Balak Summons Balaam

22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab(A) and camped along the Jordan(B) across from Jericho.(C)

Now Balak son of Zippor(D) saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread(E) because of the Israelites.

The Moabites(F) said to the elders of Midian,(G) “This horde is going to lick up everything(H) around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.(I)

So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor,(J) who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River,(K) in his native land. Balak said:

“A people has come out of Egypt;(L) they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse(M) on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.(N) For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”

The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination.(O) When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.

“Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.(P)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.

God came to Balaam(Q) and asked,(R) “Who are these men with you?”

10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”

12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.(S)

13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said:

“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely(T) and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse(U) on these people for me.”

18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.(V) 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.(W)

20 That night God came to Balaam(X) and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”(Y)

Balaam’s Donkey

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry(Z) when he went, and the angel of the Lord(AA) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword(AB) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it(AC) to get it back on the road.

24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.

26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry(AD) and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,(AE) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?(AF)

29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.(AG)

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,(AH) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now,(AI) but I would have spared it.”

34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.(AJ) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

36 When Balak(AK) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon(AL) border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”

38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(AM)

39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,(AN) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(AO) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(AP)

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(AQ) for me.” Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(AR)

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(AS) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

God met with him,(AT) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(AU) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(AV)

So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(AW) Then Balaam(AX) spoke his message:(AY)

“Balak brought me from Aram,(AZ)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(BA)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’(BB)
How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?(BC)
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?(BD)
From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.(BE)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(BF)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(BG)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(BH)
    and may my final end be like theirs!(BI)

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(BJ) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(BK)

12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(BL)

Balaam’s Second Message

13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(BM) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(BN) And from there, curse them for me.(BO) 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(BP) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(BQ)

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(BR) 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.(BS) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

18 Then he spoke his message:(BT)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.(BU)
19 God is not human,(BV) that he should lie,(BW)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.(BX)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise(BY) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(BZ)
    he has blessed,(CA) and I cannot change it.(CB)

21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(CC)
    no misery observed[b] in Israel.(CD)
The Lord their God is with them;(CE)
    the shout of the King(CF) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(CG)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.(CH)
23 There is no divination against[c] Jacob,
    no evil omens(CI) against[d] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(CJ)
    they rouse themselves like a lion(CK)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood(CL) 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?”(CM)

Balaam’s Third Message

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(CN) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(CO) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(CP) 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.(CQ)

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(CR) he did not resort to divination(CS) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(CT) When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(CU) and he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(CV)
the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(CW)
    who sees a vision from the Almighty,[e](CX)
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

“How beautiful are your tents,(CY) Jacob,
    your dwelling places, Israel!

“Like valleys they spread out,
    like gardens beside a river,(CZ)
like aloes(DA) planted by the Lord,
    like cedars beside the waters.(DB)
Water will flow from their buckets;
    their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;(DC)
    their kingdom will be exalted.(DD)

“God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
    and break their bones in pieces;(DE)
    with their arrows they pierce them.(DF)
Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
    like a lioness(DG)—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed(DH)
    and those who curse you be cursed!”(DI)

10 Then Balak’s anger burned(DJ) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(DK) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(DL) but you have blessed them(DM) these three times.(DN) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(DO) I said I would reward you handsomely,(DP) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(DQ) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(DR)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(DS) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(DT)

Balaam’s Fourth Message

15 Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
    the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(DU) of God,
    who has knowledge from the Most High,(DV)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
    who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

17 “I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.(DW)
A star will come out of Jacob;(DX)
    a scepter will rise out of Israel.(DY)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(DZ)
    the skulls[f](EA) of[g] all the people of Sheth.[h]
18 Edom(EB) will be conquered;
    Seir,(EC) his enemy, will be conquered,(ED)
    but Israel(EE) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(EF)
    and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(EG) and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
    but their end will be utter destruction.”(EH)

Balaam’s Sixth Message

21 Then he saw the Kenites(EI) and spoke his message:

“Your dwelling place is secure,(EJ)
    your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
    when Ashur(EK) takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

23 Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[i]
24     Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;(EL)
they will subdue Ashur(EM) and Eber,(EN)
    but they too will come to ruin.(EO)

25 Then Balaam(EP) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,(EQ) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality(ER) with Moabite(ES) women,(ET) who invited them to the sacrifices(EU) to their gods.(EV) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to(EW) the Baal of Peor.(EX) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders(EY) of these people, kill them and expose(EZ) them in broad daylight before the Lord,(FA) so that the Lord’s fierce anger(FB) may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death(FC) those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”(FD)

Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite(FE) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping(FF) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas(FG) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear(FH) in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;(FI) but those who died in the plague(FJ) numbered 24,000.(FK)

10 The Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.(FL) Since he was as zealous for my honor(FM) among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace(FN) with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood,(FO) because he was zealous(FP) for the honor(FQ) of his God and made atonement(FR) for the Israelites.”(FS)

14 The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman(FT) was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.(FU) 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi(FV) daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.(FW)

16 The Lord said to Moses,(FX) 17 “Treat the Midianites(FY) as enemies(FZ) and kill them.(GA) 18 They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident(GB) involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

The Second Census

26 After the plague(GC) the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, “Take a census(GD) of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army(GE) of Israel.” So on the plains of Moab(GF) by the Jordan across from Jericho,(GG) Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, “Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:(GH)

The descendants of Reuben,(GI) the firstborn son of Israel, were:

through Hanok,(GJ) the Hanokite clan;

through Pallu,(GK) the Palluite clan;

through Hezron,(GL) the Hezronite clan;

through Karmi,(GM) the Karmite clan.

These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730.

The son of Pallu was Eliab, and the sons of Eliab(GN) were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community(GO) officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the Lord.(GP) 10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them(GQ) along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men.(GR) And they served as a warning sign.(GS) 11 The line of Korah,(GT) however, did not die out.(GU)

12 The descendants of Simeon by their clans were:

through Nemuel,(GV) the Nemuelite clan;

through Jamin,(GW) the Jaminite clan;

through Jakin, the Jakinite clan;

13 through Zerah,(GX) the Zerahite clan;

through Shaul, the Shaulite clan.

14 These were the clans of Simeon;(GY) those numbered were 22,200.(GZ)

15 The descendants of Gad by their clans were:

through Zephon,(HA) the Zephonite clan;

through Haggi, the Haggite clan;

through Shuni, the Shunite clan;

16 through Ozni, the Oznite clan;

through Eri, the Erite clan;

17 through Arodi,[j] the Arodite clan;

through Areli, the Arelite clan.

18 These were the clans of Gad;(HB) those numbered were 40,500.

19 Er(HC) and Onan(HD) were sons of Judah, but they died(HE) in Canaan.

20 The descendants of Judah by their clans were:

through Shelah,(HF) the Shelanite clan;

through Perez,(HG) the Perezite clan;

through Zerah, the Zerahite clan.(HH)

21 The descendants of Perez(HI) were:

through Hezron,(HJ) the Hezronite clan;

through Hamul, the Hamulite clan.

22 These were the clans of Judah;(HK) those numbered were 76,500.

23 The descendants of Issachar by their clans were:

through Tola,(HL) the Tolaite clan;

through Puah, the Puite[k] clan;

24 through Jashub,(HM) the Jashubite clan;

through Shimron, the Shimronite clan.

25 These were the clans of Issachar;(HN) those numbered were 64,300.

26 The descendants of Zebulun(HO) by their clans were:

through Sered, the Seredite clan;

through Elon, the Elonite clan;

through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan.

27 These were the clans of Zebulun;(HP) those numbered were 60,500.

28 The descendants of Joseph(HQ) by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim(HR) were:

29 The descendants of Manasseh:(HS)

through Makir,(HT) the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead(HU));

through Gilead, the Gileadite clan.

30 These were the descendants of Gilead:(HV)

through Iezer,(HW) the Iezerite clan;

through Helek, the Helekite clan;

31 through Asriel, the Asrielite clan;

through Shechem, the Shechemite clan;

32 through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan;

through Hepher, the Hepherite clan.

33 (Zelophehad(HX) son of Hepher had no sons;(HY) he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.)(HZ)

34 These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700.(IA)

35 These were the descendants of Ephraim(IB) by their clans:

through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan;

through Beker, the Bekerite clan;

through Tahan, the Tahanite clan.

36 These were the descendants of Shuthelah:

through Eran, the Eranite clan.

37 These were the clans of Ephraim;(IC) those numbered were 32,500.

These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.

38 The descendants of Benjamin(ID) by their clans were:

through Bela, the Belaite clan;

through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan;

through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan;

39 through Shupham,[l] the Shuphamite clan;

through Hupham, the Huphamite clan.

40 The descendants of Bela through Ard(IE) and Naaman were:

through Ard,[m] the Ardite clan;

through Naaman, the Naamite clan.

41 These were the clans of Benjamin;(IF) those numbered were 45,600.

42 These were the descendants of Dan(IG) by their clans:(IH)

through Shuham,(II) the Shuhamite clan.

These were the clans of Dan: 43 All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400.

44 The descendants of Asher(IJ) by their clans were:

through Imnah, the Imnite clan;

through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan;

through Beriah, the Beriite clan;

45 and through the descendants of Beriah:

through Heber, the Heberite clan;

through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan.

46 (Asher had a daughter named Serah.)

47 These were the clans of Asher;(IK) those numbered were 53,400.

48 The descendants of Naphtali(IL) by their clans were:

through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan;

through Guni, the Gunite clan;

49 through Jezer, the Jezerite clan;

through Shillem, the Shillemite clan.

50 These were the clans of Naphtali;(IM) those numbered were 45,400.(IN)

51 The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.(IO)

52 The Lord said to Moses, 53 “The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names.(IP) 54 To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number(IQ) of those listed.(IR) 55 Be sure that the land is distributed by lot.(IS) What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. 56 Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.”

57 These were the Levites(IT) who were counted by their clans:

through Gershon, the Gershonite clan;

through Kohath, the Kohathite clan;

through Merari, the Merarite clan.

58 These also were Levite clans:

the Libnite clan,

the Hebronite clan,

the Mahlite clan,

the Mushite clan,

the Korahite clan.

(Kohath was the forefather of Amram;(IU) 59 the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed,(IV) a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites[n] in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses(IW) and their sister(IX) Miriam.(IY) 60 Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.(IZ) 61 But Nadab and Abihu(JA) died when they made an offering before the Lord with unauthorized fire.)(JB)

62 All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000.(JC) They were not counted(JD) along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance(JE) among them.(JF)

63 These are the ones counted(JG) by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab(JH) by the Jordan across from Jericho.(JI) 64 Not one of them was among those counted(JJ) by Moses and Aaron(JK) the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness,(JL) and not one of them was left except Caleb(JM) son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.(JN)

Zelophehad’s Daughters(JO)

27 The daughters of Zelophehad(JP) son of Hepher,(JQ) the son of Gilead,(JR) the son of Makir,(JS) the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward and stood before Moses,(JT) Eleazar the priest, the leaders(JU) and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting(JV) and said, “Our father died in the wilderness.(JW) He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord,(JX) but he died for his own sin and left no sons.(JY) Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

So Moses brought their case(JZ) before the Lord,(KA) and the Lord said to him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance(KB) among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.(KC)

“Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law(KD) for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

Joshua to Succeed Moses

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain(KE) in the Abarim Range(KF) and see the land(KG) I have given the Israelites.(KH) 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people,(KI) as your brother Aaron(KJ) was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin,(KK) both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy(KL) before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah(KM) Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things,(KN) appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”(KO)

18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[o](KP) and lay your hand on him.(KQ) 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him(KR) in their presence.(KS) 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.(KT) 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring(KU) of the Urim(KV) before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him,(KW) as the Lord instructed through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  2. Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
  3. Numbers 23:23 Or in
  4. Numbers 23:23 Or in
  5. Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
  6. Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
  7. Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
  8. Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
  9. Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
  10. Numbers 26:17 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also Gen. 46:16); Masoretic Text Arod
  11. Numbers 26:23 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text through Puvah, the Punite
  12. Numbers 26:39 A few manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Shephupham
  13. Numbers 26:40 Samaritan Pentateuch and Vulgate (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have through Ard.
  14. Numbers 26:59 Or Jochebed, a daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi
  15. Numbers 27:18 Or the Spirit

22 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.

And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?

10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.

20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.

37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?

38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.

40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.

23 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder.

16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?

18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward jeshimon.

29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

24 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.

12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,

13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?

14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

25 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.

And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;

And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:

13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.

16 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

26 And it came to pass after the plague, that the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.

Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:

Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.

And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord:

10 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.

11 Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.

12 The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites: of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites:

13 Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.

15 The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:

16 Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites:

17 Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18 These are the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.

19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

20 And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

21 And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22 These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.

23 Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites:

24 Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25 These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.

26 Of the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.

28 The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.

29 Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.

30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:

31 And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:

32 And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.

38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites:

39 Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40 And the sons of Bela were ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites: and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred.

42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.

44 Of the children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.

47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

48 Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:

49 Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.

51 These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

54 To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.

55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

56 According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.

57 And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.

59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60 And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord.

62 And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.

10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.

11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.

12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

15 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying,

16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

18 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Balak Sends for Balaam

22 Then (A)the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

Now (B)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And (C)Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. So Moab said to (D)the elders of Midian, “Now this company will [a]lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. Then (E)he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at (F)Pethor, which is near [b]the River in the land of [c]the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! (G)Therefore please come at once, (H)curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with (I)the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. And he said to them, (J)“Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

(K)Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

10 So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”

12 And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for (L)they are blessed.”

13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

14 And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more [d]honorable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 17 for I will certainly (M)honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. (N)Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, (O)“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, (P)I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, please, you also (Q)stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

20 (R)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but (S)only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 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, (T)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 (U)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 (V)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 [e]abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, (W)for now I would kill you!”

30 (X)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 [f]disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

31 Then the Lord (Y)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 [g]to stand against you, because your way is (Z)perverse[h] 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, (AA)“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it [i]displeases You, I will turn back.”

35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, (AB)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, (AC)he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, (AD)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 (AE)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? (AF)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 (AG)high places of Baal, that from there he might observe [j]the extent of the people.

The Prophecies of Balaam

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, (AH)“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam (AI)offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak, (AJ)“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come (AK)to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. (AL)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.”

Then the Lord (AM)put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

And he (AN)took up his [k]oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
(AO)‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, (AP)denounce Israel!’

“How(AQ) shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! (AR)A people dwelling alone,
(AS)Not reckoning itself among the nations.

10 “Who(AT) can count the [l]dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die (AU)the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (AV)I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

12 So he answered and said, (AW)“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, (AX)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 [m]meet the Lord over there.”

16 Then the Lord met Balaam, and (AY)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:

(AZ)“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 “God(BA) is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He (BB)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;
(BC)He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 “He(BD) has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen [n]wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
(BE)And the shout of a King is among them.
22 (BF)God brings them out of Egypt;
He has (BG)strength like a wild ox.

23 “For there is no [o]sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any [p]divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, (BH)what God has done!’
24 Look, a people rises (BI)like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
(BJ)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, (BK)‘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 (BL)overlooks the [q]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.

Balaam Foretells the Happiness of Israel

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at (BM)other times, to seek to use [r]sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel (BN)encamped according to their tribes; and (BO)the Spirit of God came upon him.

(BP)Then he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who (BQ)falls down, with eyes wide open:

“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
(BR)Like aloes (BS)planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be (BT)in many waters.

“His king shall be higher than (BU)Agag,
And his (BV)kingdom shall be exalted.

“God(BW) brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall (BX)consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall (BY)break their bones
And (BZ)pierce them with his arrows.
‘He(CA) bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

(CB)“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he (CC)struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, (CD)“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. (CE)I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? 14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, (CF)I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the (CG)latter days.”

Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy

15 So he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
And has the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

17 “I(CH) see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
(CI)A Star shall come out of Jacob;
(CJ)A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And [s]batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of [t]tumult.

18 “And (CK)Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does [u]valiantly.
19 (CL)Out of Jacob One [v]shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city.”

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

23 Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from the coasts of (CM)Cyprus,[w]
And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict (CN)Eber,
And so shall [x]Amalek, until he perishes.”

25 So Balaam rose and departed and (CO)returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

25 Now Israel remained in (CP)Acacia Grove,[y] and the (CQ)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. (CR)They invited the people to (CS)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and (CT)bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and (CU)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

Then the Lord said to Moses, (CV)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, (CW)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to (CX)the judges of Israel, (CY)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, (CZ)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Now (DA)when Phinehas (DB)the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So (DC)the plague was (DD)stopped among the children of Israel. And (DE)those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 (DF)“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in (DG)My zeal. 12 Therefore say, (DH)‘Behold, I give to him My (DI)covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and (DJ)his descendants after him a covenant of (DK)an everlasting priesthood, because he was (DL)zealous for his God, and (DM)made [z]atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of (DN)Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 (DO)“Harass the Midianites, and [aa]attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their (DP)schemes[ab] by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

The Second Census of Israel

26 And it came to pass, after the (DQ)plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: (DR)“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel (DS)from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.” So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them (DT)in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying: Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the Lord (DU)commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”

(DV)Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These are the families of the Reubenites: those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. And the son of Pallu was Eliab. The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, (DW)representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord; 10 (DX)and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; (DY)and they became a sign. 11 Nevertheless (DZ)the children of Korah did not die.

12 The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of [ac]Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of [ad]Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of [ae]Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15 The sons of Gad according to their families were: of [af]Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 of [ag]Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of [ah]Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.

19 (EA)The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 And (EB)the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. 21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23 The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of [ai]Puah, the family of the [aj]Punites; 24 of [ak]Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26 (EC)The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.

28 (ED)The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim, were: 29 The sons of (EE)Manasseh: of (EF)Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: of [al]Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Now (EG)Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of [am]Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred.

These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

38 (EH)The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of (EI)Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of (EJ)Shupham,[an] the family of the Shuphamites; of [ao]Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 And the sons of Bela were [ap]Ard and Naaman: (EK)of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of [aq]Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44 (EL)The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48 (EM)The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of [ar]Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of (EN)Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

51 (EO)These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 53 (EP)“To these the land shall be (EQ)divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names. 54 (ER)To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them. 55 But the land shall be (ES)divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. 56 According to the lot their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller.”

57 (ET)And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was (EU)Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 (EV)To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 And (EW)Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the Lord.

62 (EX)Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and above; (EY)for they were not numbered among the other children of Israel, because there was (EZ)no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel.

63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel (FA)in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 64 (FB)But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the (FC)Wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, “They (FD)shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, (FE)except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Inheritance Laws

27 Then came the daughters of (FF)Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: “Our father (FG)died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, (FH)in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be (FI)removed[as] from among his family because he had no son? (FJ)Give us a [at]possession among our father’s brothers.”

So Moses (FK)brought their case before the Lord.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; (FL)you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel (FM)a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel(FN)

12 Now the Lord said to Moses: (FO)“Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it, you also (FP)shall [au]be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you (FQ)rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the (FR)waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 “Let the Lord, (FS)the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 (FT)who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be (FU)like sheep which have no shepherd.”

18 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man (FV)in whom is the Spirit, and (FW)lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and (FX)inaugurate[av] him in their sight. 20 And (FY)you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel (FZ)may be obedient. 21 (GA)He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him (GB)by the judgment of the Urim. (GC)At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him (GD)and [aw]inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 22:4 consume
  2. Numbers 22:5 The Euphrates
  3. Numbers 22:5 Or the people of Amau
  4. Numbers 22:15 distinguished
  5. Numbers 22:29 mocked
  6. Numbers 22:30 accustomed
  7. Numbers 22:32 as an adversary
  8. Numbers 22:32 contrary
  9. Numbers 22:34 Lit. is evil in your eyes
  10. Numbers 22:41 the farthest extent
  11. Numbers 23:7 prophetic discourse
  12. Numbers 23:10 Or dust cloud
  13. Numbers 23:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. call; LXX go and ask God
  14. Numbers 23:21 trouble
  15. Numbers 23:23 enchantment
  16. Numbers 23:23 fortune-telling
  17. Numbers 23:28 Heb. Jeshimon
  18. Numbers 24:1 enchantments
  19. Numbers 24:17 shatter the forehead
  20. Numbers 24:17 Heb. Sheth, Jer. 48:45
  21. Numbers 24:18 mightily
  22. Numbers 24:19 shall rule
  23. Numbers 24:24 Heb. Kittim
  24. Numbers 24:24 Lit. he or that one
  25. Numbers 25:1 Heb. Shittim
  26. Numbers 25:13 Lit. covering
  27. Numbers 25:17 be hostile toward
  28. Numbers 25:18 tricks
  29. Numbers 26:12 Jemuel, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15
  30. Numbers 26:12 Jarib, 1 Chr. 4:24
  31. Numbers 26:13 Zohar, Gen. 46:10
  32. Numbers 26:15 Ziphion, Gen. 46:16
  33. Numbers 26:16 Ezbon, Gen. 46:16
  34. Numbers 26:17 Sam., Syr. Arodi and Gen. 46:16
  35. Numbers 26:23 So with Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg.; Heb. Puvah, Gen. 46:13; 1 Chr. 7:1
  36. Numbers 26:23 Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg. Puaites
  37. Numbers 26:24 Job, Gen. 46:13
  38. Numbers 26:30 Abiezer, Josh. 17:2
  39. Numbers 26:35 Bered, 1 Chr. 7:20
  40. Numbers 26:39 MT Shephupham; Shephuphan, 1 Chr. 8:5
  41. Numbers 26:39 Huppim, Gen. 46:21
  42. Numbers 26:40 Addar, 1 Chr. 8:3
  43. Numbers 26:42 Hushim, Gen. 46:23
  44. Numbers 26:48 Jahziel, 1 Chr. 7:13
  45. Numbers 27:4 withdrawn
  46. Numbers 27:4 inheritance
  47. Numbers 27:13 Die and join your ancestors
  48. Numbers 27:19 commission
  49. Numbers 27:23 commissioned