Parallel Bible results for "numbers 23"

Numbers 23

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Bil'am said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here."

2 Balak did as Bil'am said; then Balak and Bil'am offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Bil'am said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering while I go off; maybe ADONAI will come and meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you." He went off to a bare hill.

4 God met Bil'am, who said to him, "I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

5 Then ADONAI put a word in Bil'am's mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you."

6 He went back to him, and there, standing by his burnt offering, he with all the princes of Mo'av,

7 he made his pronouncement: "Balak, the king of Mo'av, brings me from Aram, from the eastern hills, saying, 'Come, curse Ya'akov for me; come and denounce Isra'el.'

8 "How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed? How am I to denounce those whom ADONAI has not denounced?

9 "From the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I behold them yes, a people that will dwell alone and not think itself one of the nations.

10 "Who has counted the dust of Ya'akov or numbered the ashes of Isra'el? May I die as the righteous die! May my end be like theirs!"

11 Balak said to Bil'am, "What have you done to me?! To curse my enemies is why I brought you; and, here, you have totally blessed them!"

12 He answered, "Mustn't I take care to say just what ADONAI puts in my mouth?"

13 Balak said to him, "All right, come with me to another place where you can see them. You will see only some of them, not all; but you can curse them for me from there."

14 He took him through the field of Tzofim to the top of the Pisgah Range, built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar

15 Bil'am said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I go over there for a meeting."

16 ADONAI met Bil'am, put a word in his mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you."

17 He came to him and stood by his burnt offering, with all the princes of Mo'av. Balak asked him, "What did ADONAI say?"

18 Then Bil'am made his pronouncement: "Get up, Balak, and listen! Turn your ears to me, son of Tzippor!

19 "God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind. When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it

20 Look, I am ordered to bless; when he blesses, I can't reverse it.

21 "No one has seen guilt in Ya'akov, or perceived perversity in Isra'el; ADONAI their God is with them and acclaimed as king among them

22 "God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox;

23 thus one can't put a spell on Ya'akov, no magic will work against Isra'el. It can now be said of Ya'akov and Isra'el, 'What is this that God has done?!'

24 "Here is a people rising up like a lioness; like a lion he rears himself up -he will not lie down till he eats up the prey and drinks the blood of the slain."

25 Balak said to Bil'am, "Obviously, you won't curse them. But at least don't bless them!"

26 However, Bil'am answered Balak, "Didn't I warn you that I must do everything ADONAI says?"

27 Balak said to Bil'am, "Come, I will take you now to another place; maybe it will please God for you to curse them for me from there."

28 Balak took Bil'am to the top of P'or, overlooking the desert.

29 Bil'am said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams."

30 Balak did as Bil'am said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

2 Balak did what Balaam told him, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering while I'm gone. Maybe the LORD will come and meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." Then Balaam went off to a higher place where there were no trees.

4 God came to him, and Balaam said, "I have set up seven altars, and I offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

5 The LORD told Balaam, "Go back to Balak, and give him my message."

6 So he went back to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab.

7 Then Balaam delivered this message: "Balak brought me from Aram. The king of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains. 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. 'Come, condemn Israel.'

8 How can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I condemn those whom the LORD hasn't condemned?

9 I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, I look at them from the hills. I see a nation that lives by itself, people who do not consider themselves to be like other nations.

10 The descendants of Jacob are like specks of dust. Who can count them or number even one-fourth of the people of Israel? Let me die the death of innocent people. Let my end be like theirs."

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you've done is bless them!"

12 Balaam answered, "I must say what the LORD tells me to say."

13 Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you can see the Israelites. You will see only some of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there."

14 So he took him to the Field of Zophim on top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet with God over there."

16 The LORD came to Balaam and told him, "Go back to Balak, and give him my message."

17 He came to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?"

18 Then Balaam delivered this message: "Stand up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor!

19 God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn't change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.

20 I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't change it.

21 He doesn't want any trouble for the descendants of Jacob. He sees no misfortune for the people of Israel. The LORD their God is with them, praised as their king.

22 The God who brought them out of Egypt has the strength of a wild bull.

23 No spell can curse the descendants of Jacob. No magic can harm the people of Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel: 'See what God has done!'

24 Here is a nation that attacks like a lioness and is as ferocious as a lion. It doesn't lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of its victim."

25 Balak said to Balaam, "If you won't curse them, then at least don't bless them!"

26 Balaam answered, "Didn't I tell you that I must do whatever the LORD says?"

27 Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Maybe God wants you to curse them for me from there."

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon.

29 Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

30 Balak did what Balaam told him, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.