Numbers 23:1-10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
23 1
4 Then God met Balaam, and Balaam[b] said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”(D) 5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you must say.”(E) 6 So he returned to Balak,[c] who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. 7 Then Balaam[d] uttered his oracle, saying,
“Balak has brought me from Aram,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, curse Jacob for me.
Come, denounce Israel!’(F)
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?(G)
9 For from the top of the crags I see him;
from the hills I behold him.
Here is a people living alone
and not reckoning itself among the nations!(H)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number the dust cloud[e] of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!”(I)
Numbers 23:1-10
International Standard Version
Balaam’s First Sacrifice
23 Balaam told Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare here for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
2 So Balak did just as Balaam instructed. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam instructed Balak, “Stand by your offering and leave me alone by myself. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. I’ll tell you whatever he reveals to me.”
And so he went to a high place, 4 where the Lord met with Balaam, who told him, “I’ve prepared seven altars and offered bulls and rams on an altar.”
5 Then the Lord gave Balaam this message. “Return to Balak and speak to him.”
6 So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by all the Moabite officials.
Balaam’s First Prophecy
7 Then Balaam uttered this prophetic statement:
“King Balak of Moab brought me from Aram,
from the eastern mountains,
and told me,
‘Come and curse Jacob for me.
Come and curse Israel.’
8 But how can I curse those whom God hasn’t cursed?
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord hasn’t denounced?
9 I saw them from the top of the rocks.
I watched them from the hills.
Truly this is a people that lives by itself
and doesn’t matter[a] among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob?
Who can number the dust of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may I end up like him.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:9 Lit. count
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