Numbers 23
23
Chapter 23
Balaam's first message from God
1Balaam said to King Balak, ‘Build seven altars here for me. Prepare seven bulls and seven male sheep.’ 2Balak did this. Balaam and Balak then offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar as a sacrifice.
3Then Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stand next to your burnt offering. I will go to see if the Lord will come to meet me. If he shows something to me, I will tell you about it.’ Then Balaam went to the top of a hill where there were no trees.
4Balaam said to the Lord, ‘I made seven altars. On each altar, I have offered a bull and a male sheep.’
5God told Balaam the message that he should speak to Balak.
6So Balaam returned to Balak. Balak was still standing by his burnt offering with all the Moabite officers.
7Then Balaam started to speak his message from God. He said, ‘Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Syria. He brought me from the mountains in the east. He said “Come and curse Jacob's descendants for me. Say bad things against the Israelites!”
8But I cannot curse these people, because God has not cursed them. I cannot speak against people that the Lord does not speak against.
9When I stand on the rocks, I can see the Israelites. I can watch them from the hills. They are people who are separate from other nations.
10Nobody can count Jacob's descendants. They are as many as the dust on the ground! It would be too difficult to count even a quarter of the Israelites. I would like to die in peace like those righteous people!’
11Balak said to Balaam, ‘You have not done what I wanted you to do! I brought you here to curse my enemies. But you have blessed them!’
12Balaam answered, ‘I can only speak the message that the Lord has told me.’
Balaam's second message from God
13Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘Please come with me to another place where you can see the Israelites. You will not see all of them from there. Then curse those people for me.’
14Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim. It was at the top of Pisgah mountain. Balak built seven altars there. He offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar as sacrifices.
15Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stay here beside your burnt offering. I will go to meet with the Lord.’
16The Lord met Balaam and told him the message that he should speak to Balak. He told Balaam to go and tell it to Balak. 17So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and the Moabite officers were standing beside the burnt offerings. Balak asked Balaam, ‘What did the Lord say?’
18Balaam spoke his message from God. He said, ‘Balak, son of Zippor, be ready! Listen carefully to me.
19God is not human. He does not tell lies. He does not change his thoughts. If he promises to do something, it happens. 20He told me that I must bless the Israelites. He has blessed them, so I must do it too.
21I do not see that any trouble will come to the Israelites. The Lord their God is with them, to help them. They call him their king. 22He brought them out of Egypt. He fights on their behalf, as strong as a wild bull.
23Nobody can curse the Israelites. No magic has any power to hurt them. Now people will say about them, “See the great things that God has done for them!” 24The Israelites are like a strong lion. It eats the animals that it has killed. It does not rest until it has eaten as much as it wants. It also drinks their blood.’
25Balak said to Balaam, ‘You do not have to curse the Israelites, but please do not bless them!’ 26Balaam replied, ‘I already told you, “I must do everything that the Lord tells me.” ’
27Balak said to Balaam, ‘Let me take you to a different place. Perhaps God will let you curse the Israelites from that place.’ 28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor mountain. From there they could look over the desert. 29Balaam said, ‘Build seven altars here. Prepare seven bulls and seven male sheep as sacrifices.’ 30Balak did that. He offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar as sacrifices.
Currently Selected:
Numbers 23: EASY
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
MissionAssist 2018