| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Balaam said, "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.” |
| 2Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them 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. |
| 3Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you." Then he went off to a barren height. | 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, "I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram." | 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.” |
| 5The LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word." | 5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.” |
| 6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. | 6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab. |
| 7Then Balaam spoke his message: "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come,' he said, 'curse 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 those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? | 8How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced? |
| 9From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of 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 can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end 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!” |
| 11Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless 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, "Must I not speak 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, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse 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 he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he 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 beside your offering while I meet with him 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 word in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word." | 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 went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. 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. |
| 18Then he spoke his message: "Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. | 18Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor. |
| 19God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he 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 received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it. | 20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it. |
| 21"No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is 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; they have the strength of a wild ox. | 22God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox. |
| 23There is no divination against Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what 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!’ |
| 24The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims." | 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 said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!" | 25Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” |
| 26Balaam answered, "Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?" | 26But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” |
| 27Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from 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.” |
| 28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. | 28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. |
| 29Balaam said, "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.” |
| 30Balak did as Balaam had 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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