Christian Standard Bible

Hebrew Study Bible

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

1וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־ בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־ לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים׃

2So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

2וַיַּ֣עַשׂ בָּלָ֔ק כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֣ר בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיַּ֨עַל בָּלָ֧ק וּבִלְעָ֛ם פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

3Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the LORD will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So he went to a barren hill.

3וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם לְבָלָ֗ק הִתְיַצֵּב֮ עַל־ עֹלָתֶךָ֒ וְאֵֽלְכָ֗ה אוּלַ֞י יִקָּרֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י וּדְבַ֥ר מַה־ יַּרְאֵ֖נִי וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי לָ֑ךְ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי׃

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

4וַיִּקָּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־ בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אֶת־ שִׁבְעַ֤ת הַֽמִּזְבְּחֹת֙ עָרַ֔כְתִּי וָאַ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."

5וַיָּ֧שֶׂם יְהוָ֛ה דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֣י בִלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־ בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃

6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.

6וַיָּ֣שָׁב אֵלָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֥ה נִצָּ֖ב עַל־ עֹלָת֑וֹ ה֖וּא וְכָל־ שָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָֽב׃

7Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains: "Come, put a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel!"

7וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר מִן־ אֲ֠רָם יַנְחֵ֨נִי בָלָ֤ק מֶֽלֶךְ־ מוֹאָב֙ מֵֽהַרְרֵי־ קֶ֔דֶם לְכָה֙ אָֽרָה־ לִּ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּלְכָ֖ה זֹעֲמָ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

8How can I curse someone God has not cursed? How can I denounce someone the LORD has not denounced?

8מָ֣ה אֶקֹּ֔ב לֹ֥א קַבֹּ֖ה אֵ֑ל וּמָ֣ה אֶזְעֹ֔ם לֹ֥א זָעַ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃

9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. There is a people living alone; it does not consider itself among the nations.

9כִּֽי־ מֵרֹ֤אשׁ צֻרִים֙ אֶרְאֶ֔נּוּ וּמִגְּבָע֖וֹת אֲשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ הֶן־ עָם֙ לְבָדָ֣ד יִשְׁכֹּ֔ן וּבַגּוֹיִ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתְחַשָּֽׁב׃

10Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered even one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs.

10מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־ רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

11"What have you done to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!"

11וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־ בִּלְעָ֔ם מֶ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתָ לִ֑י לָקֹ֤ב אֹיְבַי֙ לְקַחְתִּ֔יךָ וְהִנֵּ֖ה בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ׃

12He answered, "Shouldn't I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

12וַיַּ֖עַן וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הֲלֹ֗א אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָשִׂ֤ים יְהוָה֙ בְּפִ֔י אֹת֥וֹ אֶשְׁמֹ֖ר לְדַבֵּֽר׃

13Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won't see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me."

13וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו בָּלָ֗ק [לך־] (לְכָה־) נָּ֨א אִתִּ֜י אֶל־ מָק֤וֹם אַחֵר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְאֶ֣נּוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אֶ֚פֶס קָצֵ֣הוּ תִרְאֶ֔ה וְכֻלּ֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִרְאֶ֑ה וְקָבְנוֹ־ לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם׃

14So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

14וַיִּקָּחֵ֙הוּ֙ שְׂדֵ֣ה צֹפִ֔ים אֶל־ רֹ֖אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֑ה וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֔ת וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

15Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the LORD over there."

15וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־ בָּלָ֔ק הִתְיַצֵּ֥ב כֹּ֖ה עַל־ עֹלָתֶ֑ךָ וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִקָּ֥רֶה כֹּֽה׃

16The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."

16וַיִּקָּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־ בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיָּ֥שֶׂם דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֑יו וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־ בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃

17So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?"

17וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנּ֤וֹ נִצָּב֙ עַל־ עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ וְשָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָ֖ב אִתּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ בָּלָ֔ק מַה־ דִּבֶּ֖ר יְהוָֽה׃

18Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!

18וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר׃

19God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?

19לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־ אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃

20I have indeed received a command to bless; since he has blessed, I cannot change it.

20הִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרֵ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃

21He considers no disaster for Jacob; he sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and there is rejoicing over the King among them.

21לֹֽא־ הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־ רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃

22God brought them out of Egypt; he is like the horns of a wild ox for them.

22אֵ֖ל מוֹצִיאָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם לֽוֹ׃

23There is no magic curse against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said about Jacob and Israel, "What great things God has done!"

23כִּ֤י לֹא־ נַ֙חַשׁ֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־ קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵאָמֵ֤ר לְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־ פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃

24A people rise up like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.

24הֶן־ עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־ יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־ חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

25Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them and don't bless them!"

25וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־ בִּלְעָ֔ם גַּם־ קֹ֖ב לֹ֣א תִקֳּבֶ֑נּוּ גַּם־ בָּרֵ֖ךְ לֹ֥א תְבָרֲכֶֽנּוּ׃

26But Balaam answered him, "Didn't I tell you: Whatever the LORD says, I must do?"

26וַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־ בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־ יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֥וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃

27Again Balak said to Balaam, "Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there."

27וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־ בִּלְעָ֔ם לְכָה־ נָּא֙ אֶקָּ֣חֲךָ֔ אֶל־ מָק֖וֹם אַחֵ֑ר אוּלַ֤י יִישַׁר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְקַבֹּ֥תוֹ לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם׃

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

28וַיִּקַּ֥ח בָּלָ֖ק אֶת־ בִּלְעָ֑ם רֹ֣אשׁ הַפְּע֔וֹר הַנִּשְׁקָ֖ף עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י הַיְשִׁימֹֽן׃

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

29וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־ בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־ לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים׃

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

30וַיַּ֣עַשׂ בָּלָ֔ק כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

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