Parallel Bible results for "numbers 22"

Numbers 22

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Then the people of Isra'el traveled on and camped in the plains of Mo'av beyond the Yarden River, opposite Yericho.

2 Now Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Isra'el had done to the Emori.

3 Mo'av was very afraid of the people, because there were so many of them; Mo'av was overcome with dread because of the people of Isra'el.

4 So Mo'av said to the leaders of Midyan, "This horde will lick up everything around us, the way an ox licks up grass in the field." Balak the son of Tzippor was king of Mo'av at that time.

5 He sent messengers to Bil'am the son of B'or, at P'tor by the [Euphrates] River in his native land, to tell him, "Listen, a people has come out of Egypt, spread over all the land and settled down next to me.

6 Therefore, please come, and curse this people for me, because they are stronger than I am. Maybe I will be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is in fact blessed, and whomever you curse is in fact cursed."

7 The leaders of Mo'av and Midyan left, taking with them the payment for divining, came to Bil'am and spoke to him the words of Balak.

8 He said to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring you back whatever answer ADONAI tells me." So the princes of Mo'av stayed with Bil'am.

9 God came to Bil'am and said, "Who are these men with you?"

10 Bil'am said to God, "Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo'av, has sent me this message:

11 'The people who came out of Egypt have spread over the land; now, come and curse them for me; maybe I will be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"

12 God answered Bil'am, "You are not to go with them; you are not to curse the people, because they are blessed."

13 Bil'am got up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Return to your own land, because ADONAI refuses to give me permission to go with you."

14 The princes of Mo'av got up, returned to Balak and said, "Bil'am refuses to come with us."

15 Balak again sent princes, more of them and of higher status than the first group.

16 They went to Bil'am and said to him, "Here is what Balak the son of Tzippor says: 'Please don't let anything keep you from coming to me.

17 I will reward you very well, and whatever you say to me I will do. So please come, and curse this people for me.'"

18 Bil'am answered the servants of Balak, "Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of ADONAI my God to do anything, great or small.

19 Now, please, you too, stay here tonight; so that I may find out what else ADONAI will say to me."

20 God came to Bil'am during the night and said to him, "If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you."

21 So Bil'am got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Mo'av.

22 But God's anger flared up because he went, and the angel of ADONAI stationed himself on the path to bar his way. He was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23 The donkey saw the angel of ADONAI standing on the road, drawn sword in hand; so the donkey turned off the road into the field; and Bil'am had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.

24 Then the angel of ADONAI stood on the road where it became narrow as it passed among the vineyards and had stone walls on both sides.

25 The donkey saw the angel of ADONAI and pushed up against the wall, crushing Bil'am's foot against the wall. So he beat it again.

26 The angel of ADONAI moved ahead and stood in a place so tight that there was no room to turn either right or left.

27 Again the donkey saw the angel of ADONAI and lay down under Bil'am, which made him so angry that he hit the donkey with his stick.

28 But ADONAI enabled the donkey to speak, and it said to Bil'am, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

29 Bil'am said to the donkey, "It's because you've been making a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand; I would kill you on the spot!"

30 The donkey said to Bil'am, "I'm your donkey, right? You've ridden me all your life, right? Have I ever treated you like this before?""No," he admitted.

31 Then ADONAI opened Bil'am's eyes, so that he could see the angel of ADONAI standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and he bowed his head and fell on his face.

32 The angel of ADONAI said to him, "Why did you hit your donkey three times like that? I have come out here to bar your way, because you are rushing to oppose me.

33 The donkey saw me and turned aside these three times; and indeed, if she hadn't turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and saved it alive!"

34 Bil'am said to the angel of ADONAI, "I have sinned. I didn't know that you were standing on the road to block me. Now, therefore, if what I am doing displeases you, I will go back."

35 But the angel of ADONAI said to Bil'am, "No, go on with the men; but you are to say only what I tell you to say." So Bil'am went along with the princes of Balak.

36 When Balak heard that Bil'am had come, he went out to meet him in the city of Mo'av at the Arnon border, in the farthest reaches of the territory.

37 Balak said to Bil'am, "I sent more than once to summon you! Why didn't you come to me? Did you think I couldn't pay you enough?"

38 Bil'am replied to Balak, "Here, I've come to you! But I have no power of my own to say anything. The word that God puts in my mouth is what I will say."

39 Bil'am went with Balak. When they arrived at Kiryat-Hutzot,

40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, then sent to Bil'am and the princes with him.

41 In the morning Balak took Bil'am and brought him up to the high places of Ba'al; from there he could see a portion of the people.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Then the Israelites moved and set up camp across from Jericho, on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River.

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

3 The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Besides, the Moabites couldn't stand these people.

4 So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian, "All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way an ox eats up the grass in a field." At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab.

5 He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balak's message was, "A nation has just come here from Egypt. They've spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me.

6 Please come and curse these people for me, because they are too strong for me. Maybe then I'll be able to defeat them and force them out of the country. I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."

7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left, taking money with them to pay for Balaam's services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.

8 "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I'll report to you what the LORD tells me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

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

10 Balaam answered, "Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, sent them with this message:

11 'Some people have just come from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I'll be able to fight them and force them out.'"

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

13 When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you."

14 So the Moabite princes went back to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

15 Balak sent a larger group of more highly respected princes.

16 When they came to Balaam, they said to him, "This is what Balak, son of Zippor, says: Don't let anything keep you from coming to me.

17 I will make sure you are richly rewarded, and I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse these people for me."

18 But Balaam answered Balak's servants, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn't disobey the command of the LORD my God no matter whether the request was important or not.

19 Now, why don't you stay here tonight, as the others did, and I'll find out what else the LORD may have to tell me."

20 That night God came to Balaam and said, "If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you."

21 When Balaam got up in the morning, he saddled his donkey and left with the Moabite princes.

22 God became angry that he was going. So the Messenger of the LORD stood in the road to stop him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants.

23 When the donkey saw the Messenger of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn, the donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get it back on the road.

24 Where the road went through the vineyards, it was narrow, with stone walls on both sides. Now the Messenger of the LORD stood there.

25 When the donkey saw the Messenger of the LORD, it moved over and pinned Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam hit the donkey again.

26 Then the Messenger of the LORD moved ahead and stood in a narrower place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left.

27 When the donkey saw the Messenger of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam. Balaam became so angry he hit the donkey with his stick.

28 Then the LORD made the donkey speak, and it asked Balaam, "What have I done to make you hit me three times?"

29 Balaam answered, "You've made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you right now."

30 The donkey said to Balaam, "I'm your own donkey. You've always ridden me. Have I ever done this to you before?" "No," he answered.

31 Then the LORD let Balaam see the Messenger of the LORD who was standing in the road with his sword drawn. So Balaam knelt, bowing with his face touching the ground.

32 The Messenger of the LORD asked him, "Why have you hit your donkey three times like this? I've come here to stop you because the trip you're taking is evil.

33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you by now but spared the donkey."

34 Balaam said to the Messenger of the LORD, "I've sinned. I didn't know you were standing there in the road to stop me. If you still think this trip is evil, I'll go back."

35 The Messenger of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but say only what I tell you." So Balaam went with Balak's princes.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at Ir Moab, in the region of the Arnon Valley, right on the border of Moab.

37 Balak said to Balaam, "Why didn't you come when I summoned you? You knew I'd be able to reward you."

38 Balaam replied, "Well, I've come to you now. But I can't say whatever I want to. I can only say what God tells me to say."

39 Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.

40 Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats, and sent some of the meat to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the Israelites' camp.