9
Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you? ”
10
Balaam replied to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent this message to me:
11
‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.' ”
12
Then God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
13
So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak's officials, “Go back to your land, because the
Lord
has refused to let me go with you.”
14
The officials of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15
Balak sent officials again who were more numerous and higher in rank than the others.
16
They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Let nothing keep you from coming to me,
17
for I will greatly honor you and do whatever you ask me. So please come and put a curse on these people for me! ' ”
18
But Balaam responded to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the command of the
Lord
my God to do anything small or great.
19
Please stay here overnight as the others did, so that I may find out what else the
Lord
has to tell me.”
20
God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
21
When he got up in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the officials of Moab.
Balaam's Donkey and the Angel
22
But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the Angel of the
Lord
took His stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23
When the donkey saw the Angel of the
Lord
standing on the path with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path.
24
Then the Angel of the
Lord
stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side.
25
The donkey saw the Angel of the
Lord
and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam's foot against it. So he hit her once again.
26
The Angel of the
Lord
went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left.
27
When the donkey saw the Angel of the
Lord
, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick.
28
Then the
Lord
opened the donkey's mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? ”
29
Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you now! ”
30
But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you've ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before? ”
“No,” he replied.
31
Then the
Lord
opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the
Lord
standing in the path with a drawn sword in His hand. Balaam knelt and bowed with his face to the ground.
32
The Angel of the
Lord
asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because what you are doing is evil in My sight.
33
The donkey saw Me and turned away from Me these three times. If she had not turned away from Me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.”
34
Balaam said to the Angel of the
Lord
, “I have sinned, for I did not know that You were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in Your sight, I will go back.”
35
Then the Angel of the
Lord
said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak's officials.
36
When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border at the edge of his territory.
37
Balak asked Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you? ”
38
Balaam said to him, “Look, I have come to you, but can I say anything I want? I must speak only the message God puts in my mouth.”
39
So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
40
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him.
41
In the morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him to Bamoth-baal. From there he saw the outskirts of the people's camp.
Numbers
Balaam's Oracles
23
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
2
So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
3
Balaam 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.
4
God met with him and Balaam said to Him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”
5
Then the
Lord
put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
6
So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.
Balaam's First Oracle
7
Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak brought me from Aram;
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:
“Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel! ”
8
How can I curse someone God has not cursed?
How can I denounce someone the
Lord
has not denounced?
9
I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,
and I watch them from the hills.
There is a people living alone;
it does not consider itself among the nations.
10
Who has counted the dust of Jacob
or numbered the dust clouds 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! ”
12
He answered, “Shouldn't I say exactly what the
Lord
puts in my mouth? ”
Balaam's Second Oracle
13
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place 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.”
14
So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15
Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the
Lord
over there.”
16
The
Lord
met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
17
So 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? ”
18
Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak, get up and listen;
son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
19
God is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?
20
I have indeed received a command to bless;
since He has blessed, I cannot change it.
21
He considers no disaster for Jacob;
He sees no trouble for Israel.
The
Lord
their God is with them,
and there is rejoicing over the King among them.
22
God brought them out of Egypt;
He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.
23
There 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! ”
24
A people rise up like a lioness;
They rouse themselves like a lion.
They will not lie down until they devour the prey
and drink the blood of the slain.
25
Then Balak told Balaam, “Don't curse them and don't bless them! ”
26
But Balaam answered him, “Didn't I tell you: Whatever the
Lord
says, I must do? ”
Balaam's Third Oracle
27
Again 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.”
28
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
29
Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
30
So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Numbers
24
Since Balaam saw that it pleased the
Lord
to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness.
2
When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him,
3
and he proclaimed his poem:
The
•oracle
of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened,
4
the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God,
who sees a vision from the
•Almighty
,
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:
5
How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your dwellings, Israel.
6
They stretch out like river valleys,
like gardens beside a stream,
like aloes the
Lord
has planted,
like cedars beside the water.
7
Water will flow from his buckets,
and his seed will be by abundant water.
His king will be greater than Agag,
and his kingdom will be exalted.
8
God brought him out of Egypt;
He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.
He will feed on enemy nations
and gnaw their bones;
he will strike them with his arrows.
9
He crouches, he lies down like a lion
or a lioness — who dares to rouse him?
Those who bless you will be blessed,
and those who curse you will be cursed.
10
Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times.
11
Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly, but look, the
Lord
has denied you a reward.”
12
Balaam answered Balak, “Didn't I previously tell the messengers you sent me:
13
If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the
Lord
's command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the
Lord
says.
14
Now I am going back to my people, but first, let me warn you what these people will do to your people in the future.”
Balaam's Fourth Oracle
15
Then he proclaimed his poem:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened;
16
the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God
and has knowledge from the
•Most
High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:
17
I see him, but not now;
I perceive him, but not near.
A star will come from Jacob,
and a scepter will arise from Israel.
He will smash the forehead of Moab
and strike down all the Shethites.
18
Edom will become a possession;
Seir will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will be triumphant.
19
One who comes from Jacob will rule;
he will destroy the city's survivors.
20
Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem:
Amalek was first among the nations,
but his future is destruction.