| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1The Israelis continued their travels, eventually encamping on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River opposite Jericho. | 1The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River across from Jericho. |
| 2Zippor's son Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. | 2Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites. |
| 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, | 3And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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." | 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." |
| 7So the elders of Moab and Midian left to visit Balaam, bringing an honorarium with them, and communicated Balak's concerns 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 9God visited Balaam and asked him, "Who are these men with you?" | 9And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" |
| 10Then Balaam told God, "Zippor's son Balak, king of Moab, sent them to me and said, | 10Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying, |
| 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.'" | 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." |
| 12But God told Balaam, "Don't go with them. Don't curse the people, because they're 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 told Balak's officials, "Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused me permission to 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." |
| 14So Balak's officials got up, 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." |
| 15In response, Balak sent more officers—higher ranking ones, at that!— | 15Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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.'" | 17For I will honor you greatly, and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.'" |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19Meanwhile, stay here overnight so I may learn what the LORD might say to me." | 19Now therefore, please stay the night here also, that I may know what more the LORD might say to me." |
| 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." | 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." |
| 21The next morning, Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started to leave, accompanied by the Moabite officials. | 21So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. |
| 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, | 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. |
| 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, | 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. |
| 24but the angel of the LORD stood on a narrow path that crossed the vineyards. It had walls on both sides of the path. | 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a path among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side. |
| 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! | 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. |
| 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. | 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. As a result, Balaam got so angry that he started to whip the donkey with his staff. | 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. |
| 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?" | 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?" |
| 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!" | 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 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 in front of me in the space of those three footsteps. | 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." |
| 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." | 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." |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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, "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?" | 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 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." | 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 accompanied by Balaam and Balak's officials, Balak traveled to Kiriath-huzoth, | 39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. |
| 40where he sacrificed oxen and sheep. | 40And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. |
| 41The next day, Balak brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the community of Israel. | 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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