Chapter 22

Balak Sends for Balaam

1 aThen the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

2 Now aBalak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3 aSo Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.

4 Moab said to the elders of aMidian, “Now this 1horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

5 So he sent messengers to aBalaam the son of Beor, at bPethor, which is near the 1River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.

6 “aNow, therefore, please come, bcurse this people for me since they are too 1mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to 2defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for adivination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and 1repeated Balak’s words to him.

8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the Lord may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

9 Then aGod came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

10 Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me,

11 ‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ”

12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; ayou shall not curse the people, for they bare blessed.”

13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

14 The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than 1the former.

16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me;

17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. aPlease come then, curse this people for me.’ ”

18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “aThough Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the 1command of the Lord my God.

19 “Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me.”

20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but aonly the word which I speak to you shall you do.”

21 aSo Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

The Angel and Balaam

22 But God was angry because he was going, aand the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.

23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.

26 The angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left.

27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so aBalaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.

28 And athe Lord opened 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 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, aI would have killed you by now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw athe angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed 1all the way to the ground.

32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was 1acontrary to me.

33 “But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”

34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “aI have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”

35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but ayou shall speak only the word which I 1tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, 1at the extreme end of the border.

37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?”

38 So Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come now to you! aAm I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.”

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

41 Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to 1athe high places of Baal, and he saw from there 2a bportion of the people.

Chapter 23

The Prophecies of Balaam

1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

2 Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a bare hill.

4 Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.”

5 Then the Lord aput a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.”

6 So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.

7 He took up his 1discourse and said,

“From aAram Balak has brought me,

Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,

‘bCome curse Jacob for me,

And come, denounce Israel!’

8 “aHow shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 “As I see him from the top of the rocks,

And I look at him from the hills;

aBehold, a people who dwells apart,

And will not be reckoned among the nations.

10 “aWho can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number the fourth part of Israel?

bLet 1me die the death of the upright,

cAnd let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? aI took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!”

12 He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak awhat the Lord puts in my mouth?”

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.”

14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the Lord over there.”

16 Then the Lord met Balaam and aput a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

18 Then he took up his 1discourse and said,

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;

Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!

19 “aGod is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

bHas He said, and will He not do it?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 “Behold, I have received a command to bless;

aWhen He has blessed, then bI cannot revoke it.

21 “aHe has not observed 1misfortune in Jacob;

bNor has He seen trouble in Israel;

cThe Lord his God is with him,

dAnd the shout of a king is among them.

22 “aGod brings them out of Egypt,

He is for them like the bhorns of the wild ox.

23 “aFor there is no omen against Jacob,

Nor is there any divination against Israel;

At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob

And to Israel, what God has done!

24 “aBehold, a people rises like a lioness,

And as a lion it lifts itself;

It will not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘1aWhatever the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be 1agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there.”

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor which overlooks the 1wasteland.

29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”

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

Chapter 24

The Prophecy from Peor

1 When Balaam saw that it 1pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to 2seek aomens but he set his face toward the bwilderness.

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel 1camping tribe by tribe; and athe Spirit of God came upon him.

3 He took up his 1discourse and said,

“aThe oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;

4 The oracle of him who ahears the 1words of God,

Who sees the bvision of 2the Almighty,

Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob,

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6 “Like 1valleys that stretch out,

Like gardens beside the river,

Like aaloes planted by the Lord,

Like bcedars beside the waters.

7 “Water will flow from his buckets,

And his seed will be by many waters,

And his king shall be higher than aAgag,

bAnd his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 “aGod brings him out of Egypt,

He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.

bHe will devour the nations who are his adversaries,

And will crush their bones in pieces,

And shatter them with his carrows.

9 “aHe 1couches, he lies down as a lion,

And as a 2lion, who 3dares rouse him?

bBlessed is everyone who blesses you,

And cursed is everyone who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his 1hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!

11 “Therefore, 1flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.”

12 Balaam said to Balak, “aDid I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying,

13 ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the 1command of the Lord, either good or bad, aof my own 2accord. bWhat the Lord speaks, that I will speak’?

14 “And now, behold, aI am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the 1days to come.”

15 He took up his discourse and said,

“aThe oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

16 The oracle of him who hears the 1words of God,

And knows the knowledge of the 2Most High,

Who sees the vision of 3the Almighty,

Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.

17 “I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near;

A star shall come forth from Jacob,

aA scepter shall rise from Israel,

bAnd shall crush through the 1forehead of Moab,

And 2tear down all the sons of 3Sheth.

18 “aEdom shall be a possession,

bSeir, its enemies, also will be a possession,

While Israel performs valiantly.

19 “One from Jacob shall have dominion,

And will destroy the remnant from the city.”

20 And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said,

“Amalek was the first of the nations,

aBut his end shall be 1destruction.”

21 And he looked at the aKenite, and took up his discourse and said,

“Your dwelling place is enduring,

And your nest is set in the cliff.

22 “Nevertheless Kain will be consumed;

How long will aAsshur 1keep you captive?”

23 Then he took up his discourse and said,

“Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?

24 “But ships shall come from the coast of aKittim,

And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict bEber;

cSo they also will come to destruction.”

25 Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to ahis place, and Balak also went his way.

Chapter 25

The Sin of Peor

1 While Israel remained at aShittim, the people began bto play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.

2 For athey invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3 So aIsrael joined themselves to 1Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel.

4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them 1in broad daylight before the Lord, aso that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you aslay his men who have joined themselves to 1Baal of Peor.”

6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his 1relatives a aMidianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, bwhile they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

7 aWhen Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the 1tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the 2body. aSo the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

9 aThose who died by the plague were 24,000.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

11 “aPhinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel bin My jealousy.

12 “Therefore say, ‘aBehold, I give him My bcovenant of peace;

13 and it shall be for him and his 1descendants after him, a covenant of a aperpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and bmade atonement for the sons of Israel.’ ”

14 Now the name of the 1slain man of Israel who was 1slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites.

15 The name of the Midianite woman who was 1slain was aCozbi the daughter of bZur, 2who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

17 “aBe hostile to the Midianites and strike them;

18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Chapter 26

Census of a New Generation

1 1Then it came about after the aplague, 2that the Lord spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

2 “aTake a 1census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ households, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel.”

3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them ain the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

4 “Take a census of the people from twenty years old and upward, as the Lord has commanded Moses.”

Now the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were:

5 Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

7 These are the families of the Reubenites, and those who were numbered of them were a43,730.

8 The son of Pallu: Eliab.

9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were acalled by the congregation, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord,

10 and athe earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that company died, bwhen the fire devoured 250 men, so that they became a 1warning.

11 aThe sons of Korah, however, did not die.

12 The sons of Simeon according to their families: of 1Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of 2Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

13 of 1Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14 These are the families of the Simeonites, a22,200.

15 The sons of Gad according to their families: of 1Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

16 of 1Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;

17 of 1Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, a40,500.

19 The asons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

20 The asons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

21 The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, a76,500.

23 The asons of Issachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of 1Puvah, the family of the Punites;

24 of 1Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, a64,300.

26 The asons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, a60,500.

28 The asons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.

29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and aMachir 1became the father of Gilead: of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.

30 These are the sons of Gilead: of 1Iezer, the family of the aIezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

31 and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

32 and of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33 Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and athe names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.

34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were a52,700.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of 1Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36 These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, a32,500. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of 1Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

39 of 1Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of 2Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40 The sons of Bela were 1Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were a45,600.

42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of 1Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.

43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were a64,400.

44 The asons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46 The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.

47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, a53,400.

48 The asons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of aShillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were a45,400.

51 These are those who were numbered of the sons of Israel, a601,730.

52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

53 “1Among these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

54 “aTo the larger group you shall increase their inheritance, and to the smaller group you shall diminish their inheritance; each shall be given their inheritance according to those who were numbered of them.

55 “But the land shall be adivided by lot. They shall 1receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

56 “According to the selection by lot, their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller groups.”

57 aThese are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. aKohath 1became the father of Amram.

59 The name of Amram’s wife awas Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram: Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.

60 aTo Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

61 aBut Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the Lord.

62 Those who were numbered of them were a23,000, every male from a month old and upward, for bthey were not numbered among the sons of Israel csince no inheritance was given to them among the sons of Israel.

63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

64 aBut among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the Lord had said 1of them, “aThey shall surely die in the wilderness.” And not a man was left of them, bexcept Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.