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Numbers 23
1599 Geneva Bible
Numbers 23
1599 Geneva Bible
23 1 Balaam causeth seven altars to be built. 5 God teacheth him what to answer. 8 Instead of cursing he blesseth Israel. 19 God is not like man.
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks, and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam said, and [a]Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 Then Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go, if so be that the Lord will come and meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me, I will tell thee: so he [b]went forth alone.
4 And God [c]met Balaam, and Balaam said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the Lord [d]put an answer in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say on this wise.
6 So when he turned unto him, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 Then he uttered his [e]parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from [f]Aram out of the mountains of the East, saying, Come, curse Jacob for my sake: come, and [g]detest Israel.
8 How shall I curse, where God hath not cursed? or how shall I detest, where the Lord hath not detested?
9 For from the top of the rocks I did see him, and from the hills I did behold him: lo, the people shall dwell by themselves, and shall not be reckoned among the [h]nations.
10 Who can tell the [i]dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me [j]die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.
11 Then Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered, and said, Must I not take heed to speak that, which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou mayest see them, and thou shalt see but the utmost part of them and shalt not see them all: therefore curse them out of that place for my sake.
14 ¶ And he brought him into [k]Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 After, he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, and I will meet the Lord yonder.
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and (A)put an answer in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him: so Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord said?
18 And he uttered his parable, and said, Rise up Balak, and hear: hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor.
19 [l]God is not as man, that he should lie, neither as the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: for he hath blessed, and I cannot alter it.
21 He seeth none iniquity in Jacob, nor seeth no transgression in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the [m]joyful shout of a King is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt: their strength is as an unicorn.
23 For there is no sorcery in Jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel, [n]according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?
24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down, till he eat of the prey, and till he drink the blood of the slain.
25 Then Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse, nor bless them at all.
26 But Balaam answered, and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that must I do?
27 ¶ Again Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another [o]place, if so be it will please God, that thou mayest thence curse them for my sake.
28 So Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29 Then Balaam said unto Balak, Make me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks, and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:2 For among the Gentiles the kings oft times used to sacrifice, as did the Priests.
- Numbers 23:3 Or, went up higher.
- Numbers 23:4 Appeared unto him.
- Numbers 23:5 Taught him what to say.
- Numbers 23:7 Or, prophecy.
- Numbers 23:7 Or, Syria.
- Numbers 23:7 Cause that all may hate and detest them.
- Numbers 23:9 But shall have religion and laws apart.
- Numbers 23:10 The infinite multitude, as the dust of the earth.
- Numbers 23:10 The fear of God’s judgment caused him to wish to be joined to the household of Abraham: thus the wicked have their consciences wounded when they consider God’s judgments.
- Numbers 23:14 Or, into the field of them that spied: to wit, lest the enemy should approach.
- Numbers 23:19 God’s enemies are compelled to confess that his government is just, constant, and without change or repentance.
- Numbers 23:21 They triumph as victorious kings over their enemies.
- Numbers 23:23 Considering what God shall work this time for the deliverance of his people, all the world shall wonder.
- Numbers 23:27 Thus the wicked imagine of God, that that which he will not grant in one place, he will do it in another.
Numbers 23
New International Version
Numbers 23
New International Version
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(A) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(B)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(C) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(D) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(F)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(G) 7 Then Balaam(H) spoke his message:(I)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(J)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(K)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(L)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(M)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(N)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(O)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(P)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(Q)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(R)
and may my final end be like theirs!(S)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(T) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(U)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(V)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(W) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(X) And from there, curse them for me.(Y)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(Z) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(AA)
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(AB) 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.(AC) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(AD)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(AE)
19 God is not human,(AF) that he should lie,(AG)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AH)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(AI) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(AJ)
he has blessed,(AK) and I cannot change it.(AL)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(AM)
no misery observed[a] in Israel.(AN)
The Lord their God is with them;(AO)
the shout of the King(AP) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(AQ)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(AR)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
no evil omens(AS) 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;(AT)
they rouse themselves like a lion(AU)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(AV) 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?”(AW)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(AX) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(AY) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(AZ) overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(BA)
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
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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