Numbers 22–24; Psalm 48

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Numbers 22–24

Balak Summons Balaam

Then ithe people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. And jBalak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And kMoab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to lthe elders of Midian, This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, msent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor nat Pethor, which is near the River1 in the land of the people of Amaw,2 to call him, saying, Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. oCome now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.

So the elders of Moab and lthe elders of Midian departed with pthe fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message. And he said to them, Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me. So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. qAnd God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you? 10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out. 12 God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for rthey are blessed. 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you. 14 So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.

15 Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 sfor I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. tCome, curse this people for me. 18 But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, uThough Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, vI could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. 19 So you, too, wplease stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me. 20 qAnd God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; xbut only do what I tell you. 21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel

22 But God’s anger was kindled because he went, yand the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way zas his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord aopened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you. 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way? And he said, No.

31 Then the Lord bopened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out cto oppose you because your way is perverse3 before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live. 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, dI have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back. 35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men, ebut speak only the word that I tell you. So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, fon the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. 37 And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to ghonor you? 38 Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? hThe word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak. 39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.

41 And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.

Balaam’s First Oracle

And Balaam said to Balak, iBuild for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams. Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam joffered on each altar a bull and a ram. And Balaam said to Balak, kStand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come lto meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you. And he went to a bare height, mand God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram. And the Lord nput a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak. And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam otook up his discourse and said,

From pAram Balak has brought me,

the king of Moab qfrom the eastern mountains:

Come, rcurse Jacob for me,

and come, denounce Israel!

How can I curse whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

For from the top of the crags sI see him,

from the hills I behold him;

behold, ta people dwelling alone,

and unot counting itself among the nations!

10  vWho can count the dust of Jacob

or number the fourth part4 of Israel?

Let me die wthe death of the upright,

and let my end be like his!

11 And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? xI took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them. 12 And he answered and said, yMust I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?

Balaam’s Second Oracle

13 And Balak said to him, Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there. 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, zand built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, aStand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there. 16 And the Lord met Balaam and bput a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak. 17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord spoken? 18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

Rise, Balak, and hear;

give ear to me, O son of Zippor:

19  cGod is not man, that he should lie,

or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

20  Behold, I received a command to bless:

dhe has blessed, and eI cannot revoke it.

21  fHe has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,

nor has he seen trouble in Israel.

The Lord their God is with them,

and the shout of a king is among them.

22  gGod brings them out of Egypt

and is for them like hthe horns of the wild ox.

23  For there is no enchantment against Jacob,

no idivination against Israel;

now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,

jWhat has God wrought!

24  Behold, a people! kAs a lioness it rises up

and as a lion it lifts itself;

lit does not lie down until it has devoured the prey

and drunk the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all. 26 But Balaam answered Balak, Did I not tell you, mAll that the Lord says, that I must do? 27 And Balak said to Balaam, nCome now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there. 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of oPeor, which overlooks pthe desert.5 29 And Balaam said to Balak, qBuild for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams. 30 rAnd Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam’s Third Oracle

When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at sother times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel tcamping tribe by tribe. And uthe Spirit of God came upon him, and he vtook up his discourse and said,

The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,6

the oracle of him who hears the words of God,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

wfalling down with his eyes uncovered:

How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,

your encampments, O Israel!

Like palm groves7 that stretch afar,

like gardens beside a river,

xlike aloes ythat the Lord has planted,

like cedar trees beside the waters.

Water shall flow from his buckets,

and his seed shall be zin many waters;

his king shall be higher than aAgag,

and bhis kingdom shall be exalted.

God brings him out of Egypt

and is for him like the chorns of the wild ox;

he shall deat up the nations, his adversaries,

and shall ebreak their bones in pieces

and fpierce them through with his arrows.

He crouched, he lay down like a lion

and glike a lioness; who will rouse him up?

hBlessed are those who bless you,

and cursed are those who curse you.

10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he istruck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, jI called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, kI will certainly honor you, but the Lord has held you back from honor. 12 And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 lIf Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad mof my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, nI will let you know what this people will do to your people oin the latter days.

Balaam’s Final Oracle

15 pAnd he took up his discourse 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 qthe Most High,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,

rfalling down with his eyes uncovered:

17  sI see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near:

ta star shall come out of Jacob,

and ua scepter shall rise out of Israel;

it shall vcrush the forehead8 of Moab

and break down all the sons of Sheth.

18  wEdom shall be dispossessed;

xSeir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.

Israel is doing valiantly.

19  And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion

and destroy the survivors of cities!

20 Then he looked on Amalek and ytook up his discourse and said,

Amalek was the first among the nations,

zbut its end is utter destruction.

21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,

Enduring is your dwelling place,

and your nest is set in the rock.

22  Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned

when Asshur takes you away captive.

23 And he took up his discourse and said,

Alas, who shall live when God does this?

24  But ships shall come from aKittim

and shall afflict Asshur and bEber;

and he too cshall come to utter destruction.

25 Then Balaam rose and dwent back to his place. And Balak also went his way.


Psalm 48

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of kthe Sons of Korah.

lGreat is the Lord and greatly to be praised

in mthe city of our God!

His nholy mountain, obeautiful in elevation,

is pthe joy of all the earth,

Mount Zion, in the far north,

qthe city of the great King.

Within her citadels God

has made himself known as a fortress.

For behold, rthe kings assembled;

they came on together.

As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;

they were in panic; they took to flight.

sTrembling took hold of them there,

anguish tas of a woman in labor.

By uthe east wind you vshattered

the ships of wTarshish.

As we have heard, so have we seen

in the city of the Lord of hosts,

in mthe city of our God,

which God will xestablish forever. Selah

We have thought on your ysteadfast love, O God,

in the midst of your temple.

10  As your zname, O God,

so your praise reaches to athe ends of the earth.

Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11  Let Mount bZion be glad!

Let bthe daughters of Judah rejoice

because of your judgments!

12  Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,

13  consider well her cramparts,

go through her citadels,

dthat you may tell the next generation

14  that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will eguide us forever.1