| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan across from Jericho. | 1The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River across from Jericho. |
| 2Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. | 2Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites. |
| 3Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous, and Moab dreaded the Israelites. | 3And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites. |
| 4So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will devour everything around us like an ox eats up the green plants in the field." Since Balak son of Zippor was Moab's king at that time, | 4So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "Now this mass of people will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time. |
| 5he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. Balak said to him: "Look, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the land and are living right across from me. | 5And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, "Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me. |
| 6Please come and put a curse on these people for me because they are more powerful than I am. I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are blessed and those you curse are cursed." | 6So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed." |
| 7The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and reported Balak's words to him. | 7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported to him the words of Balak. |
| 8He said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will give you the answer the LORD tells me." So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam. | 8He replied to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the LORD may speak to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. |
| 9Then God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" | 9And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" |
| 10Balaam replied to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent this message to me: | 10Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying, |
| 11'Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.'" | 11"Look, a nation has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out." |
| 12Then God said to Balaam, "You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed." | 12But God said to Balaam, "You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, for they are blessed." |
| 13So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak's officials, "Go back to your land, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you." | 13So Balaam got up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your land, for the LORD has refused to permit me to go with you." |
| 14The officials of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us." | 14So the princes of Moab departed and went back to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us." |
| 15Balak sent officials again who were more numerous and higher in rank than the others. | 15Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. |
| 16They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: 'Let nothing keep you from coming to me, | 16And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak son of Zippor: 'Please do not let anything hinder you from coming to me. |
| 17for I will greatly honor you and do whatever you ask me. So please come and put a curse on these people for me!'" | 17For I will honor you greatly, and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.'" |
| 18But Balaam responded to the servants of Balak, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the command of the LORD my God to do anything small or great. | 18Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment of the LORD my God to do less or more. |
| 19Please stay here overnight as the others did, so that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me." | 19Now therefore, please stay the night here also, that I may know what more the LORD might say to me." |
| 20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you." | 20God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but the word that I will say to you, that you must do." |
| 21When he got up in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the officials of Moab. | 21So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. |
| 22But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. | 22Then God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. |
| 23When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. | 23And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road. |
| 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. | 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a path among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side. |
| 25The donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam's foot against it. So he hit her once again. | 25And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself into the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he beat her again. |
| 26The angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. | 26Then the angel of the LORD went farther, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. |
| 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick. | 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she crouched down under Balaam. Then Balaam was angry, and he beat his donkey with a staff. |
| 28Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?" | 28Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?" |
| 29Balaam answered the donkey, "You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you now!" | 29And Balaam said to the donkey, "You have made me look stupid; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now." |
| 30But the donkey said, "Am I not the donkey you've ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?" "No," he replied. | 30The donkey said to Balaam, "Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted to treat you this way?" And he said, "No." |
| 31Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face. | 31Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. |
| 32The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil. | 32The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing is perverse before me. |
| 33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live." | 33The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive." |
| 34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back." | 34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood against me in the road. So now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back home." |
| 35Then the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but you are to say only what I tell you." So Balaam went with Balak's officials. | 35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but you may only speak the word that I will speak to you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. |
| 36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border at the edge of his territory. | 36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of the Arnon at the boundary of his territory. |
| 37Balak asked Balaam, "Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?" | 37Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send again and again to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?" |
| 38Balaam said to him, "Look, I have come to you, but can I say anything I want? I must speak only the message God puts in my mouth." | 38Balaam said to Balak, "Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able to speak just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth." |
| 39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. | 39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. |
| 40Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him. | 40And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. |
| 41In the morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him to Bamoth-baal. From there he saw the outskirts of the people's camp. | 41Then on the next morning Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth Baal. From there he saw the extent of the nation. |
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