Numbers 23 NIV ISV Parallel

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1Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

1Balaam told Balak, "Build for me here seven altars and prepare here 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 just as Balaam instructed. 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.

3Then Balaam instructed Balak, "Stand by your offering and leave me alone by myself. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. I'll tell you whatever he reveals to me." And so he went to a high place,

4God met with him, and Balaam said, "I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram."

4where the LORD met with Balaam, who told him, "I've prepared seven altars and offered bulls and rams on an altar."

5The LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word."

5Then the LORD gave Balaam this message. "Return to Balak and speak to him."

6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.

6So Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by all the Moabite officials.

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.'

7Then Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "King Balak of Moab brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains, and told me, 'Come and curse Jacob for me. Come and curse Israel.'

8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?

8But how can I curse those whom God hasn't cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD hasn't 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.

9I saw them from the top of the rocks. I watched them from the hills. Truly this is a people that lives by itself and doesn't matter 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? Who can number the dust of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may I end up like him."

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!"

11"What are you doing to me?" Balak asked Balaam. "I brought you to curse my enemies, not pronounce a blessing!"

12He answered, "Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

12But in response, Balaam asked, "Shouldn't I be careful to communicate only 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."

13"Come with me to another place where you can see them," Balak replied. "You'll only see a portion of them, because you won't be able to see them completely. Come and curse them from there 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, and from there to the top of Mount Pisgah, where he built seven altars and then 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."

15Then he told Balak, "Stand by your offering while I go alone to meet the LORD."

16The LORD met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word."

16Then the LORD met with Balaam and gave a message to him. "Now go back to Balak and speak to him."

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 Balaam returned to where Balak had been standing, that is, next to his offerings, accompanied by the Moabite officials. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked him.

18Then he spoke his message: "Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.

18In response, Balaam uttered this prophetic statement: "Stand up, Balak, and pay attention! Listen to me, you 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 human male— he doesn't lie, nor is he a human being— he never vacillates. Once he speaks up, he's going to act, isn't he? Once he makes a promise, he'll fulfill it, won't he?

20I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.

20Look! I've received a blessing, and so I will bless. I won't withdraw 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 has not responded to iniquity in Jacob or gazed at mischief in Israel. The LORD his God is with them, and the triumphant cry of a king is among them.

22God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.

22From Egypt God brought them— his strength was 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!'

23No Satanic plan against Jacob nor divination against Israel can ever prevail. When the time is right, it is to be asked about Jacob and Israel, 'What has God accomplished?'

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."

24Look! The people are like lions. Like the lion, he rises up! He does not lie down again until he has consumed his prey and drunk the blood of the slain."

25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

25Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them or bless them!"

26Balaam answered, "Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?"

26"Didn't I tell you," Balaam responded to Balak, "that I'll say whatever the LORD tells me to say?"

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."

27So Balak exhorted Balaam, "Let's go right now! I'll take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to have you curse them for me from there."

28And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, which overlooks the open wilderness.

29Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

29Balaam told Balak, "Build seven altars for me right here. Then prepare seven bulls and seven rams."

30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

30Balak did just what Balaam had instructed—he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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