Numbers 22:21-23:30
New King James Version
21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel
22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, (A)and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now (B)the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Then the Lord (C)opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have [a]abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, (D)for now I would kill you!”
30 (E)So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever [b]disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord (F)opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out [c]to stand against you, because your way is (G)perverse[d] before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, (H)“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it [e]displeases You, I will turn back.”
35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, (I)but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, (J)he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, (K)which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. 37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able (L)to honor you?”
38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? (M)The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” 39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. 40 Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
Balaam’s First Prophecy
41 So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the (N)high places of Baal, that from there he might observe [f]the extent of the people.
The Prophecies of Balaam
23 Then Balaam said to Balak, (O)“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam (P)offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, (Q)“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come (R)to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. 4 (S)And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”
5 Then the Lord (T)put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he (U)took up his [g]oracle and said:
“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
(V)‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, (W)denounce Israel!’
8 “How(X) shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! (Y)A people dwelling alone,
(Z)Not reckoning itself among the nations.
10 “Who(AA) can count the [h]dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die (AB)the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (AC)I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”
12 So he answered and said, (AD)“Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Prophecy
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” 14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, (AE)and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I [i]meet the Lord over there.”
16 Then the Lord met Balaam, and (AF)put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 17 So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18 Then he took up his oracle and said:
(AG)“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 “God(AH) is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He (AI)said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;
(AJ)He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 “He(AK) has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen [j]wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
(AL)And the shout of a King is among them.
22 (AM)God brings them out of Egypt;
He has (AN)strength like a wild ox.
23 “For there is no [k]sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any [l]divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, (AO)what God has done!’
24 Look, a people rises (AP)like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
(AQ)It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”
26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, (AR)‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
Balaam’s Third Prophecy
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that (AS)overlooks the [m]wasteland. 29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:29 mocked
- Numbers 22:30 accustomed
- Numbers 22:32 as an adversary
- Numbers 22:32 contrary
- Numbers 22:34 Lit. is evil in your eyes
- Numbers 22:41 the farthest extent
- Numbers 23:7 prophetic discourse
- Numbers 23:10 Or dust cloud
- Numbers 23:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. call; LXX go and ask God
- Numbers 23:21 trouble
- Numbers 23:23 enchantment
- Numbers 23:23 fortune-telling
- Numbers 23:28 Heb. Jeshimon
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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