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Numbers 23:13-26
Complete Jewish Bible
Numbers 23:13-26
Complete Jewish Bible
(LY: v) 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?”
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Numbers 23:13-26
New International Version
Numbers 23:13-26
New International Version
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(A) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(B) And from there, curse them for me.(C)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(D) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(E)
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(F) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(G) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(H)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(I)
19 God is not human,(J) that he should lie,(K)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(L)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(M) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(N)
he has blessed,(O) and I cannot change it.(P)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(Q)
no misery observed[a] in Israel.(R)
The Lord their God is with them;(S)
the shout of the King(T) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(U)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(V)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
no evil omens(W) against[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(X)
they rouse themselves like a lion(Y)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(Z) of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(AA)
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
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