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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.

Balaam’s First Message

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

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

God met with him,(D) 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(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(F)

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

“Balak brought me from Aram,(J)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(K)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’(L)
How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?(M)
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?(N)
From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.(O)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(P)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(Q)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(R)
    and may my final end be like theirs!(S)

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

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

Balaam’s Second Message

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

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(AB) 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.(AC) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

18 Then he spoke his message:(AD)

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.(AE)
19 God is not human,(AF) that he should lie,(AG)
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AH)
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise(AI) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(AJ)
    he has blessed,(AK) and I cannot change it.(AL)

21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(AM)
    no misery observed[a] in Israel.(AN)
The Lord their God is with them;(AO)
    the shout of the King(AP) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(AQ)
    they have the strength of a wild ox.(AR)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens(AS) against[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(AT)
    they rouse themselves like a lion(AU)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood(AV) 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?”(AW)

Balaam’s Third Message

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

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
  2. Numbers 23:23 Or in
  3. Numbers 23:23 Or in

Ang Unang Talinghaga ni Balaam

23 Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Ipagtayo mo ako rito ng pitong dambana, at ipaghanda mo ako ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa.”

Ginawa nga ni Balak ang sinabi ni Balaam. Sina Balak at Balaam ay naghandog sa bawat dambana ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa.

Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Tumayo ka sa tabi ng iyong handog na sinusunog at ako'y aalis. Baka sakaling pumarito ang Panginoon upang salubungin ako at anumang bagay na kanyang ipakita sa akin ay sasabihin ko sa iyo.” Siya'y dumating sa isang dakong mataas na walang tanim.

At sinalubong ng Diyos si Balaam at sinabi sa kanya, “Aking inihanda ang pitong dambana, at inihandog ang isang toro at isang lalaking tupa para sa bawat dambana.”

Nilagyan ng Panginoon ng salita ang bibig ni Balaam at sinabi, “Bumalik ka kay Balak, at ganito ang iyong sasabihin.”

Siya'y bumalik kay Balak na nakatayo sa tabi ng kanyang handog na sinusunog kasama ang lahat ng mga pinuno ng Moab.

At binigkas ni Balaam[a] ang kanyang talinghaga, na sinasabi,

“Mula sa Aram ay dinala ako rito ni Balak,
    na hari ng Moab, mula sa mga bundok ng silangan.
Pumarito ka, sumpain mo para sa akin ang Jacob.
    Pumarito ka, laitin mo ang Israel.
Paano ko susumpain ang hindi sinumpa ng Diyos?
    At paano ko lalaitin ang hindi nilait ng Panginoon?
Sapagkat mula sa tuktok ng mga bundok ay nakikita ko siya,
    at mula sa mga burol ay akin siyang natatanaw;
narito, siya'y isang bayang naninirahang mag-isa,
    at hindi ibinibilang ang sarili sa gitna ng mga bansa.
10 Sinong makakabilang ng mga alabok ng Jacob,
    o ng bilang ng ikaapat na bahagi ng Israel?
Mamatay nawa ako ng kamatayan ng matuwid,
    at ang aking wakas ay maging tulad nawa ng sa kanya!”

11 At sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Anong ginawa mo sa akin? Isinama kita upang sumpain mo ang aking mga kaaway, ngunit narito, wala kang ginawa kundi pagpalain sila.”

12 Siya'y sumagot, “Hindi ba nararapat na aking maingat na sabihin ang inilagay ng Panginoon sa bibig ko?”

Ang Ikalawang Talinghaga ni Balaam

13 Sinabi sa kanya ni Balak, “Ipinapakiusap ko sa iyo na sumama ka sa akin sa ibang lugar, kung saan mo sila makikita. Ang makikita mo lamang ay ang pinakamalapit sa kanila, at hindi mo sila makikitang lahat at sumpain mo sila para sa akin mula roon.”

14 Kaya't kanyang dinala siya sa parang ng Sofim, sa tuktok ng Pisga, at nagtayo roon ng pitong dambana, at naghandog ng isang toro at ng isang lalaking tupa sa bawat dambana.

15 Kanyang sinabi kay Balak, “Tumayo ka rito sa tabi ng iyong handog na sinusunog, habang sinasalubong ko ang Panginoon doon.”

16 At sinalubong ng Panginoon si Balaam, at nilagyan ng salita ang kanyang bibig, at sinabi, “Bumalik ka kay Balak, at ganito ang iyong sasabihin.”

17 Nang siya'y dumating sa kanya, siya'y nakatayo sa tabi ng kanyang handog na sinusunog na kasama ang mga pinuno sa Moab. At sinabi sa kanya ni Balak, “Anong sinabi ng Panginoon?”

18 At binigkas ni Balaam ang kanyang talinghaga, na sinasabi,

“Tumindig ka, Balak, at iyong pakinggan,
    makinig ka sa akin, ikaw na anak ni Zipor.
19 Ang Diyos ay hindi tao, na magsisinungaling,
    ni anak ng tao na magsisisi.
Sinabi ba niya at hindi niya gagawin?
    O sinalita ba niya at hindi niya tutuparin?
20 Ako'y tumanggap ng utos na magbigay ng pagpapala:
    kanyang pinagpala, at hindi ko na mababago iyon.
21 Wala siyang nakitang kasamaan sa Jacob,
    ni wala siyang nakitang kasamaan sa Israel.
Ang Panginoon nilang Diyos ay kasama nila,
    at ang sigaw ng hari ay nasa gitna nila.
22 Ang Diyos ang naglalabas sa kanila sa Ehipto.
    Siya'y may lakas na gaya ng mabangis na toro.
23 Tunay na walang engkanto laban sa Jacob,
    ni panghuhula laban sa Israel.
Ngayo'y sasabihin tungkol sa Jacob at sa Israel,
    ‘Anong ginawa ng Diyos!’
24 Tingnan mo, ang bayan ay tumitindig na parang isang babaing leon,
    at parang isang leon na itinataas ang sarili.
Siya'y hindi mahihiga hanggang sa makakain ng biktima
    at makainom ng dugo ng napatay.”

25 Sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Huwag mo silang sumpain ni pagpalain.”

26 Ngunit si Balaam ay sumagot at nagsabi kay Balak, “Di ba sinabi ko sa iyo, ‘Ang lahat na sinasalita ng Panginoon ay siya kong nararapat gawin?’”

27 Kaya't sinabi ni Balak kay Balaam, “Halika ngayon, isasama kita sa ibang lugar; marahil ay matutuwa ang Diyos na iyong sumpain sila para sa akin mula roon.”

28 At isinama ni Balak si Balaam sa tuktok ng Peor na nasa gawing itaas ng ilang.

29 Sinabi ni Balaam kay Balak, “Ipagtayo mo ako rito ng pitong dambana, at ipaghanda mo ako rito ng pitong toro at pitong lalaking tupa.”

30 At ginawa ni Balak ang sinabi ni Balaam, at naghandog ng isang toro at isang lalaking tupa sa bawat dambana.

Footnotes

  1. Mga Bilang 23:7 Sa Hebreo ay niya .

Balaam's First Oracle

23 And Balaam said to Balak, (A)“Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam (B)offered on each altar a bull and a ram. And Balaam said to Balak, (C)“Stand beside 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.” And he went to a bare height, (E)and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the Lord (F)put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam (G)took up his discourse and said,

“From (H)Aram Balak has brought me,
    the king of Moab (I)from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, (J)curse Jacob for me,
    and come, denounce Israel!’
How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
    How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
For from the top of the crags (K)I see him,
    from the hills I behold him;
behold, (L)a people dwelling alone,
    and (M)not counting itself among the nations!
10 (N)Who can count the dust of Jacob
    or number the fourth part[a] of Israel?
Let me die (O)the death of the upright,
    and let my end be like his!”

11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (P)I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” 12 And he answered and said, (Q)“Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

Balaam's Second Oracle

13 And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, (R)and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, (S)“Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there.” 16 And the Lord met Balaam and (T)put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” 17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“Rise, Balak, and hear;
    give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19 (U)God is not man, that he should lie,
    or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
    Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I received a command to bless:
    (V)he has blessed, and (W)I cannot revoke it.
21 (X)He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,
    nor has he seen trouble in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
    and the shout of a king is among them.
22 (Y)God brings them out of Egypt
    and is for them like (Z)the horns of the wild ox.
23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
    no (AA)divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
    (AB)‘What has God wrought!’
24 Behold, a people! (AC)As a lioness it rises up
    and as a lion it lifts itself;
(AD)it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
    and drunk the blood of the slain.”

25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” 26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, (AE)‘All that the Lord says, that I must do’?” 27 And Balak said to Balaam, (AF)“Come now, 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 (AG)Peor, which overlooks (AH)the desert.[b] 29 And Balaam said to Balak, (AI)“Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 (AJ)And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 23:10 Or dust clouds
  2. Numbers 23:28 Or Jeshimon

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.”

And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam (B)offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 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. (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.”

Then the Lord (F)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 (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!’

“How(J) 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! (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

  1. Numbers 23:7 prophetic discourse
  2. Numbers 23:10 Or dust cloud
  3. Numbers 23:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. call; LXX go and ask God
  4. Numbers 23:21 trouble
  5. Numbers 23:23 enchantment
  6. Numbers 23:23 fortune-telling
  7. Numbers 23:28 Heb. Jeshimon