Números 22
La Biblia de las Américas
Balac y Balaam
22 Después partieron los hijos de Israel y acamparon en las llanuras de Moab, al otro lado del Jordán, frente a Jericó(A).
2 Y Balac(B), hijo de Zipor, vio todo lo que Israel había hecho a los amorreos. 3 Entonces Moab tuvo mucho temor(C) a causa del pueblo, porque eran muchos; y Moab tuvo miedo ante los hijos de Israel. 4 Y Moab dijo a los ancianos de Madián(D): Esta multitud lamerá todo lo que hay a nuestro derredor, como el buey lame la hierba del campo. Y en aquel tiempo Balac, hijo de Zipor, era rey de Moab. 5 Y envió mensajeros a Balaam, hijo de Beor(E), en Petor(F), que está cerca del río[a], en la tierra de los hijos de su pueblo, para llamarlo, diciendo: Mira, un pueblo salió de Egipto y he aquí, cubren la faz de la tierra y habitan frente a mí. 6 Ven ahora, te ruego(G), y maldíceme a este pueblo(H) porque es demasiado poderoso[b] para mí; quizá pueda derrotarlos[c] y echarlos de la tierra. Porque yo sé que a quien tú bendices es bendecido, y a quien tú maldices es maldecido.
7 Y los ancianos de Moab y los ancianos de Madián fueron con el precio de la adivinación(I) en la mano; y llegaron a Balaam, y le repitieron[d] las palabras de Balac. 8 Y él les dijo: Pasad la noche aquí y yo os traeré palabra según lo que el Señor me diga. Y los jefes de Moab se quedaron con Balaam. 9 Entonces Dios(J) vino a Balaam y le dijo: ¿Quiénes son estos hombres que están contigo? 10 Y Balaam dijo a Dios: Balac, hijo de Zipor, rey de Moab, me ha enviado un mensaje: 11 «Mira, el pueblo que salió de Egipto cubre la faz de la tierra; ven ahora, maldícemelos; quizá yo pueda pelear contra ellos y expulsarlos». 12 Y Dios dijo a Balaam: No vayas con ellos; no maldecirás(K) al pueblo, porque es bendito(L). 13 Balaam se levantó de mañana y dijo a los jefes de Balac: Volved a vuestra tierra, porque el Señor ha rehusado dejarme ir con vosotros. 14 Y los jefes de Moab se levantaron y volvieron a Balac, y le dijeron: Balaam rehusó venir con nosotros.
15 Entonces Balac envió jefes otra vez, más numerosos y más distinguidos que los anteriores[e]. 16 Y fueron a Balaam, y le dijeron: Así dice Balac, hijo de Zipor: «Te ruego que no rehúses venir a mí; 17 porque en verdad te honraré en gran manera, y haré cualquier cosa que me digas. Ven, pues, te ruego, y maldíceme a este pueblo(M)». 18 Y Balaam respondió, y dijo a los siervos de Balac: Aunque Balac me diera su casa llena de plata y oro, yo no podría traspasar el mandamiento[f] del Señor mi Dios(N) para hacer ni poco ni mucho[g]. 19 Pero, os ruego que permanezcáis aquí también esta noche, y sabré qué más me dice el Señor. 20 Y Dios vino a Balaam de noche, y le dijo: Si los hombres han venido a llamarte, levántate y ve con ellos; pero solo dirás[h] la palabra que yo te hable(O).
21 Y Balaam se levantó muy de mañana, aparejó su asna y se fue con los jefes de Moab(P). 22 Pero Dios se airó porque él iba, y el ángel(Q) del Señor se puso en el camino como un adversario contra él. Y Balaam iba montado sobre su asna, y sus dos sirvientes con él. 23 Cuando el asna vio al ángel del Señor de pie en el camino con la espada desenvainada en la mano, el asna se salió del camino y se fue por medio del campo; pero Balaam golpeó el asna para hacerla volver al camino. 24 Entonces el ángel del Señor se puso en una senda estrecha de los viñedos, con una pared a un lado y otra pared al otro lado. 25 Al ver el asna al ángel del Señor, se pegó contra la pared y presionó el pie de Balaam contra la pared; entonces él la golpeó otra vez. 26 Y el ángel del Señor se fue más lejos, y se puso en un sitio estrecho donde no había manera de volverse ni a la derecha ni a la izquierda. 27 Y viendo el asna al ángel del Señor, se echó debajo de Balaam; y Balaam se enojó y golpeó al asna con su palo. 28 Entonces el Señor abrió la boca del asna(R), la cual dijo a Balaam: ¿Qué te he hecho yo que me has golpeado estas tres veces? 29 Y Balaam respondió al asna: Porque te has burlado de mí. Ojalá tuviera una espada en mi mano, que ahora mismo te mataba(S). 30 Y el asna dijo a Balaam: ¿No soy yo tu asna, y sobre mí has cabalgado toda tu vida hasta hoy? ¿He tenido la costumbre de portarme así contigo? Y él dijo: No.
31 Entonces el Señor abrió los ojos de Balaam, y él vio al ángel del Señor de pie en el camino, con la espada desenvainada en su mano, e inclinándose, se postró rostro en tierra(T); 32 y el ángel del Señor le dijo: ¿Por qué has golpeado a tu asna estas tres veces? Mira, yo he salido como adversario, porque tu camino me era contrario[i](U); 33 pero el asna me vio y se apartó de mí estas tres veces. Si no se hubiera apartado de mí, ciertamente yo te hubiera matado ahora mismo, y a ella la hubiera dejado vivir. 34 Y Balaam dijo al ángel del Señor: He pecado(V), pues no sabía que tú estabas en el camino para enfrentarte a mí. Pero ahora, si te desagrada, me volveré. 35 El ángel del Señor respondió a Balaam: Ve con los hombres, pero hablarás solo la palabra que yo te diga(W). Y Balaam se fue con los jefes de Balac.
36 Al oír Balac que Balaam se acercaba[j], salió a recibirlo en una ciudad de Moab, que está sobre la frontera del Arnón, al[k] extremo de la frontera. 37 Entonces Balac dijo a Balaam: ¿No envié a llamarte con urgencia? ¿Por qué no viniste a mí? ¿Acaso no soy capaz de honrarte? 38 Balaam respondió a Balac: Mira, ahora he venido a ti. ¿Hay algo, acaso, que pueda decir? La palabra que Dios ponga en mi boca, esa diré(X). 39 Balaam fue con Balac, y llegaron a Quiriat-huzot. 40 Y Balac sacrificó bueyes y ovejas, y envió algunos a Balaam y a los jefes que estaban con él.
41 Y sucedió que a la mañana siguiente, Balac tomó a Balaam y lo hizo subir a los lugares altos de Baal[l](Y), y desde allí vio un extremo del pueblo(Z).
Footnotes
- Números 22:5 I.e., el Eufrates
- Números 22:6 Lit., numeroso
- Números 22:6 Lit., herirlos
- Números 22:7 Lit., hablaron
- Números 22:15 Lit., estos
- Números 22:18 Lit., la boca
- Números 22:18 Lit., ni pequeño ni grande
- Números 22:20 Lit., harás
- Números 22:32 O, perverso
- Números 22:36 Lit., venía
- Números 22:36 Lit., la cual está en el
- Números 22:41 O, a Bamot-baal
Numbers 22
Good News Translation
The King of Moab Sends for Balaam
22 The Israelites moved on and set up camp in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and opposite Jericho.
2 When the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, heard what the Israelites had done to the Amorites and how many Israelites there were, 3 he and all his people became terrified. 4 The Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, “This horde will soon destroy everything around us, like a bull eating the grass in a pasture.” So King Balak 5 (A)sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor near the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw. They brought him this message from Balak: “I want you to know that a whole nation has come from Egypt; its people are spreading out everywhere and threatening to take over our land. 6 They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then perhaps we will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.”
7 So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message. 8 Balaam said to them, “Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the Lord tells me.” So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam.
9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these people that are staying with you?”
10 He answered, “King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me 11 that a people who came from Egypt has spread out over the whole land. He wants me to curse them for him, so that he can fight them and drive them out.”
12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not put a curse on the people of Israel, because they have my blessing.”
13 The next morning Balaam went to Balak's messengers and said, “Go back home; the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So they returned to Balak and told him that Balaam had refused to come with them.
15 Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first. 16 They went to Balaam and gave him this message from Balak: “Please don't let anything prevent you from coming to me! 17 I will reward you richly and do anything you say. Please come and curse these people for me.”
18 But Balaam answered, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not disobey the command of the Lord my God in even the smallest matter. 19 But please spend the night, as the others did, so that I may learn whether or not the Lord has something else to tell me.”
20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “If these men have come to ask you to go with them, get ready and go, but do only what I tell you.” 21 So the next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite leaders.
Balaam and His Donkey
22 God was angry that Balaam was going, and as Balaam was riding along on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants, the angel of the Lord stood in the road to bar his way. 23 When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back onto the road. 24 Then the angel stood where the road narrowed between two vineyards and had a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel, it moved over against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. Again Balaam beat the donkey. 26 Once more the angel moved ahead; he stood in a narrow place where there was no room at all to pass on either side. 27 This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down. Balaam lost his temper and began to beat the donkey with his stick. 28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the power of speech, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered, “Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you.”
30 The donkey replied, “Am I not the same donkey on which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever treated you like this before?”
“No,” he answered.
31 Then the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword; and Balaam threw himself face downward on the ground. 32 The angel demanded, “Why have you beaten your donkey three times like this? I have come to bar your way, because you should not be making this journey.[a] 33 But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn't, I would have killed you and spared the donkey.”
34 Balaam replied, “I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me; but now if you think it is wrong for me to go on, I will return home.”
35 But the angel said, “Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with them.
Balak Welcomes Balaam
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at Ar, a city on the Arnon River at the border of Moab. 37 Balak said to him, “Why didn't you come when I sent for you the first time? Did you think I wasn't able to reward you enough?”
38 Balaam answered, “I came, didn't I? But now, what power do I have? I can say only what God tells me to say.” 39 So Balaam went with Balak to the town of Huzoth, 40 where Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
Balaam's First Prophecy
41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, from where Balaam could see a part of the people of Israel.
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:32 Probable text you should … journey; Hebrew unclear.
Numbers 22
Legacy Standard Bible
Balak Sends for Balaam
22 (A)Then the sons of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.
2 And (B)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 (C)So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. 4 Then Moab said to the elders of (D)Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5 So he sent messengers to (E)Balaam the son of Beor, at (F)Pethor, which is near the [a]River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are settled opposite me. 6 (G)So now, please come, (H)curse this people for me since they are too [b]mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went away with the fees for (I)divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke Balak’s words to him. 8 And he said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 Then (J)God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, 11 ‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’” 12 And God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; (K)you shall not curse the people, for they (L)are blessed.” 13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for Yahweh has refused to allow me to go with you.” 14 And the leaders of Moab arose and came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to go with us.”
15 Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more [c]honorable than [d]the former. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, withhold you from coming to me; 17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. (M)Please come then, curse this people for me.’” 18 And Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “(N)Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, to trespass the [e]command of Yahweh my God. 19 So now, please, you also stay here tonight, and I will know what else Yahweh will speak to me.” 20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but (O)only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”
21 (P)So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.
Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel
22 But God was angry because he was going, (Q)so the angel of Yahweh took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two young men were with him. 23 Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; so Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back into the way. 24 Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and it pressed itself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck it again. 26 And the angel of Yahweh passed on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. 27 Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh and lay down under Balaam; so (R)Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. 28 And (S)Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, (T)I would have killed you by now.” 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw (U)the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head down [f]and prostrated himself to the ground. 32 And the angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary because your way was [g](V)contrary to me. 33 And the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If it had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let it live.” 34 And Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “(W)I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. So now, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” 35 But the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but (X)you shall speak only the word which I [h]tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
36 Then Balak heard that Balaam was coming and went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, [i]at the end of the border. 37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I indeed unable to honor you?” 38 So Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come now to you! (Y)Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.” 39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.
41 Then it happened in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to [j](Z)the high places of Baal, and he saw from there the (AA)end of the camp of the people.
Footnotes
- Numbers 22:5 The Euphrates River
- Numbers 22:6 Or numerous
- Numbers 22:15 Or distinguished
- Numbers 22:15 Lit these
- Numbers 22:18 Lit mouth
- Numbers 22:31 Lit and prostrated himself to his nose
- Numbers 22:32 Lit reckless
- Numbers 22:35 Or speak to
- Numbers 22:36 Lit which is at
- Numbers 22:41 Or Bamoth-baal
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