Parallel Bible results for "numbers 23"

Numbers 23

New Revised Standard NRS

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

2 Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offerings while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height.

4 Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

5 The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you must say."

6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.

7 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: "Come, curse Jacob for me; Come, denounce Israel!'

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; Here is a people living alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the dust-cloud of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them."

12 He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?"

13 So Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only part of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there."

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

15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offerings, while I meet the Lord over there."

16 The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say."

17 When he came to him, he was standing beside his burnt offerings with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, "What has the Lord said?"

18 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, O son of Zippor:

19 God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it

20 See, I received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

21 He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob; nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, acclaimed as a king among them

22 God, who brings them out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox for them.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, "See what God has done!'

24 Look, a people rising up like a lioness, and rousing itself like a lion! It does not lie down until it has eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain."

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all."

26 But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, "Whatever the Lord says, that is what I must do'?"

27 So Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."

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

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

30 So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and then prepare seven bulls and seven rams."

2 Balak did it. Then Balaam and Balak sacrificed a bull and a ram on each of the altars.

3 Balaam instructed Balak: "Stand watch here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I go off by myself. Maybe God will come and meet with me. Whatever he shows or tells me, I'll report to you." Then he went off by himself.

4 God did meet with Balaam. Balaam said, "I've set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

5 Then God gave Balaam a message: "Return to Balak and give him this message."

6 He went back and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and with him all the nobles of Moab.

7 Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: Balak led me here from Aram, the king of Moab all the way from the eastern mountains. "Go, curse Jacob for me; go, damn Israel."

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I damn whom God has not damned?

9 From rock pinnacles I see them, from hilltops I survey them: Look! a people camping off by themselves, thinking themselves outsiders among nations.

10 But who could ever count the dust of Jacob or take a census of cloud-of-dust Israel? I want to die like these right-living people! I want an end just like theirs!

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What's this? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and all you've done is bless them."

12 Balaam answered, "Don't I have to be careful to say what God gives me to say?"

13 Balak said to him, "Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp - you won't be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake."

14 So he took him to Watchmen's Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar

15 Balaam said to Balak, "Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there."

16 God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and give him the message."

17 Balaam returned and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and the nobles of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What did God say?"

18 Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor:

19 God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through

20 I was brought here to bless; and now he's blessed - how can I change that?

21 He has no bone to pick with Jacob, he sees nothing wrong with Israel. God is with them, and they're with him, shouting praises to their King

22 God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox.

23 No magic spells can bind Jacob, no incantations can hold back Israel. People will look at Jacob and Israel and say, "What a great thing has God done!"

24 Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, Unsleeping, unresting until its hunt is over and it's eaten and drunk its fill.

25 Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them."

26 Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you earlier: 'All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak'?"

27 Balak said to Balaam, "Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God's eyes where you'll be able to curse them for me."

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland).

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

30 Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars.