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Numbers 22:41-23:12
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Numbers 22:41-23:12
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Balaam’s First Oracle
41 And on the morrow Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamothba′al; and from there he saw the nearest of the people. 23 1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and provide for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. 3 And 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.” And he went to a bare height. 4 And God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bull and a ram.” 5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 And he returned to him, and lo, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7 And Balaam took up his discourse, and said,
“From Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the mountains I see him,
from the hills I behold him;
lo, a people dwelling alone,
and not reckoning itself among the nations!
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number the fourth part[a] of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
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 behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” 12 And he answered, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:10 Or dust clouds
Numbers 22:41-23:12
New International Version
Numbers 22:41-23:12
New International Version
41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(A) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(B)
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(C) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(D)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(E) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(F) 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(G) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(H)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(I) 7 Then Balaam(J) spoke his message:(K)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(L)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(M)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(N)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(O)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(P)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(Q)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(R)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(S)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(T)
and may my final end be like theirs!(U)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(V) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(W)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(X)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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