| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan across from Jericho. | 1The Israelis continued their travels, eventually encamping on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River opposite Jericho. |
| 2Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. | 2Zippor's son Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. |
| 3Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous, and Moab dreaded the Israelites. | 3As a result, Moab greatly feared the people, because they were so numerous. Because a sense of impending doom was afflicting the Moabites as they faced the Israelis, |
| 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, | 4the Moabites told the elders of Midian, "This horde of people is about to lick up everything around us, like an ox licks up the green ground." At that time, Zippor's son Balak was the king of Moab. |
| 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. | 5He sent messengers to Beor's son Balaam in Pethor, near the Euphrates River, the land where the descendants of his people originated, to summon his aid. He said, "Look! A group of people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth, and are sitting here right in front of 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 come right now and curse this people for me, because there are too many of them for me to handle. Perhaps I'll be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, since I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever 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 Midian left to visit Balaam, bringing an honorarium with them, and communicated Balak's concerns to him. |
| 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. | 8In answer, Balaam told them, "Stay here for the night and I'll bring back a message to you, depending on what the LORD says to me." So the officers of Moab stayed with Balaam overnight. |
| 9Then God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" | 9God visited Balaam and asked him, "Who are these men with you?" |
| 10Balaam replied to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent this message to me: | 10Then Balaam told God, "Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab, sent them to me and said, |
| 11Look, 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.'" | 11Look! A group of people have escaped from Egypt. They cover the surface of the whole earth! So come right now and curse them for me. Perhaps I'll be able to fight against 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 told Balaam, "Don't go with them. Don't curse the people, because they're 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 the next morning and told Balak's officials, "Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused me permission to go with you." |
| 14The officials of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us." | 14So Balak's officials got up, returned to Balak and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us." |
| 15Balak sent officials again who were more numerous and higher in rank than the others. | 15In response, Balak sent more officers—higher ranking ones, at that!— |
| 16They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: 'Let nothing keep you from coming to me, | 16who approached Balaam with this message: "This is what Zippor's son Balak says: 'Don't let anything get in the way of your 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!'" | 17I'm determined to reward you generously, and I'll do everything you tell me to do. So come right away and curse this people 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 responded to Balak's entourage by saying, "Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I won't double-cross the command of the LORD my God in even the slightest way. |
| 19Please stay here overnight as the others did, so that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me." | 19Meanwhile, stay here overnight so I may learn what 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 visit Balaam that same night and told him, "If the men come to call on you, get up and go with them, but be sure to do only what I tell you to do." |
| 21When he got up in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the officials of Moab. | 21The next morning, Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started to leave, accompanied by the Moabite officials. |
| 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. | 22At this, the anger of the LORD flared up against Balaam, because he was leaving. So the angel of the LORD stood in the way to oppose him. As Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by two of his servants, |
| 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. | 23all of a sudden the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand! The donkey turned off the road and went into an open field. Balaam started beating the donkey in order to turn her 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. | 24but the angel of the LORD stood on a narrow path that crossed the vineyards. It had walls on both sides of the path. |
| 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. | 25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she squeezed herself so close to the wall that Balaam's foot was pressed to 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 along a little further and stood in a much narrower space, where it was impossible to turn either right or 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. As a result, Balaam got so angry that he started to whip the donkey with his 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?" | 28That's when the LORD enabled the donkey to speak. She asked Balaam, "What did I do to you that you would beat me in the space of only three footsteps?" |
| 29Balaam answered the donkey, "You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you now!" | 29"Because you're playing a dirty trick on me," Balaam answered the donkey. "If only I had a sword in my hand! I'd 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. | 30But in response, the donkey asked Balaam, "I'm your donkey that you've ridden on in the past without incident, am I not, and I'm the same donkey you're riding on right now, am I not? Am I in the habit of treating you like this?" "No," he admitted. |
| 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 and bowed with his face to the ground. | 31Then the LORD enabled Balaam to see, so he observed the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand. So he bowed down and prostrated himself on his face. |
| 32The Angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because what you are doing is evil in My sight. | 32Then the angel of the LORD asked him, "Why did you beat your donkey in the space of only three footsteps? I've come to oppose you, because I say that what you're doing is perverted. |
| 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 in front of me in the space of those three footsteps. |
| 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." | 34If she hadn't turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and left her alive!" At this, Balaam replied to the angel of the LORD, "I've sinned! I didn't know that you were standing to meet me on the road. So now, since it displeases you, let me go back." |
| 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 told Balaam, "Go with the men, but deliver only the message that I'm going to give you." So Balaam went with Balak's officials. |
| 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 had arrived, he went out to meet him in the city of Moab on the border of Arnon at the extreme end 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 asked Balaam, "Didn't I repeatedly send for you to summon you? Why didn't you come to me? I can pay you well, can't I?" |
| 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 answered Balak, "Well, I'm here now. I've come to you, but I can't just say anything, can I? I'll speak only what God puts in my mouth to say." |
| 39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. | 39So accompanied by Balaam and Balak's officials, Balak traveled to Kiriath-huzoth, |
| 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him. | 40where he sacrificed oxen and sheep. |
| 41In the morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him to Bamoth-baal. From there he saw the outskirts of the people's camp. | 41The next day, Balak brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the community of Israel. |
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