Numeri 23
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014
Balaam binecuvântează
23 Balaam a zis lui Balac: „Zideşte-mi(A) aici şapte altare şi pregăteşte-mi aici şapte viţei şi şapte berbeci.” 2 Balac a făcut cum spusese Balaam, şi Balac şi Balaam au adus câte(B) un viţel şi câte un berbec pe fiecare altar. 3 Balaam a zis lui Balac: „Stai lângă(C) arderea ta de tot, şi eu mă voi depărta de ea; poate că Domnul îmi(D) va ieşi înainte şi ce-mi va descoperi îţi voi spune.” Şi s-a dus pe un loc înalt. 4 Dumnezeu a venit înaintea lui Balaam şi Balaam I-a zis: „Am ridicat şapte altare şi, pe fiecare altar, am adus câte un viţel şi câte un berbec.” 5 Domnul a pus(E) cuvinte în gura lui Balaam şi a zis: „Întoarce-te la Balac şi aşa să-i vorbeşti.” 6 Balaam s-a întors la Balac şi iată că Balac stătea lângă arderea lui de tot, el şi toate căpeteniile Moabului.
7 Balaam şi-a(F) rostit prorocia şi a zis:
„Balac m-a adus din Aram (Mesopotamia).
Împăratul Moabului m-a chemat din Munţii Răsăritului, zicând:
‘Vino(G) şi blestemă-mi pe Iacov!
Vino şi defăimează-mi pe Israel!’
8 Cum(H) să blestem eu pe cel ce nu-l blestemă Dumnezeu?
Cum să defăimez eu pe cel pe care nu-l defăimează Domnul?
9 Îl văd din vârful stâncilor,
Îl privesc de pe înălţimea dealurilor:
Este(I) un popor care locuieşte deoparte
Şi nu(J) face parte dintre neamuri.
10 Cine(K) poate să numere pulberea lui Iacov
Şi să spună numărul unui sfert din Israel?
O, de aş muri de moartea(L) celor neprihăniţi
Şi sfârşitul meu să fie ca al lor!”
Balaam binecuvântează a doua oară
11 Balac a zis lui Balaam: „Ce mi-ai făcut? Te-am(M) luat să blestemi pe vrăjmaşul meu, şi iată că tu-l binecuvântezi!” 12 El a răspuns şi a zis: „Nu(N) trebuie oare să spun ce-mi pune Domnul în gură?” 13 Balac i-a zis: „Vino, te rog, cu mine în alt loc, de unde îl poţi vedea, căci aici nu vezi decât o parte din el, nu-l vezi întreg. Şi de acolo să mi-l blestemi.” 14 L-a dus în câmpul Ţofim, spre vârful muntelui Pisga, a zidit(O) şapte altare şi a adus câte un viţel şi un berbec pe fiecare altar. 15 Balaam a zis lui Balac: „Stai aici, lângă arderea ta de tot, şi eu mă voi duce înaintea lui Dumnezeu.” 16 Domnul a venit înaintea lui Balaam, i-a pus(P) cuvinte în gură şi a zis: „Întoarce-te la Balac şi aşa să-i vorbeşti.” 17 Balaam s-a întors la el, şi iată că Balac stătea lângă arderea lui de tot, cu căpeteniile Moabului. Balac i-a zis: „Ce ţi-a spus Domnul?”
18 Balaam şi-a rostit prorocia şi a zis:
„Scoală-te(Q), Balac, şi ascultă!
Ia aminte la mine, fiul lui Ţipor!
19 Dumnezeu(R) nu este un om, ca să mintă,
Nici un fiu al omului, ca să-I pară rău.
Ce a spus, oare nu va face?
Ce a făgăduit, oare nu va împlini?
20 Iată că am primit poruncă să binecuvântez.
Da, El(S) a binecuvântat, şi eu nu pot întoarce.
21 El nu vede nicio fărădelege în Iacov,
Nu vede(T) nicio răutate în Israel.
Domnul(U), Dumnezeul lui, este cu el,
El este Împăratul lui, veselia lui.
22 Dumnezeu(V) i-a scos din Egipt,
Tăria Lui este pentru el(W) ca a bivolului.
23 Descântecul nu poate face nimic împotriva lui Iacov,
Nici vrăjitoria împotriva lui Israel.
Acum se poate spune despre Iacov şi Israel:
‘Ce lucruri(X) mari a făcut Dumnezeu!’
24 Da, poporul acesta se scoală ca o(Y) leoaică
Şi se ridică întocmai ca un leu.
Nu se culcă(Z) până ce n-a mâncat prada
Şi n-a băut sângele celor ucişi.”
Balaam proroceşte iarăşi bine
25 Balac a zis lui Balaam: „Nu-l blestema, dar măcar nici nu-l binecuvânta!” 26 Balaam a răspuns şi a zis lui Balac: „Nu ţi-am spus că voi face tot ce va(AA) spune Domnul?” 27 Balac a zis lui Balaam: „Vino(AB), te rog, te voi duce într-un alt loc; poate că Dumnezeu va găsi cu cale să-mi blestemi de acolo pe poporul acesta!” 28 Balac a dus pe Balaam pe vârful muntelui Peor, care este cu faţa spre pustie(AC). 29 Balaam a zis lui Balac: „Zideşte-mi(AD) aici şapte altare şi pregăteşte-mi aici şapte viţei şi şapte berbeci!” 30 Balac a făcut cum zisese Balaam şi a adus câte un viţel şi câte un berbec pe fiecare altar.
Numbers 23
New International Version
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(A) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(B)
3 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.
4 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.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(F)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(G) 7 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)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(M)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(N)
9 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
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
Numbers 23
Names of God Bible
Balaam’s First Prophecy
23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam told him, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I’m gone. Maybe Yahweh will come and meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” Then Balaam went off to a higher place where there were no trees.
4 Elohim came to him, and Balaam said, “I have set up seven altars, and I offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”
5 Yahweh told Balaam, “Go back to Balak, and give him my message.”
6 So he went back to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab. 7 Then Balaam delivered this message:
“Balak brought me from Aram.
The king of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains.
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,’ he said.
‘Come, condemn Israel.’
8 How can I curse those whom El hasn’t cursed?
How can I condemn those whom Yahweh hasn’t condemned?
9 I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,
I look at them from the hills.
I see a nation that lives by itself,
people who do not consider themselves
to be like other nations.
10 The descendants of Jacob are like specks of dust.
Who can count them
or number even one-fourth of the people of Israel?
Let me die the death of innocent people.
Let my end be like theirs.”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you’ve done is bless them!”
12 Balaam answered, “I must say what Yahweh tells me to say.”
Balaam’s Second Prophecy
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you can see the Israelites. You will see only some of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there.”
14 So he took him to the Field of Zophim[a] on top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet with God over there.”
16 Yahweh came to Balaam and told him, “Go back to Balak, and give him my message.”
17 He came to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?” 18 Then Balaam delivered this message:
“Stand up, Balak, and listen!
Hear me, son of Zippor!
19 El is not like people. He tells no lies.
He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind.
When he says something, he does it.
When he makes a promise, he keeps it.
20 I have received a command to bless.
He has blessed, and I can’t change it.
21 He doesn’t want any trouble for the descendants of Jacob.
He sees no misfortune for the people of Israel.
Yahweh their Elohim is with them,
praised as their king.
22 El who brought them out of Egypt
has the strength of a wild bull.
23 No spell can curse the descendants of Jacob.
No magic can harm the people of Israel.
Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel:
‘See what El has done!’
24 Here is a nation that attacks like a lioness
and is as ferocious as a lion.
It doesn’t lie down until it eats its prey
and drinks the blood of its victim.”
25 Balak said to Balaam, “If you won’t curse them, then at least don’t bless them!”
26 Balaam answered, “Didn’t I tell you that I must do whatever Yahweh says?”
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Maybe Elohim wants you to curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon.
29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:14 Or “to a lookout point.”
Copyright of the Cornilescu Bible © 1924 belongs to British and Foreign Bible Society. Copyright © 2010, 2014 of the revised edition in Romanian language belongs to the Interconfessional Bible Society of Romania, with the approval of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.

