Numbers 23:3-11
New American Standard Bible
4Now 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.'
5Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, 'Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.'
6So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.
7And he took up his discourse and said, 'From Aram Balak has brought me, Moab’s king from the mountains of the East, saying, ‘Come, declare Jacob cursed for me, And come, curse Israel!’
8How 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?
9For I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people that lives in isolation, And does not consider itself to be among the nations.
King James Version
4And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
Christian Standard Bible
4God met with him and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar."
5Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."
7Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains: "Come, put a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel!"
8How can I curse someone God has not cursed? How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. There is a people living alone; it does not consider itself among the nations.
10Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered even one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs.
New Living Translation
Chapter 23
3Then Balaam said to Balak, 'Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the Lord will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.' So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill, 4and God met him there. Balaam said to him, 'I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.'
7This was the message Balaam delivered: 'Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel’s doom.’
8But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned?
9I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations.
10Who can count Jacob’s descendants, as numerous as dust? Who can count even a fourth of Israel’s people? Let me die like the righteous; let my life end like theirs.'
English Standard Version
Chapter 23
3And 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." And he went to a bare height, 4and 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." 5And the Lord put a word in Balaam 's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." 6And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’
8How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations!
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"
11And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them."
New International Version
7Then Balaam spoke his message: "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’
8How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?
9From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!"
New King James Version
Chapter 23
3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by 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 desolate height. 4And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”
5Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
6So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
7And he took up his oracle and said: “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!’
8“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations.
10“Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his!”
