| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." | 1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” |
| 2So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. | 2So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. |
| 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. | 3“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height, |
| 4God met with him and Balaam said to Him, "I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar." | 4and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” |
| 5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you." | 5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.” |
| 6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab. | 6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab. |
| 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!" | 7And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’ |
| 8How can I curse someone God has not cursed? How can I denounce someone the LORD has not denounced? | 8How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced? |
| 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. | 9For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations. |
| 10Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered the dust clouds of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs." | 10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!” |
| 11What have you done to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!" | 11Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!” |
| 12He answered, "Shouldn't I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?" | 12But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?” |
| 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." | 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—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.” |
| 14So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. | 14So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. |
| 15Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the LORD over there." | 15Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.” |
| 16The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you." | 16And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.” |
| 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?" | 17So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked. |
| 18Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say! | 18Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor. |
| 19God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? | 19God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? |
| 20I have indeed received a command to bless; since He has blessed, I cannot change it. | 20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it. |
| 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. | 21He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them. |
| 22God brought them out of Egypt; He is like the horns of a wild ox for them. | 22God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox. |
| 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!" | 23For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’ |
| 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. | 24Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.” |
| 25Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them and don't bless them!" | 25Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” |
| 26But Balaam answered him, "Didn't I tell you: Whatever the LORD says, I must do?" | 26But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” |
| 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." | 27“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.” |
| 28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. | 28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. |
| 29Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." | 29Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” |
| 30So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. | 30So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar. |
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