Numbers 23
International Children’s Bible
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here. And prepare seven bulls and seven male sheep for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam asked. Then they offered a male sheep and a bull on each of the altars.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering. I will go. Maybe the Lord will come to me. I will tell you whatever he shows me.” Then Balaam went to a higher place.
4 God came to Balaam there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars. And I have offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar.”
5 The Lord told Balaam what he should say. Then the Lord said, “Go back to Balak and give him this message.”
6 So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering. 7 Then Balaam gave them this message:
“Balak brought me here from Aram.
The king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains.
Balak said, ‘Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me.
Come, wish evil on the people of Israel.’
8 But God has not cursed them.
So I cannot curse them.
The Lord has not wished evil on them.
So I cannot wish evil on them.
9 I see them from the mountains.
I see them from the hills.
I see a people who live alone.
They think they are different from other nations.
10 No one can number the people of Jacob.
No one can count a fourth of Israel.
Let me die like good men.
Let me end up like them!”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies. But you have only blessed them!”
12 But Balaam answered, “I must say what the Lord tells me to say.”
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place. There you can also see the people. But you can only see part of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there.” 14 So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim. This was on top of Mount Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars. And he offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar.
15 So Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering. I will meet with God over there.”
16 So the Lord came to Balaam. He told Balaam what to say. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and say such and such.”
17 So Balaam went to Balak. Balak and the leaders of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then Balaam gave this message:
“Stand up, Balak, and listen.
Hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not a man. He will not lie.
God is not a human being. He does not change his mind.
What he says he will do, he does.
What he promises, he keeps.
20 He told me to bless them.
So I cannot change the blessing.
21 He has found no wrong in the people of Jacob.
He saw no fault in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them.
They praise their King.
22 God brought them out of Egypt.
They are as strong as a wild ox.
23 No tricks will work on the people of Jacob.
No magic works against Israel.
People now say this about them,
‘Look what God has done!’
24 The people are strong like a lioness.
They get up like a lion.
Lions don’t rest until they have eaten.
They drink their enemies’ blood.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “You haven’t cursed these people. So at least don’t bless them!”
26 Balaam answered Balak, “I told you before. I can only do what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to another place. Maybe God will be pleased. He may let you curse them from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor. This mountain looks over the desert.
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here. Then prepare for me seven bulls and seven male sheep.” 30 Balak did what Balaam asked. He offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar.
Numbers 23
Lexham English Bible
Balaam’s Oracles
23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me this: seven altars. And prepare for me this: seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 And Balak did just as Balaam spoke, and Balak offered Balaam a bull and a ram on the altar. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself at your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell to you.” So he went to a barren height.
4 And God met with Balaam, and he said to him, “I have arranged seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar.” 5 Yahweh put a word in the mouth of Balaam and said, “Return to Balak, and you must speak thus.” 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 lifted up his oracle and said,
“From Aram Balak lead me,
from the mountains of the east the king of Moab,
‘Go for me, curse Jacob,
and go, denounce Israel.’
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed,
and how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
9 Because from the top of the rocks I see him,
from hilltops I watch him.
Behold, a people who dwell alone,
they do not consider themselves among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or as a number the fourth part of Israel?
Let my life die the death of an upright person,
and let my end be like his!”
11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have surely blessed them!” 12 He answered and said, “Should I not speak[a] what Yahweh puts in my mouth?”
13 Then Balak said, “Please walk with me to another place where you will see them, but you will only see part of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and he built seven altars, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam[b] said to Balak, “Station yourself here at the burnt offering while I myself meet with Yahweh there.” 16 Then Yahweh met with Balaam, and he put a word in his mouth, and he said, “Return to Balak, and you must speak thus.” 17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing at his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has Yahweh spoken?” 18 Then he uttered[c] his oracle, and said,
“Stand up, Balak, and hear;
listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of humankind,
that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;
when he has blessed, I cannot cause it to return.
21 He has no regard for evil in Jacob,
and he does not see trouble in Israel;
Yahweh his God is with him,
and a shout[d] of a king is among them.[e]
22 God, who brings them out from Egypt,
is like the strength[f] of a wild ox for them.[g]
23 Because there is no sorcery against Jacob,
and there is no divination against Israel.
Now[h] it will be said to Jacob and Israel,
what God has done!
24 Look! the people will rise like the lion;
he raises himself and will not lie down
until he eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them[i] at all, nor bless them[j] at all!” 26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Whatever Yahweh speaks I will do’?”
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please, come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be acceptable to[k] God, and you will curse for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks down on the face of the Jeshimon.[l] 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me these seven altars, and prepare for me these seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did just as Balaam said, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:12 Literally “Should I not observe to speak”
- Numbers 23:15 Hebrew “He”
- Numbers 23:18 Literally “he lifted up”
- Numbers 23:21 Or “a blast”
- Numbers 23:21 Hebrew “him”
- Numbers 23:22 Or “like the horns”
- Numbers 23:22 Hebrew “him”
- Numbers 23:23 Or “At the right time”
- Numbers 23:25 Hebrew “him”
- Numbers 23:25 Hebrew “him”
- Numbers 23:27 Literally “it will be right in the eyes of”
- Numbers 23:28 Or “the wasteland”
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