⁵ And now, do not be distressed^(A) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,^(B) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.^{(C) 6} For two years now there has been famine^(D) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant^(E) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.^[a](F)

²⁰ You intended to harm me,^(A) but God intended^(B) it for good^(C) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^(D)

⁴ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,^(A) and he will pursue them.^(B) But I will gain glory^(C) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”^(D) So the Israelites did this.

¹² But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.^(A)”

¹³ The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

¹⁴ So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

¹⁵ Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said:

¹⁸ But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.^(D)

Balaam’s First Message

23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams^(A) for me.” ² Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(B)

³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.^(C) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.

⁴ God met with him,^(D) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

⁵ The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth^(E) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”^(F)

⁶ So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.^{(G) 7} Then Balaam^(H) spoke his message:^(I)

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,^(T) but you have done nothing but bless them!”^(U)

¹² He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”^(V)

Balaam’s Second Message

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place^(W) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.^(X) And from there, curse them for me.^(Y)” ¹⁴ So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,^(Z) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(AA)

¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”

¹⁶ The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth^(AB) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”

¹⁷ So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.^(AC) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”

¹⁸ Then he spoke his message:^(AD)

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

²⁶ Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”^(AW)

Balaam’s Third Message

²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.^(AX) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me^(AY) from there.” ²⁸ And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,^(AZ) overlooking the wasteland.

²⁹ Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ³⁰ Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.^(BA)