Parallel Bible results for "numbers 22"

Numbers 22

Common English Bible CEB

1 The Israelites marched and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho.

2 Balak, Zippor's son, saw everything that the Israelites did to the Amorites.

3 The Moabites greatly feared the people, for they were so numerous. The Moabites were terrified of the Israelites.

4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will devour everything around us, as an ox eats up the grass in the field." Balak, Zippor's son, was king of Moab at that time.

5 He sent messengers to Balaam, Beor's son, at Pethor, which is by the river in the land of his people, to summon him: "A people has come out of Egypt, and they have now covered the land. They have settled next to me.

6 Now please come and curse this people for me because they are stronger than I am. Perhaps I'll be able to destroy them and drive them from the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."

7 So the elders of Moab and Midian went with the payment for divination in their hands. They came to Balaam and told him Balak's words.

8 He said to them, "Spend the night here and I'll bring back to you a word exactly as the LORD speaks to me." So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.

9 God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"

10 Balaam said to God, "Moab's King Balak, Zippor's son, sent them to me with the message,

11 ‘A people has come out of Egypt and covered the land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I'll be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"

12 God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. Don't curse the people, because they are blessed."

13 Then Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak's officials, "Go to your land, for the LORD has refused to allow me to go with you."

14 The officials of Moab arose, they went to Balak, and they said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

15 Balak continued to send other officials more numerous and important than these.

16 They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak, Zippor's son, says: ‘Please let nothing hold you back from coming to me,

17 for I'll greatly honor you and I'll do anything you ask of me. Please come and curse this people for me.'"

18 Balaam answered and said to Balak's servants, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to do anything, small or great, to break the command of the LORD my God.

19 Now you also must remain the night here so that I may know what else the LORD may say to me."

20 God came to Balaam in the night and said to him, "If the men have come to summon you, arise and go with them. But you must do only what I tell you to do."

21 So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.

22 Then God became angry because he went. So while he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two servants, the LORD's messenger stood in the road as his adversary.

23 The donkey saw the LORD's messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey in order to turn him back onto the road.

24 Then the LORD's messenger stood in the narrow path between vineyards with a stone wall on each side.

25 When the donkey saw the LORD's messenger, it leaned against the wall and squeezed Balaam's foot against the wall, so he continued to beat it.

26 The LORD's messenger persisted and crossed over and stood in a narrow place, where it wasn't possible to turn either right or left.

27 The donkey saw the LORD's messenger and lay down underneath Balaam. Balaam became angry and beat the donkey with the rod.

28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth and it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you've beaten me these three times?"

29 Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you've tormented me. If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you now."

30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on whom you've often ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" Balaam said, "No."

31 Then the LORD uncovered Balaam's eyes, and Balaam saw the LORD's messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. Then he bowed low and worshipped.

32 The LORD's messenger said to him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I've come out here as an adversary, because you took the road recklessly in front of me.

33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it hadn't turned away from me, I would just now have killed you and let it live."

34 Balaam said to the LORD's messenger, "I've sinned, because I didn't know that you were standing against me in the road. Now, if you think it's wrong, I'll go back."

35 The LORD's messenger said to Balaam, "Go with the men. But don't say anything. Say only that which 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 Ir-moab, which is on the border of the Arnon at the farthest point of the border.

37 Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send urgently and summon you? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?"

38 Balaam said to Balak, "I've now come to you. But I'm only able to speak whatever word God gives me to say. That is what I will speak."

39 Then Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and sent them to Balaam and the officials who were with him.

41 In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the people.

The Message Bible MSG

1 The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho.

2 Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3 The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized.

4 Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out - a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean."

5 sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland.

6 Come and curse them for me - they're too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we'll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed."

7 The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak's message.

8 "Stay here for the night," Balaam said. "In the morning I'll deliver the answer that God gives me." The Moabite nobles stayed with him.

9 Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "So who are these men here with you?"

10 Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message:

11 'Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'"

12 God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others - they are a blessed people."

13 The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's nobles, "Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you."

14 So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us."

15 Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished.

16 They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor says, 'Please, don't refuse to come to me.

17 I will honor and reward you lavishly - anything you tell me to do, I'll do; I'll pay anything - only come and curse this people.'"

18 Balaam answered Balak's servants: "Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to defy the orders of my God to do anything, whether big or little.

19 But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I'll see what God will say to me this time."

20 God came to Balaam that night and said, "Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you."

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab.

22 As he was going, though, God's anger flared. The angel of God stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants.

23 When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road.

24 But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side,

25 the donkey again saw God's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again.

26 God's angel blocked the way yet again - a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left.

27 Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick.

28 Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?"

29 Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now."

30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you've ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?" He said, "No."

31 Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God's angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt.

32 God's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself.

33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off."

34 Balaam said to God's angel, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don't like what I'm doing, I'll head back."

35 But God's angel said to Balaam, "Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say - absolutely no other word." And so Balaam continued to go with Balak's nobles.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land.

37 Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send an urgent message for help? Why didn't you come when I called? Do you think I can't pay you enough?"

38 Balaam said to Balak, "Well, I'm here now. But I can't tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me - no others."

39 Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town).

40 Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him.

41 At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people.