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Numbers 23:7-24
Amplified Bible
Numbers 23:7-24
Amplified Bible
7 Balaam took up his [first] discourse (oracle) and said:
“Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram (Syria),
from the mountains of the east, [saying,]
‘Come, curse [the descendants of] Jacob for me;
And come, [violently] denounce Israel.’
8
“How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed?
Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced?
9
“For from the top of the rocks I see Israel,
And from the hills I look at him.
Behold, the people [of Israel] shall dwell alone
And will not be reckoned among the nations.
10
“Who can count the dust (the descendants) of Jacob
And the number of even the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God],
And let my end be like his!”(A)
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but here you have [thoroughly] blessed them instead!” 12 Balaam answered, “Must I not be obedient and careful to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”
13 Balak said to him, “Come with me, I implore you, to another place from where you can see them, although you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there.” 14 So he took Balaam to the field of Zophim to the top of [Mount] Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I go to meet the Lord over there.” 16 Then the Lord met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak and you shall speak thus.” 17 When Balaam returned to Balak, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18 Balaam took up his [second] discourse (oracle) and said:
“Rise up, O Balak, and hear;
Listen [closely] to me, son of Zippor.
19
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?
20
“Behold, I have received His command to bless [Israel].
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21
“God has not observed wickedness in Jacob [for he is forgiven],
Nor has He seen trouble in Israel.
The Lord their God is with Israel,
And the shout of their King is among the people.(B)
22
“God brought them out of Egypt;
They have the strength of a wild ox.
23
“For there is no enchantment or omen against Jacob,
Nor is there any divination against Israel.
At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob
And to Israel, what has God done!
24
“Behold, a people rises up like a lioness
And lifts itself up like a lion;
He will not lie down until he devours the prey
And drinks the blood of the slain.”
Numbers 23:7-24
New International Version
Numbers 23:7-24
New International Version
7 Then Balaam(A) spoke his message:(B)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(C)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(D)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(E)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(F)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(G)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(H)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(I)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(J)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(K)
and may my final end be like theirs!(L)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(M) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(N)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(O)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(P) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(Q) And from there, curse them for me.(R)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(S) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(T)
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(U) 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.(V) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(W)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(X)
19 God is not human,(Y) that he should lie,(Z)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(AA)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(AB) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(AC)
he has blessed,(AD) and I cannot change it.(AE)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(AF)
no misery observed[a] in Israel.(AG)
The Lord their God is with them;(AH)
the shout of the King(AI) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(AJ)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(AK)
23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob,
no evil omens(AL) against[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(AM)
they rouse themselves like a lion(AN)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(AO) of its victims.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
Numbers 24:3-24
Amplified Bible
Numbers 24:3-24
Amplified Bible
3 He took up his [third] discourse (oracle) and said:
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened [at last, to see clearly the purpose and will of God],
4
The oracle of one who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered,
5
How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
And your tabernacles, O Israel!
6
“Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens beside the river,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.(A)
7
“Water [that is, great blessings] will flow from his buckets,
And his offspring will live by many waters,
And his king will be higher than [a]Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8
“God brought Israel out of Egypt;
Israel has [b]strength like the wild ox;
He will devour [Gentile] nations, his adversaries (enemies),
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows.
9
“He bowed down [to rest], he lies down as a lion;
And as a lioness, who dares to rouse him?
Blessed [of God] is he who blesses you,
And cursed [of God] is he who curses you.”(B)
10 Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have done nothing but bless them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your place! I had intended to honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, 13 ‘Even if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak?’ 14 And now, look, I am going to my people; come, I will advise you as to what this people [Israel] will do to your people [Moab] in the days to come.”
15 He took up his [fourth] discourse (oracle) and said:
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
The oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16
The oracle of him who hears the words of God
And knows the knowledge of the [c]Most High,
Who sees the vision of the [d]Almighty,
Falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered:
17
“I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near.
A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob,
A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel
And shall crush the forehead of Moab
And destroy all the sons of Sheth.(C)
18
“Edom shall be [taken as] a possession,
[Mount] Seir, Israel’s enemies, also will be a possession,
While Israel performs valiantly.
19
“One from [the descendants of] Jacob shall have dominion
And will destroy the remnant from the city.”
20 Balaam looked at Amalek and took up his [fifth] discourse (oracle) and said:
“Amalek was the first of the [neighboring] nations [to oppose the Israelites after they left Egypt],
But his end shall be [e]destruction.”
21 And Balaam looked at the Kenites and took up his [sixth] discourse (oracle) and said:
“Strong is your dwelling place,
And you set your nest in the cliff.
22
“Nevertheless the Kenites will be consumed.
How long will Asshur (Assyria) keep you (Israel) captive?”
23 Then he took up his [seventh] discourse (oracle) and said:
“Alas, who can live unless God has ordained it?
24
“But ships shall come from the coast of [f]Kittim,
And shall afflict Asshur (Assyria) and [g]Eber;
So they (the victors) also will come to destruction.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 24:7 “Agag” was the title of the Amalekite kings, and here it represents the kingdom of the Gentiles. The Amalekites at that time were the most powerful of all the desert tribes (Num 24:20).
- Numbers 24:8 Lit horns.
- Numbers 24:16 Heb Elyon.
- Numbers 24:16 Heb Shaddai.
- Numbers 24:20 After the time of David, who was forced to rescue two of his wives from Amalekite bandits (1 Sam 30:18), the Amalekites are mentioned again only in Hezekiah’s time (1 Chr 4:43).
- Numbers 24:24 Cyprus and the greater part of the Mediterranean’s east coast.
- Numbers 24:24 The Hebrews, certain Arabs, and descendants of Nahor.
Numbers 24:3-24
New International Version
Numbers 24:3-24
New International Version
3 and he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(A)
4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(B)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,[a](C)
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents,(D) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river,(E)
like aloes(F) planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.(G)
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
and break their bones in pieces;(J)
with their arrows they pierce them.(K)
9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
like a lioness(L)—who dares to rouse them?
10 Then Balak’s anger burned(O) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(P) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(Q) but you have blessed them(R) these three times.(S) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(T) I said I would reward you handsomely,(U) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(V) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(W)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(X) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(Y)
Balaam’s Fourth Message
15 Then he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(Z) of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,(AA)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.(AB)
A star will come out of Jacob;(AC)
a scepter will rise out of Israel.(AD)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(AE)
the skulls[b](AF) of[c] all the people of Sheth.[d]
18 Edom(AG) will be conquered;
Seir,(AH) his enemy, will be conquered,(AI)
but Israel(AJ) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(AK)
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(AL) and spoke his message:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”(AM)
Balaam’s Sixth Message
21 Then he saw the Kenites(AN) and spoke his message:
“Your dwelling place is secure,(AO)
your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur(AP) takes you captive.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message
23 Then he spoke his message:
Footnotes
- Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
- Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
- Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
- Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
Joshua 3:1
Amplified Bible
Joshua 3:1
Amplified Bible
Israel Crosses the Jordan
3 Joshua got up early in the morning; then he and all the children of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they spent the night there before they crossed [the river].
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Joshua 3:1
New International Version
Joshua 3:1
New International Version
Crossing the Jordan
3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim(A) and went to the Jordan,(B) where they camped before crossing over.
Joshua 4:19
Amplified Bible
Joshua 4:19
Amplified Bible
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month and encamped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
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Joshua 4:19
New International Version
Joshua 4:19
New International Version
19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal(A) on the eastern border of Jericho.
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