Study Desk

^(C1)Then the sons of Israel journeyed on, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Now ^(C1)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

^(C1)So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.

Moab said to the elders of ^(C1)Midian, "Now this ^(F1)horde will eat up all that is around us, as the ox eats up the grass of the field!" And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

So he sent messengers to ^(C1)Balaam the son of Beor, at ^(C2)Pethor, which is near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, "Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they have covered the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.

"^(C1)Now, therefore, please come, ^(C2)curse this people for me since they are too ^(F1)mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to ^(F2)defeat 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."

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the fees for ^(C1)divination in their hands; and they came to Balaam and ^(F1)repeated Balak's words to him.

And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you just as the LORD may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

Then ^(C1)God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"

Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me:

'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 will be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"

But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; ^(C1)you shall not curse the people, for they ^(C2)are blessed."

So Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak's representatives, "Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."

And the representatives from Moab got up and went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

Then Balak sent representatives once again, more numerous and more distinguished than ^(F1)the previous.

They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak the son of Zippor says: 'I beg you, let nothing keep you from coming to me;

for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you tell me. ^(C1)Please come then, curse this people for me.'"

But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "^(C1)Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the ^(F1)command of the LORD my God.

"Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will say to me."

And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise and go with them; but you shall do ^(C1)only the thing that I tell you."

^(C1)So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.

But God was angry that he was going, ^(C1)and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road.

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

When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall, so he struck her again.

Then the angel of the LORD went farther, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left.

When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so ^(C1)Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his staff.

Then ^(C1)the 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?"

And Balaam said to the donkey, "It is because you have made a mockery of me! If only there had been a sword in my hand! For ^(C1)I would have killed you by now!"

But 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 in the habit of doing such a thing to you?" And he said, "No."

Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw ^(C1)the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed ^(F1)all the way to the ground.

Then 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 ^(C1)reckless and contrary to me.

"But the donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I certainly would have killed you just now, and let her live."

So Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "^(C1)I 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."

But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but ^(C1)you shall speak only the word that I ^(F1)tell you." So Balaam went along with the representatives of Balak.

When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, ^(F1)at the extreme end of the border.

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not urgently send word to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?"

So Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you now! ^(C1)Am I really able to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that only shall I speak."

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

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

Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to ^(F1)(C1)the high places of Baal, and he saw from there ^(F2)a ^(C2)portion of the people.

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

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

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.

Now God met with 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."

Then the LORD ^(C1)put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak."

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

And he took up his discourse and said, "From ^(C1)Aram Balak has brought me, Moab's king from the mountains of the East, saying, '^(C2)Come, declare Jacob cursed for me, And come, curse Israel!'

-"^(C1)How am I to put a curse on him upon whom God has not put a curse? And how am I to curse him whom the LORD has not cursed?

-"For I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; ^(C1)Behold, a people that lives in isolation, And does not consider itself to be among the nations.

-"^(C1)Who has counted the dust of Jacob, Or the number of the fourth part of Israel? ^(C2)May ^(F1)I die the death of the upright, ^(C3)And may my end be like his!"

Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? ^(C1)I took you to put a curse on my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!"

He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak ^(C1)what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

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 put a curse on them for me from there."

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

Then he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there."

Then the LORD met Balaam and ^(C1)put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak."

So 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?"

Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor!

-"^(C1)God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; ^(C2)Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

-"Behold, I have received a command to bless; ^(C1)When He has blessed, ^(C2)I cannot revoke it.

-"^(C1)He has not looked at misfortune in Jacob; ^(C2)Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; ^(C3)The LORD his God is with him, ^(C4)And the joyful shout of a king is among them.

-"^(C1)God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the ^(C2)horns of the wild ox.

-"^(C1)For there is no magic curse 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!

-"^(C1)Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And like a lion it raises itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of those slain."

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

But Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not tell you, '^(F1)(C1)Whatever the LORD speaks, I must do'?"

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be ^(F1)agreeable with God that you curse them for me from there."

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the ^(F1)desert.

And Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

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

When Balaam saw that it ^(F1)pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to ^(F2)seek ^(C1)omens, rather he turned his ^(F3)attention toward the ^(C2)wilderness.

And Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel ^(F1)camping tribe by tribe; and ^(C1)the Spirit of God came upon him.

Then he took up his discourse and said, "^(C1)The declaration of Balaam the son of Beor, And the declaration of the man whose eye is opened;

The declaration of him who ^(C1)hears the ^(F1)words of God, Who sees the ^(C2)vision of ^(F2)the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

How pleasant are your tents, Jacob, Your dwelling places, Israel!

-"Like ^(F1)valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside a river, Like ^(C1)aloes planted by the LORD, Like ^(C2)cedars beside the waters.

-"Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than ^(C1)Agag, ^(C2)And his kingdom shall be exalted.

-"^(C1)God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. ^(C2)He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones, And smash them with his ^(C3)arrows.

-"^(C1)He ^(F1)crouches, he lies down like a lion, And like a lioness, who ^(F2)dares to rouse him? ^(C2)Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you."

Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his ^(F1)hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!

"So ^(F1)flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor."

And Balaam said to Balak, "^(C1)Did I not in fact tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying,

'If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the ^(F1)command of the LORD, either good or bad, ^(C1)of my own ^(F2)accord. ^(C2)What the LORD speaks, I will ^(F3)speak'?

"So now, behold, ^(C1)I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you of what this people will do to your people in the ^(F1)days to come."

Then he took up his discourse and said, "^(C1)The declaration of Balaam the son of Beor, And the declaration of the man whose eye is opened,

The declaration of him who hears the ^(F1)words of God, And knows the knowledge of the ^(F2)Most High, Who sees the vision of ^(F3)the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered:

I see him, but not now; I look at him, but not near; A star shall appear from Jacob, ^(C1)A scepter shall rise from Israel, ^(C2)And shall smash the ^(F1)forehead of Moab, And overcome all the sons of Sheth.

-"^(C1)And Edom shall be a possession, ^(C2)Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly.

-"One from Jacob shall rule, And will eliminate the survivors from the city."

And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, ^(C1)But his end shall be ^(F1)destruction."

And he looked at the ^(C1)Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, "Your dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff.

-"Nevertheless Kain will suffer devastation; How long will ^(C1)Asshur ^(F1)keep you captive?"

Then he took up his discourse and said, "Oh, who can live unless God has ordained it?

-"But ships shall come from the coast of ^(C1)Kittim, And they shall oppress Asshur and oppress ^(C2)Eber; ^(C3)So they also will come to destruction."

Then Balaam arose, and he departed and returned to ^(C1)his place, and Balak also went on his way.

While Israel remained at ^(C1)Shittim, the people began ^(C2)to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab.

For ^(C1)they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

So ^(C1)Israel ^(F1)became followers of ^(F2)Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry with Israel.

And the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and ^(F1)execute them ^(F2)in broad daylight before the LORD, ^(C1)so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."

So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you ^(C1)kill his men who have ^(F1)become followers of ^(F2)Baal of Peor."

Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a ^(C1)Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ^(C2)while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

^(C1)When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

and he went after the man of Israel into the inner room of the tent and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through the abdomen. ^(C1)So the plague on the sons of Israel was brought to a halt.

^(C1)But those who died from the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

"^(C1)Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was ^(F1)jealous with My ^(F2)jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel ^(C2)in My ^(F2)jealousy.

"Therefore say, '^(C1)Behold, I am giving him My ^(C2)covenant of peace;

and it shall be for him and for his ^(F1)descendants after him, a covenant of a ^(C1)permanent priesthood, because he was ^(F2)jealous for his God and ^(C2)made atonement for the sons of Israel.'"

Now the name of the ^(F1)dead man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites.

And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was ^(C1)Cozbi the daughter of ^(C2)Zur, ^(F1)who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

"^(C1)Be hostile to the Midianites and attack them;

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