’t change his mind.
He speaks, and then he acts.
He makes a promise, and then he keeps it.
20 He has commanded me to bless Israel.
He has given them his blessing. And I can’t change it.
21 “I don’t see any trouble coming on the people of Jacob.
I don’t see any suffering in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them.
The shout of the King is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt.
They are as strong as a wild ox.
23 There isn’t any magic that can hurt the people of Jacob.
No one can use magic words to harm Israel.
Here is what will be said about the people of Jacob.
Here is what will be said about Israel.
People will say, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The Israelites are going to wake up like a female lion.
They are going to get up like a male lion.
They are like a lion that won’t rest
until it eats what it has caught.
They are like a lion that won’t rest
until it drinks the blood of what it has killed.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t put a curse on them at all! And don’t give them a blessing at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Didn’t I tell you that I must do only what the Lord says?”
Balaam’s Third Message From God
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come. Let me take you to another place. Perhaps God will be pleased to let you put a curse on the Israelites for me from there.” 28 Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor. It looks out over a dry and empty land.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 30 Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
24 Balaam saw that the Lord was pleased to give his blessing to Israel. So he didn’t try to use evil magic as he had done at other times. Instead, he turned and looked toward the desert. 2 He looked out and saw Israel. They had set up their camps tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him. 3 Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor.
It’s the message God gave to the one who sees clearly.
4 It’s the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God.
He sees a vision from the Mighty One.
He falls down flat with his face toward the ground.
His eyes have been opened by the Lord.
5 “People of Jacob, your tents are very beautiful.
Israel, the places where you live are very beautiful.
6 “They spread out like valleys.
They are like gardens beside a river.
They are like aloes the Lord has planted.
They are like cedar trees beside a stream.
7 Their water buckets will run over.
Their seeds will have plenty of water.
“Their king will be greater than King Agag.
Their kingdom will be honored.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt.
They are as strong as a wild ox.
They destroy nations at war with them.
They break their bones in pieces.
They wound them with their arrows.
9 Like a male lion they lie down and sleep.
They are like a female lion.
Who dares to wake them up?
“May those who bless you be blessed!
May those who curse you be cursed!”
10 Then Balak became very angry with Balaam. He slapped his hands together. He said to Balaam, “I sent for you to put a curse on my enemies. But you have given them a blessing three times. 11 Get out of here right away! Go home! I said I’d make you very rich. But the Lord has kept you from getting rich.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Here is what I told the messengers you sent me. 13 I said, ‘Balak could give me all the silver and gold in his palace. Even if I wanted to, I still couldn’t do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord commands. I must say only what the Lord tells me to say.’ 14 Now I’m going back to my people. But come. Let me warn you about what these people will do to your people in days to come.”
Balaam’s Fourth Message From God
15 Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Here is the message God gave Balaam, the son of Beor.
It’s the message God gave to the one who sees clearly.
16 It’s the message God gave to the one who hears the words of God.
The Most High God has given him knowledge.
He sees a vision from the Mighty One.
He falls down flat with his face toward the ground.
His eyes have been opened by the Lord.
17 “I see him, but I don’t see him now.
I view him, but he isn’t near.
A star will come from among the people of Jacob.
A king will rise up out of Israel.
He’ll crush the foreheads of the people of Moab.
He’ll crush the heads of all the people of Sheth.
18 He’ll win the battle over Edom.
He’ll win the battle over his enemy Seir.
But Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come from among the people of Jacob.
He’ll destroy those from the city who are still alive.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message From God
20 Then Balaam saw the Amalekites. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Amalek was the first nation to attack Israel.
But their end will be total destruction.”
Balaam’s Sixth Message From God
21 Then Balaam saw the Kenites. He spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“The place where you live is safe.
Your nest is on a high cliff.
22 But you Kenites will be destroyed.
Ashur will take you as prisoners.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message From God
23 Then Balaam spoke the message he had received from God. He said,
“Who can live when God does this?
24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus.
They will bring Ashur and Eber under their control.
But they themselves will also be destroyed.”
25 Then Balaam got up and returned home. And Balak went on his way.
Moab Leads Israel Astray
25 Israel was staying in Shittim. The men of Israel began to commit sexual sins with the women of Moab. 2 The women invited the men to feasts and sacrifices to honor their gods. The people ate the sacrifices and bowed down in front of the statues of those gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the god named Baal that was worshiped at Peor. The Lord became very angry with Israel.
4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people. Kill them. Put their dead bodies out in the open. I want to see you do it in the middle of the day. Then I will not be angry with Israel.”
5 So Moses spoke to Israel’s judges. He said, “Some of your people have joined in worshiping the god named Baal that is worshiped at Peor. Each of you must kill the people in your tribe who have done that.”
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