Numbers 23
23
Balaam’s Oracles
1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” # 23:1 1Ch 15:26; 2Ch 29:21; Jb 42:8; Ezk 45:23 2So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill.
4God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.
Balaam’s First Oracle
7Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak brought me from Aram; # 23:7 Dt 23:4
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:
“Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel! ” # 23:7 Nm 22:6,17
8How can I curse someone God has not cursed?
How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,
and I watch them from the hills.
There is a people living alone; # 23:9 Dt 33:28
it does not consider itself among the nations.
10Who has counted the dust of Jacob # 23:10 Gn 13:16
or numbered even one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright;
let the end of my life be like theirs.
11“What have you done to me? ” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them! ”
12He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth? ” # 23:12 Nm 22:38
Balaam’s Second Oracle
13Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place # 23:13 Nm 23:27 where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.” 14So Balak took him to Lookout Field # 23:14 Or to the field of Zophim on top of Pisgah, # 23:14 Nm 21:20; Dt 3:17,27; 4:49; 34:1; Jos 12:3; 13:20 built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there.”
16The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
17So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say? ”
18Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak, get up and listen;
son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
19God is not a man, that he might lie,
or a son of man, that he might change his mind. # 23:19 1Sm 15:29; Mal 3:6; Ti 1:2; Heb 6:17–18
Does he speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill? # 23:19 Ps 33:10–11; Pr 19:21; Is 14:24; 31:2; 45:23; 46:9–11; 48:3; 55:11; Rm 11:29; Eph 1:11; 2Tm 2:13
20I have indeed received a command to bless;
since he has blessed, # 23:20 Sam, LXX read since I will bless I cannot change it.
21He considers no disaster for Jacob;
he sees no trouble for Israel. # 23:21 Or He does not observe sin in Jacob; he does not see wrongdoing in Israel
The Lord their God is with them, # 23:21 Gn 28:15; Nm 14:9; Dt 2:7; 20:1; Jos 1:17; Jdg 6:13; 2Ch 20:17; Ps 46:11; Is 8:10; 41:10; Jr 1:19; 15:20; Zph 3:17; Hg 2:4; Rv 21:3
and there is rejoicing over the King among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt;
he is like the horns of a wild ox for them. # 23:22 Or Egypt; they have the horns of a wild ox,# 23:22 Nm 24:8
23There is no magic curse against Jacob
and no divination against Israel.
It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,
“What great things God has done! ”
24A people rise up like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion. # 23:24 Nm 24:9
They will not lie down until they devour the prey
and drink the blood of the slain.
25Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them! ”
26But Balaam answered him, “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the Lord says, I must do? ” # 23:26 Nm 22:38
Balaam’s Third Oracle
27Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there.” 28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. # 23:28 Or overlooks Jeshimon,# 23:28 Nm 21:20
29Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” # 23:29 Nm 23:1–2 30So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Numbers 23
23
Balaam's first message
1Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, then bring seven bulls and seven rams.”
2After Balak had done this, they sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Then Balaam said, “Wait here beside your offerings, and I'll go somewhere to be alone. Perhaps the LORD will appear to me. If he does, I will tell you everything he says.” And he left.
4When God appeared to him, Balaam said, “I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.”
5The LORD gave Balaam a message, then sent him back to tell Balak. 6When Balaam returned, he found Balak and his officials standing beside the offerings.
7Balaam said:
“King Balak of Moab brought me
from the hills of Syria
to curse Israel
and announce its doom.
8But I can't go against God!
He did not curse
or condemn Israel.
9“From the mountain peaks,
I look down and see Israel,
the obedient people of God.
10They are living alone in peace.
And though they are many,
they don't bother
the other nations.
“I hope to obey God
for as long as I live
and to die in such peace.”
11Balak said, “What are you doing? I asked you to come and place a curse on my enemies. But you have blessed them instead!”
12Balaam answered, “I can say only what the LORD tells me.”
Balaam's second message
13Balak said to Balaam, “Let's go somewhere else. Perhaps if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me.” 14So he took Balaam to a field on top of Mount Pisgah where lookouts were stationed.#23.14 a field…where lookouts were stationed: Or “Zophim Field on the top of Mount Pisgah”. Then he built seven altars there and sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one.
15“Wait here beside your offerings,” Balaam said. “The LORD will appear to me over there.”
16The LORD appeared to Balaam and gave him another message, then he told him to go and tell Balak. 17Balaam went back and saw him and his officials standing beside the offerings.
Balak asked, “What did the LORD say?”
18Balaam answered:
“Pay close attention
to my words—
19God is no mere human!
He doesn't tell lies
or change his mind.
God always keeps his promises.
20“My command from God
was to bless these people,
and there's nothing I can do
to change what he has done.
21Israel's king is the LORD God.
He lives there with them
and intends them no harm.
22With the strength of a wild ox,
God led Israel out of Egypt.
23No magic charms can work
against them—
just look what God has done
for his people.
24They are like angry lions
ready to attack;
and they won't rest
until their victim
is gobbled up.”
25Balak shouted, “If you're not going to curse Israel, then at least don't bless them.”
26“I've already told you,” Balaam answered. “I will say only what the LORD tells me.”
Balaam's third message
27Balak said to Balaam, “Come on, let's try another place. Perhaps God will let you curse Israel from there.” 28So he took Balaam to Mount Peor overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.
29Balaam said, “Build seven altars here, then bring me seven bulls and seven rams.”
30After Balak had done what Balaam asked, he sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012