Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible
Contemporary English Version
Numbers 24:5
"People of Israel, your camp is lovely.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
Hebrew Names Version
How goodly are your tents, Ya`akov, Your tents, Yisra'el!
How goodly are your tents, Ya`akov, Your tents, Yisra'el!
King James Version
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Lexham English Bible
How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
English Standard Version
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
New Century Version
Your tents are beautiful, people of Jacob! So are your homes, Israel!
Your tents are beautiful, people of Jacob! So are your homes, Israel!
New English Translation
‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!
‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!
Amplified Bible
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, And your tabernacles, O Israel!
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, And your tabernacles, O Israel!
New American Standard Bible
How pleasant are your tents, Jacob, Your dwelling places, Israel!
How pleasant are your tents, Jacob, Your dwelling places, Israel!
Geneva Bible (1587)
How goodly are thy tentes, O Iaakob, & thine habitations, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tentes, O Iaakob, & thine habitations, O Israel!
Legacy Standard Bible
How fair are your tents, O Jacob,Your dwellings, O Israel!
How fair are your tents, O Jacob,Your dwellings, O Israel!
Complete Jewish Bible
"How lovely are your tents, Ya‘akov; your encampments, Isra'el!
"How lovely are your tents, Ya‘akov; your encampments, Isra'el!
Darby Translation
How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel!
Easy-to-Read Version
"People of Jacob, your tents are beautiful! Israelites, your homes are beautiful!
"People of Jacob, your tents are beautiful! Israelites, your homes are beautiful!
George Lamsa Translation
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!
Good News Translation
The tents of Israel are beautiful,
The tents of Israel are beautiful,
Christian Standard Bible®
How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,your dwellings, Israel.
How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,your dwellings, Israel.
Literal Translation
How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How goodly are thy tetes O Iacob, and thy habitacions O Israel?
How goodly are thy tetes O Iacob, and thy habitacions O Israel?
American Standard Version
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Bible in Basic English
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your houses, O Israel!
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your houses, O Israel!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howe goodly are thy tentes O Iacob, and thyne habitations O Israel?
Howe goodly are thy tentes O Iacob, and thyne habitations O Israel?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
King James Version (1611)
How goodly are thy tents, O Iacob, and thy Tabernacles, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Iacob, and thy Tabernacles, O Israel!
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
How goodly are thy habitations, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!
How goodly are thy habitations, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!
English Revised Version
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Berean Standard Bible
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jacob, and thi tentis, Israel!
Jacob, and thi tentis, Israel!
Young's Literal Translation
How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;
How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;
Update Bible Version
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your tabernacles, O Israel!
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your tabernacles, O Israel!
Webster's Bible Translation
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, [and] thy tabernacles, O Israel!
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, [and] thy tabernacles, O Israel!
World English Bible
How goodly are your tents, Jacob, Your tents, Israel!
How goodly are your tents, Jacob, Your tents, Israel!
New King James Version
"How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!
"How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!
New Living Translation
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel!
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel!
New Life Bible
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, and your homes, O Israel!
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, and your homes, O Israel!
New Revised Standard
how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How pleasing are thy tents, O Jacob, - Thy habitations, O Israel:
How pleasing are thy tents, O Jacob, - Thy habitations, O Israel:
Douay-Rheims Bible
How beautiful are thy tabernacles O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!
How beautiful are thy tabernacles O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!
Revised Standard Version
how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
THE MESSAGE
By now Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision; Decree of a man who hears God speak, who sees what The Strong God shows him, Who falls on his face in worship, who sees what's really going on. What beautiful tents, Jacob, oh, your homes, Israel! Like valleys stretching out in the distance, like gardens planted by rivers, Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God , like red cedars by pools and springs, Their buckets will brim with water, their seed will spread life everywhere. Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk, their kingdom surpassingly majestic. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox, Gulping enemies like morsels of meat, crushing their bones, snapping their arrows. Israel crouches like a lion and naps, king-of-the-beasts—who dares disturb him? Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed. Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: "I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you're getting nothing. You can blame God ." Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn't do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God 's command'? I'm leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come." Then he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, decree of the man with 20/20 vision, Decree of the man who hears godly speech, who knows what's going on with the High God, Who sees what The Strong God reveals, who bows in worship and sees what's real. I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob a scepter from Israel, Crushing the heads of Moab, the skulls of all the noisy windbags; I see Edom sold off at auction, enemy Seir marked down at the flea market, while Israel walks off with the trophies. A ruler is coming from Jacob who'll destroy what's left in the city. Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said, Amalek, you're in first place among nations right now, but you're going to come in last, ruined. He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them: Your home is in a nice secure place, like a nest high on the face of a cliff. Still, you Kenites will look stupid when Asshur takes you prisoner. Balaam spoke his final oracle-message: Doom! Who stands a chance when God starts in? Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea, will harass Asshur and Eber, But they'll also come to nothing, just like all the rest. Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way.
By now Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision; Decree of a man who hears God speak, who sees what The Strong God shows him, Who falls on his face in worship, who sees what's really going on. What beautiful tents, Jacob, oh, your homes, Israel! Like valleys stretching out in the distance, like gardens planted by rivers, Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God , like red cedars by pools and springs, Their buckets will brim with water, their seed will spread life everywhere. Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk, their kingdom surpassingly majestic. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox, Gulping enemies like morsels of meat, crushing their bones, snapping their arrows. Israel crouches like a lion and naps, king-of-the-beasts—who dares disturb him? Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed. Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: "I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you're getting nothing. You can blame God ." Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn't do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God 's command'? I'm leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come." Then he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, decree of the man with 20/20 vision, Decree of the man who hears godly speech, who knows what's going on with the High God, Who sees what The Strong God reveals, who bows in worship and sees what's real. I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob a scepter from Israel, Crushing the heads of Moab, the skulls of all the noisy windbags; I see Edom sold off at auction, enemy Seir marked down at the flea market, while Israel walks off with the trophies. A ruler is coming from Jacob who'll destroy what's left in the city. Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said, Amalek, you're in first place among nations right now, but you're going to come in last, ruined. He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them: Your home is in a nice secure place, like a nest high on the face of a cliff. Still, you Kenites will look stupid when Asshur takes you prisoner. Balaam spoke his final oracle-message: Doom! Who stands a chance when God starts in? Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea, will harass Asshur and Eber, But they'll also come to nothing, just like all the rest. Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!
Contextual Overview
1 Balaam was sure that the Lord would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the Lord wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert 2 and saw the tribes of Israel camped below. Just then, God's Spirit took control of him, 3 and Balaam said: "I am the son of Beor, and my words are true, so listen to my message! 4 It comes from the Lord , the God All-Powerful. I bowed down to him and saw a vision of Israel. 5 "People of Israel, your camp is lovely. 6 It's like a grove of palm trees or a garden beside a river. You are like tall aloe trees that the Lord has planted, or like cedars growing near water. 7 You and your descendants will prosper like an orchard beside a stream. Your king will rule with power and be a greater king than Agag the Amalekite. 8 With the strength of a wild ox, God led you out of Egypt. You will defeat your enemies, shooting them with arrows and crushing their bones. 9 Like a lion you lie down, resting after an attack. Who would dare disturb you? "Anyone who blesses you will be blessed; anyone who curses you will be cursed."
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Reciprocal: Exodus 38:21 - tabernacle of testimony Leviticus 23:42 - General Numbers 2:34 - so they Numbers 10:28 - according Numbers 24:2 - abiding Deuteronomy 33:29 - Happy Joshua 24:10 - General Nehemiah 13:2 - our God Song of Solomon 4:7 - General Song of Solomon 6:4 - terrible Malachi 2:12 - out
Cross-References
Genesis 24:58
They called her and asked, "Are you willing to leave with this man right now?" "Yes," she answered.
They called her and asked, "Are you willing to leave with this man right now?" "Yes," she answered.
Exodus 9:2
If you keep refusing,
If you keep refusing,
Exodus 20:7
Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.
Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.
Proverbs 13:16
If you have good sense, you will act sensibly, but fools act like fools.
If you have good sense, you will act sensibly, but fools act like fools.
Jeremiah 4:2
Make promises only in my name, and do what you promise! Then all nations will praise me, and I will bless them.
Make promises only in my name, and do what you promise! Then all nations will praise me, and I will bless them.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,.... Not that the matter of which they were made was so rich, or their structure so admirable, but the order in which they were placed was so beautiful and agreeable:
and thy tabernacles, O Israel; which is the same thing in other words, and which may be applied figuratively to the church of God, which often goes by the names of Jacob and Israel; and agrees with particular congregations and assemblies of saints, where they dwell as in tents in a movable state, like pilgrims and sojourners; and which are the dwelling places of Father, Son, and Spirit, and of the people of God with one another; and are goodly, pleasant, and delightful, because of the presence of God with them, and on account of the provisions there made for them, and the company they there enjoy; see Psalms 84:1.
