Numbers 23 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Yahweh Speaks Through Balaam

1 Then Balaam ^H1109 said ^H559 to Balak ^H1111, “Build ^H1129 seven ^H7651 altars ^H4196 for me here ^H2088, and prepare ^H3559 seven ^H7651 bulls ^H6499 and seven ^H7651 rams ^H352 for me here ^H2088.”

2 So Balak ^H1111 did ^H6213 just ^H834 as Balaam ^H1109 had spoken ^H1696, and Balak ^H1111 and Balaam ^H1109 offered ^H5927 up ^H5927 a bull ^H6499 and a ram ^H352 on each altar ^H4196. 3 Then Balaam ^H1109 said ^H559 to Balak ^H1111, “Stand ^H3320 beside ^H5921 your burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930, and I will go ^H1980; perhaps ^H194 Yahweh ^H3068 will come ^H7136 to meet ^H7122 me, and whatever ^H4100 H1697 He shows ^H7200 me I will tell ^H5046 you.” So he went ^H1980 to a bare ^H8205 hill ^H8205.

4 Now God ^H430 met ^H7136 Balaam ^H1109, and he said ^H559 to Him, “I have set ^H6186 up ^H6186 the seven ^H7651 altars ^H4196, and I have offered ^H5927 up ^H5927 a bull ^H6499 and a ram ^H352 on each altar ^H4196.” 5 Then Yahweh ^H3068 put ^H7760 a word ^H1697 in Balaam’s ^H1109 mouth ^H6310 and said ^H559, “Return ^H7725 to Balak ^H1111, and you shall speak ^H1696 thus ^H3541.” 6 So he returned ^H7725 to him, and behold ^H2009, he was standing ^H5324 beside ^H5921 his burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930, he and all ^H3605 the leaders ^H8269 of Moab ^H4124. 7 Then he took ^H5375 up ^H5375 his [fn]discourse ^H4912 and said ^H559,

“From Aram ^H6307 Balak ^H1111 has brought ^H5148 me,

Moab’s ^H4124 king ^H4428 from the mountains ^H2022 of the East ^H6924,

‘Come ^H1980 curse ^H779 Jacob ^H3290 for me,

And come ^H1980, denounce ^H2194 Israel ^H3478!’

8 “How ^H4100 shall I curse ^H6895 whom God ^H410 has not cursed ^H6895?

And how ^H4100 can I denounce ^H2194 whom Yahweh ^H3068 has not denounced ^H2194?

9 “For I see ^H7200 him from the top ^H7218 of the rocks ^H6697,

And I look ^H7789 at ^H7789 him from the hills ^H1389;

Behold ^H2005, a people ^H5971 who dwells ^H7931 alone ^H910,

And will not be reckoned ^H2803 among the nations ^H1471.

10 “Who ^H4310 can number ^H4487 the dust ^H6083 of Jacob ^H3290,

Or count ^H4557 the fourth ^H7255 part ^H7255 of Israel ^H3478?

Let [fn]me die ^H4191 the death ^H4194 of the upright ^H3477,

And let my end ^H319 be like ^H3644 his!”

11 Then Balak ^H1111 said ^H559 to Balaam ^H1109, “What ^H4100 have you done ^H6213 to me? I took ^H3947 you to curse ^H6895 my enemies ^H340, but behold ^H2009, you have blessed ^H1288 them repeatedly ^H1288!” 12 And he replied ^H6030, “Must I not be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 to speak ^H1696 what ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 puts ^H7760 in my mouth ^H6310?”

Balaam’s Discourse

13 Then Balak ^H1111 said ^H559 to him, “Please ^H4994 come ^H1980 with me to another ^H312 place ^H4725 from where ^H834 H8033 you may see ^H7200 them, but you will only ^H657 see ^H7200 the end ^H7097 of them and will not see ^H7200 all ^H3605 of them; and curse ^H6895 them for me from there ^H8033.”

14 So he took ^H3947 him to the field ^H7704 of Zophim ^H6839, to the top ^H7218 of Pisgah ^H6449, and built ^H1129 seven ^H7651 altars ^H4196 and offered ^H5927 a bull ^H6499 and a ram ^H352 on each altar ^H4196. 15 And he said ^H559 to Balak ^H1111, “Stand ^H3320 here ^H3541 beside ^H5921 your burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 while I myself ^H595 meet ^H7136 Yahweh over ^H3541 there ^H3541.” 16 Then Yahweh ^H3068 met ^H7136 Balaam ^H1109 and put ^H7760 a word ^H1697 in his mouth ^H6310 and said ^H559, “Return ^H7725 to Balak ^H1111, and thus ^H3541 you shall speak ^H1696.” 17 So he came ^H935 to him, and behold ^H2009, he was standing ^H5324 beside ^H5921 his burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930, and the leaders ^H8269 of Moab ^H4124 with him. And Balak ^H1111 said ^H559 to him, “What ^H4100 has Yahweh ^H3068 spoken ^H1696?” 18 Then he took ^H5375 up ^H5375 his [fn]discourse ^H4912 and said ^H559,

“Arise ^H6965, O Balak ^H1111, and hear ^H8085;

Give ^H238 ear ^H238 to me, O son ^H1121 of Zippor ^H6834!

19 “God ^H410 is not a man ^H376, that He should lie ^H3576,

Nor ^H3808 a son ^H1121 of man ^H120, that He should repent ^H5162;

Has He said ^H559, and will He not do ^H6213 it?

Or has He spoken ^H1696, and will He not establish ^H6965 it?

20 “Behold ^H2009, I have received ^H3947 a command to bless ^H1288;

When He has blessed ^H1288, then I cannot ^H3808 revoke ^H7725 it.

21 “He has not observed ^H5027 [fn]misfortune ^H205 in Jacob ^H3290;

Nor ^H3808 has He seen ^H7200 trouble ^H5999 in Israel ^H3478;

Yahweh ^H3068 his God ^H430 is with him,

And the shout ^H8643 of a king ^H4428 is among them.

22 “God ^H410 brings ^H3318 them out ^H3318 of Egypt ^H4714,

He is for them like the horns ^H8443 of the wild ^H7214 ox ^H7214.

23 “For there is no ^H3808 omen ^H5173 against Jacob ^H3290,

Nor ^H3808 is there any divination ^H7081 against Israel ^H3478;

At the proper time ^H6256 it shall be said ^H559 to Jacob ^H3290

And to Israel ^H3478, what ^H4100 God ^H410 has done ^H6466!

24 “Behold ^H2005, a people ^H5971 rises ^H6965 like a lioness ^H3833,

And as a lion ^H738 it lifts ^H5375 itself;

It will not lie ^H7901 down ^H7901 until ^H5704 it devours ^H398 the prey ^H2964,

And drinks ^H8354 the blood ^H1818 of the slain ^H2491.”

25 Then Balak ^H1111 said ^H559 to Balaam ^H1109, “Do not curse ^H6895 them at all ^H6895 nor ^H3808 bless ^H1288 them at ^H1288 all ^H1288!” 26 But Balaam ^H1109 replied ^H6030 to Balak ^H1111, “Did I not tell ^H1696 you, saying, ‘Whatever ^H3605 H834 Yahweh ^H3068 speaks ^H1696, that I must do ^H6213’?”

27 Then Balak ^H1111 said ^H559 to Balaam ^H1109, “Please ^H4994 come ^H1980, I will take ^H3947 you to another ^H312 place ^H4725; perhaps ^H194 it will be ^H3474 right ^H3474 in the eyes ^H5869 of God ^H430 that you curse ^H6895 them for me from there ^H8033.” 28 So Balak ^H1111 took ^H3947 Balaam ^H1109 to the top ^H7218 of Peor ^H6465 which overlooks ^{H5921 H6440 H8259} the [fn]wasteland ^H3452. 29 And Balaam ^H1109 said ^H559 to Balak ^H1111, “Build ^H1129 seven ^H7651 altars ^H4196 for me here ^H2088 and prepare ^H3559 seven ^H7651 bulls ^H6499 and seven ^H7651 rams ^H352 for me here ^H2088.” 30 And Balak ^H1111 did ^H6213 just ^H834 as Balaam ^H1109 had said ^H559 and offered ^H5927 up ^H5927 a bull ^H6499 and a ram ^H352 on each altar ^H4196.