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Numbers 23
Revised Geneva Translation
Numbers 23
Revised Geneva Translation
23 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bullocks and seven rams.”
2 And Balak did as Balaam said. And Balak and Balaam offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your Burnt Offering. And I will go, if the LORD will come meet me. And whatever He shows me, I will tell you.” So he went forth alone.
4 And God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have offered a bullock and a ram upon every altar.”
5 And the LORD put an answer in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak and say the same.”
6 So, when he turned to him, lo, he stood by his Burnt Offering (he and all the princes of Moab).
7 Then he uttered his parable, and said, “Balak the King of Moab has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, curse Jacob for my sake. Come, and detest Israel.’
8 “How shall I curse where God has not cursed? Or how shall I detest where the LORD has not detested?
9 “For from the top of the rocks I saw him, and from the hills I beheld him. Lo, the people shall dwell by themselves and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 “Who can tell the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous. And let my last end be like his.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies. And behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
12 And he answered, and said, “Must I not be careful to speak that which the LORD has put in my mouth?”
13 And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, and you shall see only the outer part of them and shall not see them all. Therefore, curse them out of that place, for my sake.”
14 And he brought him into Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 Afterward, he said to Balak, “Stand here by your Burnt Offering, and I will meet the LORD yonder.”
16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put an answer in his mouth, and said, “Go again to Balak, and say this.”
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his Burnt Offering, and the princes of Moab with him. So Balak said to him, “What has the LORD said?”
18 And he uttered his parable, and said, “Rise up Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor!
19 “God is not as man, that He should lie; nor as the son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and shall not do it? And has He spoken, and shall not accomplish it?
20 “Behold, I have received Commandment to bless. For He has blessed. And I cannot alter it.
21 “He sees no iniquity in Jacob or transgression in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the joyful shout of a King is among them.
22 “God brought them out of Egypt, their strength as a unicorn.
23 “For there is no sorcery in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob, and of Israel, ‘What has God wrought?’
24 “Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion, and lift himself up as a young lion. He shall not lie down till he eats of the prey, and till he drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse nor bless them at all.”
26 But Balaam answered, and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that must I do?’”
27 Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will bring you to another place if it pleases God that from there you may curse them for my sake.”
28 So Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward Jeshimon.
29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Make seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bullocks for me here, and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Numbers 23
New International Version
Numbers 23
New International Version
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(A) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(B)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(C) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(D) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(F)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(G) 7 Then Balaam(H) spoke his message:(I)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(J)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(K)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(L)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(M)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(N)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(O)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(P)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(Q)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(R)
and may my final end be like theirs!(S)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(T) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(U)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(V)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(W) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(X) And from there, curse them for me.(Y)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(Z) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(AA)
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(AB) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(AC) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(AD)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(AE)
19 God is not human,(AF) that he should lie,(AG)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AH)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(AI) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(AJ)
he has blessed,(AK) and I cannot change it.(AL)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(AM)
no misery observed[a] in Israel.(AN)
The Lord their God is with them;(AO)
the shout of the King(AP) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(AQ)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(AR)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
no evil omens(AS) against[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(AT)
they rouse themselves like a lion(AU)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(AV) of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(AW)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(AX) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(AY) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(AZ) overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(BA)
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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