Numbers 23 - Prayer Tents

Balaam Blesses Israel

23Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."H1109H559H1111H1129H7651H4196H3559H7651H6499H7651H352 2Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.H1111H6213H1109H1696H1111H1109H5927H4196H6499H352 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,H1109H559H1111H3320H5930H3212H3068H7136H7125H1697H7200H5046H3212H8205 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."H430H7136H1109H559H6186H7651H4196H5927H4196H6499H352 5The LORD gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."H3068H7760H1697H1109H6310H559H7725H1111H1696 6So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.H7725H5324H5930H8269H4124 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.'H5375H4912H559H1111H4428H4124H5148H758H2042H6924H3212H779H3290H3212H2194H3478 8But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the LORD has not condemned?H4100H5344H410H6895H2194H3068H2194 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.H7218H6697H7200H1389H7789H5971H7931H910H2803H1471 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."H4487H6083H3290H4557H7255H3478H4191H5315H4194H3477H319 11Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!"H1111H559H1109H6213H3947H6895H341H1288H1288 12But Balaam replied, "I will speak only the message that the LORD puts in my mouth."H6030H559H8104H1696H3068H7760H6310

Balaam’s Second Message

13Then King Balak told him, "Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!"H1111H559H3212H312H4725H7200H7200H657H7097H7200H6895 14So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.H3947H7704H6839H6822H7218H6449H1129H7651H4196H5927H6499H352H4196 15Then Balaam said to the king, "Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the LORD."H559H1111H3320H3541H5930H7136H3541 16And the LORD met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."H3068H7136H1109H7760H1697H6310H559H7725H1111H1696 17So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked eagerly.H935H5324H5930H8269H4124H1111H559H3068H1696 18This was the message Balaam delivered: "Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor.H5375H4912H559H6965H1111H8085H238H1121H6834 19God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?H410H376H3576H1121H120H5162H559H6213H1696H6965 20Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!H3947H1288H1288H7725 21No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.H5027H205H3290H7200H5999H3478H3068H430H8643H4428 22God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox.H410H3318H4714H8443H7214 23No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, 'What wonders God has done for Israel!'H5173H3290H7081H3478H6256H559H3290H3478H410H6466 24These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!"H5971H6965H3833H5375H738H7901H398H2964H8354H1818H2491 25Then Balak said to Balaam, "Fine, but if you won't curse them, at least don't bless them!"H1111H559H1109H5344H6895H1288H1288 26But Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you that I can do only what the LORD tells me?"H1109H6030H559H1111H1696H559H3068H1696H6213

Balaam’s Third Message

27Then King Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there."H1111H559H1109H3212H3947H312H4725H3474H5869H430H6895 28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland.H1111H3947H1109H7218H6465H8259H6440H3452 29Balaam again told Balak, "Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."H1109H559H1111H1129H7651H4196H3559H7651H6499H7651H352 30So Balak did as Balaam ordered and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar.H1111H6213H1109H559H5927H6499H352H4196