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Numbers 22:39-23:12
New American Standard Bible
Numbers 22:39-23:12
New American Standard Bible
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to [a](A)the high places of Baal, and he saw from there [b]a (B)portion of the people.
The Prophecies of Balaam
23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 2 Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a bare hill.
4 Now God met with Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5 Then the Lord (C)put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.” 6 So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab. 7 And he took up his discourse and said,
“From (D)Aram Balak has brought me,
Moab’s king from the mountains of the East, saying,
‘(E)Come, declare Jacob cursed for me,
And come, curse Israel!’
8 (F)How am I to put a curse on him upon whom God has not put a curse?
And how am I to curse him whom the Lord has not cursed?
9 For I see him from the top of the rocks,
And I look at him from the hills;
(G)Behold, a people that lives in isolation,
And does not consider itself to be among the nations.
10 (H)Who has counted the dust of Jacob,
Or the number of the fourth part of Israel?
(I)May [c]I die the death of the upright,
(J)And may my end be like his!”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (K)I took you to put a curse on my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!” 12 He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak (L)what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:41 Or Bamoth-baal
- Numbers 22:41 Lit the extremity of the people
- Numbers 23:10 Lit my soul
Numbers 22:39-23:12
New International Version
Numbers 22:39-23:12
New International Version
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,(A) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(B) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(C)
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(D) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(E)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(F) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(G) 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(H) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(I)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(J) 7 Then Balaam(K) spoke his message:(L)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(M)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(N)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(O)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(P)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(Q)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(R)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(S)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(T)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(U)
and may my final end be like theirs!(V)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(W) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(X)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(Y)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.