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Numbers 23:7-24:9
Good News Translation
Numbers 23:7-24:9
Good News Translation
7 Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Balak king of Moab has brought me
From Syria, from the eastern mountains.
‘Come speak for me,’ he said.
‘Put a curse on the people of Israel.’
8 How can I curse what God has not cursed,
Or speak of doom when the Lord has not?
9 From the high rocks I can see them;
I can watch them from the hills.
They are a nation that lives alone;
They know they are blessed more than other nations.
10 The descendants of Israel are like the dust—
There are too many of them to be counted.
Let me end my days like one of God's people;
Let me die in peace like the righteous.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you have done is bless them.”
12 He answered, “I can say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
Balaam's Second Prophecy
13 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me to another place from which you can see only some of the Israelites. Curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Mount Pisgah. There also he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each of them.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, and I will meet God over there.”
16 The Lord met Balaam, told him what to say, and sent him back to Balak to give him his message. 17 So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering, with the leaders of Moab. Balak asked what the Lord had said, 18 and Balaam uttered this prophecy:
“Come, Balak son of Zippor,
And listen to what I have to say.
19 God is not like people, who lie;
He is not a human who changes his mind.
Whatever he promises, he does;
He speaks, and it is done.
20 I have been instructed to bless,
And when God blesses, I cannot call it back.
21 I foresee that Israel's future
Will bring her no misfortune or trouble.
The Lord their God is with them;
They proclaim that he is their king.
22 God has brought them out of Egypt;
He fights for them like a wild ox.
23 There is no magic charm, no witchcraft,
That can be used against the nation of Israel.[a]
Now people will say about Israel,
‘Look what God has done!’
24 The nation of Israel is like a mighty lion:
It doesn't rest until it has torn and devoured,
Until it has drunk the blood of those it has killed.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “You refuse to curse the people of Israel, but at least don't bless them!”
26 Balaam answered, “Didn't I tell you that I had to do everything that the Lord told me?”
Balaam's Third Prophecy
27 Balak said, “Come with me, and I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will be willing to let you curse them for me from there.” 28 So he took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor overlooking the desert. 29 Balaam said to him, “Build seven altars for me here and bring me seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did as he was told, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
24 By now Balaam knew that the Lord wanted him to bless the people of Israel, so he did not go to look for omens, as he had done before. He turned toward the desert 2 and saw the people of Israel camped tribe by tribe. The spirit of God took control of him, 3 and he uttered this prophecy:
“The message of Balaam son of Beor,
The words of the man who can see clearly,[b]
4 Who can hear what God is saying.
With staring eyes I see in a trance
A vision from Almighty God.
5 The tents of Israel are beautiful,
6 Like long rows of palms
Or gardens beside a river,
Like aloes planted by the Lord
Or cedars beside the water.
7 They will have abundant rainfall
And plant their seed in well-watered fields.[c]
Their king shall be greater than Agag,
And his rule shall be extended far and wide.
8 God brought them out of Egypt;
He fights for them like a wild ox.
They devour their enemies,
Crush their bones, smash their arrows.
9 (A)The nation is like a mighty lion;
When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it.
Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed,
And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:23 There … Israel; or No magic charms are used in Israel, no witchcraft is practiced there.
- Numbers 24:3 who can see clearly; or whose eyes are closed.
- Numbers 24:7 One ancient translation They … fields; Hebrew unclear.
Numbers 23:7-24:9
New International Version
Numbers 23:7-24:9
New International Version
7 Then Balaam(A) spoke his message:(B)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(C)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(D)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(E)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(F)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(G)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(H)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(I)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(J)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(K)
and may my final end be like theirs!(L)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(M) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(N)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(O)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(P) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(Q) And from there, curse them for me.(R)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(S) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(T)
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(U) 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.(V) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(W)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(X)
19 God is not human,(Y) that he should lie,(Z)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AA)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(AB) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(AC)
he has blessed,(AD) and I cannot change it.(AE)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(AF)
no misery observed[a] in Israel.(AG)
The Lord their God is with them;(AH)
the shout of the King(AI) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(AJ)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(AK)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
no evil omens(AL) 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;(AM)
they rouse themselves like a lion(AN)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(AO) 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?”(AP)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(AQ) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(AR) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(AS) 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.(AT)
24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(AU) he did not resort to divination(AV) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(AW) 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(AX) 3 and he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(AY)
4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(AZ)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,[d](BA)
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents,(BB) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river,(BC)
like aloes(BD) planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.(BE)
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water.
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
- Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
Good News Translation (GNT) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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