NUMBERS 21
1 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb,
heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel
and took some of them captive.
2 Then Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, "If you will
indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their
towns."
3 The Lord listened to the voice of Israel, and handed over the
Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their towns; so the place was
called Hormah.
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go
around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way.
5The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you
brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and
no water, and we detest this miserable food."
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they
bit the people, so that many Israelites died.
7 The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by
speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the
serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and
set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and
live."
9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and
whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze
and live.
10 The Israelites set out, and camped in Oboth.
11 They set out from Oboth, and camped at Iye-abarim, in the
wilderness bordering Moab toward the sunrise.
12 From there they set out, and camped in the Wadi Zered.
13 From there they set out, and camped on the other side of the
Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the boundary of the Amorites; for
the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,
"Waheb in Suphah and the wadis. The Arnon
15 and the slopes of the wadis that extend to the seat of Ar, and lie
along the border of Moab."
16 From there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the
Lord said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them
water."
17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!—Sing to
it!—
18 the well that the leaders sank, that the nobles of the people dug,
with the sceptre, with the staff." From the wilderness to Mattanah,
19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the
top of Pisgah that overlooks the wasteland.
21 Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites,
saying,
22 "Let me pass through your land; we will not turn aside into
field or vineyard; we will not drink the water of any well; we will go by the
King's Highway until we have passed through your territory."
23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory.
Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel to the
wilderness; he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24 Israel put him to the sword, and took possession of his land from
the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites; for the boundary of the
Ammonites was strong.
25 Israel took all these towns, and Israel settled in all the towns
of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.
26 For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had
fought against the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far as the
Arnon.
27Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be
built; let the city of Sihon be established.
28 For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It
devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed up the heights of the Arnon.
29 Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has
made his sons fugitives and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king,
Sihon.
30 So their posterity perished from Heshbon to Dibon, and we laid
waste until fire spread to Medeba."
31 Thus Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.
32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they captured its villages, and dispossessed
the Amorites who were there.
33 Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan; and King Og of
Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
34 But the Lord said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him; for I
have given him into your hand, with all his people, and all his land. You shall
do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in
Heshbon."
35 So they killed him, his sons, and all his people, until there was
no survivor left; and they took possession of his land.
NUMBERS 22
1 The Israelites set out, and camped in the plains of Moab across
the Jordan from Jericho.
2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the
Amorites.
3 Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were so
numerous; Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel.
4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now
lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field."
Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on
the Euphrates, in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, "A people has
come out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have
settled next to me.
6 Come now, curse this people for me, since they are stronger than
I; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land; for I
know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is
cursed."
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the
fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and gave him
Balak's message.
8 He said to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring back
word to you, just as the Lord speaks to me"; so the officials of Moab
stayed with Balaam.
9 God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with
you?"
10 Balaam said to God, "King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, has
sent me this message:
11 "A people has come out of Egypt and has spread over 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 they are blessed."
13 So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the officials of Balak,
"Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with
you."
14 So the officials of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said,
"Balaam refuses to come with us."
15 Once again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more
distinguished than these.
16 They came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak son of
Zippor: "Do not let anything hinder you from coming to me;
17 for I will surely do you great honour, and whatever you say to me
I will do; come, curse this people for me.' "
18 But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Although Balak
were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the
command of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
19 You remain here, as the others did, so that I may learn what more
the Lord may say to me."
20 That night God came to Balaam and said to him, "If the men
have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you
to do."
21 So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with
the officials of Moab.
22 God's anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the
Lord took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the
donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a
drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the
field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the
vineyards, with a wall on either side.
25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it scraped against the
wall, and scraped Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck it 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, it lay down under
Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his
staff.
28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to
Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three
times?"
29 Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of
me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!"
30 But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, which
you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating
you this way?" And he said, "No."
31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of
the Lord standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed
down, falling on his face.
32 The angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your
donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary, because your way is
perverse before me.
33 The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If
it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let
it live."
34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned,
for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now
therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home."
35The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but speak
only what I tell you to speak." So Balaam went on with the officials of
Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at
Ir-moab, on the boundary formed by the Arnon, at the farthest point of the
boundary.
37 Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send to summon you? Why did
you not come to me? Am I not able to honour you?"
38 Balaam said to Balak, "I have come to you now, but do I have
power to say just anything? The word God puts in my mouth that is what I must
say."
39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to
Kiriath-huzoth.
40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent them to Balaam and to
the officials who were with him.
41 On the next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to
Bamoth-baal; and from there he could see part of the people of Israel.
NUMBERS 23
1 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and
prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."
2 Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull
and a ram on each altar.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt
offerings while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he
shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height.
4 Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged
the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
5The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak,
and this is what you must say."
6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt
offerings with all the officials of Moab.
7 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Balak has brought me
from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: "Come, curse Jacob
for me; Come, denounce Israel!'
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those
whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold
him; Here is a people living alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the dust-cloud of
Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like
his!"
11Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you
to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them."
12 He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts
into my mouth?"
13 So Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place from
which you may see them; you shall see only part of them, and shall not see them
all; then curse them for me from there."
14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He
built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar
15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt
offerings, while I meet the Lord over there."
16 The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said,
"Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say."
17 When he came to him, he was standing beside his burnt offerings
with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, "What has the Lord
said?"
18 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Rise, Balak, and
hear; listen to me, O son of Zippor:
19 God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he
should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken,
and will he not fulfil it
20 See, I received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot
revoke it.
21 He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob; nor has he seen trouble in
Israel. The Lord their God is with them, acclaimed as a king among them
22 God, who brings them out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox
for them.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination
against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, "See what God
has done!'
24 Look, a people rising up like a lioness, and rousing itself like a
lion! It does not lie down until it has eaten the prey and drunk the blood of
the slain."
25 Then 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,
"Whatever the Lord says, that is what I must do'?"
27So Balak said to Balaam, "Come 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 Peor, which overlooks the
wasteland.
29 Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and
prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."
30 So Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on
each altar.
No comments:
Post a Comment