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.

New Living Translation NLT

1 Then Balaam said to King Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”

2 Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill,

4 and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.”

5 The LORD gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”

6 So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.

7 This was the message Balaam delivered: “Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel’s doom.’

8 But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the LORD has not condemned?

9 I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations.

10 Who can count Jacob’s descendants, as numerous as dust? Who can count even a fourth of Israel’s people? Let me die like the righteous; let my life end like theirs.”

11 Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!”

12 But Balaam replied, “I will speak only the message that the LORD puts in my mouth.”

13 Then King Balak told him, “Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!”

14 So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the LORD .”

16 And the LORD met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”

17 So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked eagerly.

18 This was the message Balaam delivered: “Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor.

19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

20 Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!

21 No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox.

23 No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, ‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’

24 These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Fine, but if you won’t curse them, at least don’t bless them!”

26 But Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you that I can do only what the LORD tells me?”

27 Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.”

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland.

29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”

30 So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.