Numbers 23
Common English Bible
23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay by your entirely burned offering. I will go and perhaps the Lord will grant me an appearance and speak. Whatever he shows me, I will tell you.” Then he went off to a high outlook.
4 God granted Balaam an appearance. Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and I have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.”
5 The Lord gave Balaam something to say, and said to him, “Return to Balak and say this.”
6 Balaam returned to him, while he and all the officials of Moab were standing next to his entirely burned offering. 7 Then he raised his voice and made his address:
“From Aram Balak led me,
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains.
Come, curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.
8 How can I curse
whom God hasn’t cursed?
How can I denounce
whom God hasn’t denounced?
9 From the top of the rocks I see him;
from the hills I gaze on him.
Here is a people living alone;
it doesn’t consider itself among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
or number a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of those who do right,
and let my end be like his.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemy. But now you’ve blessed him.”
12 He answered and said, “Don’t I have to take care to speak whatever the Lord gives me to say?”
Balaam’s second blessing of the Israelites
13 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me, please, to another place where you’ll see them. You’ll see only part of them. You won’t see all of them. Then curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your entirely burned offering, while I seek an appearance over there.”
16 The Lord granted Balaam an appearance and gave him a message. He said, “Return to Balak and say this.”
17 Balaam approached Balak, who was standing by his entirely burned offering with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then Balaam raised his voice and made his address:
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me out, Zippor’s son.
19 God isn’t a man that he would lie,
or a human being that he would change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and not done it,
or promised and not fulfilled it?
20 I received a blessing, and he blessed.
I can’t take it back.
21 He hasn’t envisioned misfortune for Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble for Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
proclaimed as his king.
22 God, who brought them out of Egypt,
is like a magnificent wild bull for him.
23 There is no omen against Jacob,
no divination against Israel.
Instantly it is told to Jacob,
and to Israel, what God performs.
24 A people now rises like a lioness,
like a lion it stands up.
It doesn’t lie down until it eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them or bless them.”
26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘I’ll do whatever the Lord tells me to’?”
Balaam’s third blessing of the Israelites
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Please come and I’ll take you to another place. Perhaps God will prefer it, so that you could curse him for me from there.”
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon.[a] 29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:28 Or wasteland
民数记 23
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
巴勒和巴兰献祭
23 巴兰对巴勒说：“你要在这里给我筑七座祭坛，给我预备七头公牛，七只公绵羊。” 2 巴勒照着巴兰吩咐的行了；巴勒和巴兰在每座祭坛上献一头公牛和一只公绵羊。 3 巴兰对巴勒说：“你要站在你的燔祭旁边，我要往前去，或者耶和华会来迎见我；他指示我甚么，我必告诉你。”于是巴兰上了一块高地。 4 神迎见巴兰；巴兰对 神说：“我已经预备了七座祭坛，在各座祭坛上献了一头公牛和一只公绵羊。” 5 耶和华把话传给巴兰，又说：“你要回到巴勒那里去，要这样这样说。” 6 他就回到巴勒那里，见他和摩押所有的领袖都站在燔祭旁边。
巴兰第一次预言
7 巴兰就作歌，说：
“巴勒把我从亚兰领出来，
摩押王引我出东山，说：
‘来吧，为我咒骂雅各，
来啊，咒骂以色列。’
8 神没有咒诅的，我怎能咒诅呢？
耶和华没有咒骂的，我怎能咒骂呢？
9 我从高峰观看他们，
从山上眺望他们；
这是独居的民族，
不列在万国之中。
10 谁能数算雅各的灰尘？
谁能计算以色列的四分之一呢？
愿我的死像正直人的死，
愿我之终如正直人之终。”
11 巴勒对巴兰说：“你向我作的是甚么事呢？我领你来咒诅我的仇敌，你反倒给他们祝福。” 12 巴兰回答，说：“耶和华传给我的话，我怎能不谨慎说呢？”
13 巴勒对巴兰说：“请你与我到另一个地方去，从那里你可以看见他们；不过你不能看见他们全部，只能看见他们边界的一部分；在那里你要为我咒诅他们。” 14 于是巴勒带巴兰到了琐腓田，上了毘斯迦山顶，筑了七座祭坛，在每座祭坛上献了一头公牛和一只公绵羊。 15 巴兰对巴勒说：“你要在这里站在你的燔祭旁边，等我到那边去迎见耶和华。” 16 耶和华见了巴兰，把话传给他，说：“你回到巴勒那里去，要这样这样说。” 17 巴兰回到巴勒那里，见他站在自己的燔祭旁边，摩押的领袖也与他在那里。巴勒问巴兰：“耶和华说了甚么话呢？”
巴兰第二次预言
18 巴兰作歌，说：
“巴勒啊，要起来听；
西拨的儿子啊，侧耳听我。
19 神不是人，必不致说谎，
也不是人子，必不致后悔。
他说话，怎能不作？
他发言，怎能不作成？
20 我奉命来祝福；
神要赐福，我不能改变。
21 在雅各中不见罪孽，
在以色列中也不见患难；
耶和华他们的 神与他们同在，
有君王欢呼的声音在他们中间。
22 领他们出埃及的 神，
对他们有如野牛的角。
23 在雅各中没有观兆的，
在以色列中也没有占卜；
到了适当的时候，必有话对雅各和以色列说：
‘ 神为他们行了何等的大事！’
24 这民族起来有如母狮，
挺身好象公狮；
不吃下猎物，不喝被杀的人的血，
决不卧下。”
25 巴勒对巴兰说：“你一点不要咒诅他们，也不要祝福他们。” 26 巴兰回答巴勒说：“我不是告诉过你说：‘耶和华吩咐我的，我都必要遵行’吗？”
27 巴勒对巴兰说：“你来，我领你到另一个地方去，或者 神喜欢你，你就可以在那里为我咒诅他们。” 28 于是，巴勒领巴兰到了俯视旷野的毘珥山顶去。 29 巴兰对巴勒说：“你要在这里给我筑七座祭坛，也要为我预备七头公牛和七只公绵羊。” 30 巴勒就照着巴兰所说的行了，在每座祭坛上，献上一头公牛和一只公绵羊。
Numbers 23
New King James Version
The Prophecies of Balaam
23 Then Balaam said to Balak, (A)“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam (B)offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, (C)“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come (D)to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. 4 (E)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.”
5 Then the Lord (F)put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he (G)took up his [a]oracle and said:
“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
(H)‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, (I)denounce Israel!’
8 “How(J) shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! (K)A people dwelling alone,
(L)Not reckoning itself among the nations.
10 “Who(M) can count the [b]dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die (N)the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (O)I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”
12 So he answered and said, (P)“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, (Q)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 [c]meet the Lord over there.”
16 Then the Lord met Balaam, and (R)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:
(S)“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 “God(T) is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He (U)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;
(V)He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 “He(W) has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen [d]wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
(X)And the shout of a King is among them.
22 (Y)God brings them out of Egypt;
He has (Z)strength like a wild ox.
23 “For there is no [e]sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any [f]divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, (AA)what God has done!’
24 Look, a people rises (AB)like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
(AC)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, (AD)‘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 (AE)overlooks the [g]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.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:7 prophetic discourse
- Numbers 23:10 Or dust cloud
- Numbers 23:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. call; LXX go and ask God
- Numbers 23:21 trouble
- Numbers 23:23 enchantment
- Numbers 23:23 fortune-telling
- Numbers 23:28 Heb. Jeshimon
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
