Numbers 23 | King James Version

King James Version

1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 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. 4 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. 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam' mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 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. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? 9 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.

English Standard Version

Balaam’s First Oracle

1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” (Nu 23:29) 2 Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. (Nu 23:14; Nu 23:30) 3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, (Nu 23:15; Nu 24:1) 4 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.” (Nu 23:16) 5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” (Nu 22:38; Nu 23:12; Nu 23:16; De 18:18; Isa 51:16; Isa 59:21; Jer 1:9)

Nu 22:38Nu 23:12Nu 23:16De 18:18Isa 51:16Isa 59:21Jer 1:9

6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7 And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’ (Ge 29:1; Nu 21:27; Nu 22:5; Nu 22:6; Nu 23:18; Nu 24:3; Nu 24:15; Nu 24:20; Nu 24:23; Job 27:1; Job 29:1; Ps 49:4; Ps 78:2; Isa 14:4; Mic 2:4)

Ge 29:1Nu 21:27Nu 22:5Nu 22:6Nu 23:18Nu 24:3Nu 24:15Nu 24:20Nu 24:23Job 27:1Job 29:1Ps 49:4Ps 78:2Isa 14:4Mic 2:4

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? 9 For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations! (Ex 33:16; Nu 24:17; De 32:28; Ezr 9:2; Es 3:8; Eph 2:14)

Ex 33:16Nu 24:17De 32:28Ezr 9:2Es 3:8Eph 2:14

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part^[1] of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!” (Ge 13:16; Ps 37:37; Ps 116:15; Re 14:13)

Ge 13:16Ps 37:37Ps 116:15Re 14:13

11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” (Nu 22:11; Nu 24:10; De 23:5; Ne 13:2)

Nu 22:11Nu 24:10De 23:5Ne 13:2

12 And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” (Nu 23:5)

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, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. (Nu 23:1) 15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there.” (Nu 23:3) 16 And the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” (Nu 23:5; Nu 23:12) 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 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? (1Sa 15:29; Mal 3:6; Ro 11:29; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18; Jas 1:17)

1Sa 15:29Mal 3:6Ro 11:29Tit 1:2Heb 6:18Jas 1:17

20 Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. (Ge 12:2; Ge 22:17; Nu 22:12; Nu 22:18)

Ge 12:2Ge 22:17Nu 22:12Nu 22:18

21 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. (Jer 50:20) 22 God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. (Nu 24:8; De 33:17; Job 39:9; Ps 22:21; Ps 92:10)

Nu 24:8De 33:17Job 39:9Ps 22:21Ps 92:10

23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’ (Nu 22:7; Ps 44:1) 24 Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.” (Ge 49:9; Ge 49:27) 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, ‘All that the Lord says, that I must do’?” (Nu 22:18) 27 And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” (Nu 23:13) 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert.^[2] (Nu 21:20; Nu 25:3; Nu 25:5; Nu 25:18; Nu 31:16; Jos 22:17; Ps 106:28; Ho 9:10)

Nu 21:20Nu 25:3Nu 25:5Nu 25:18Nu 31:16Jos 22:17Ps 106:28Ho 9:10

29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” (Nu 23:1) 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. (Nu 23:2)