Numbers 23 · Kingdoms of Scripture

1Balaam said to Balak, Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here.

2Balak did as Balaam said, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your whole offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you. He went to a bare height.

Notes (1)

Translation
Shefi is a bare height, a place scraped clear. Yiqqareh is “he will meet,” the same verb as the chance meeting later in the chapter.

4God met Balaam, and he said to him, I have arranged the seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

5Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.

6He returned to him, and look, he was standing by his whole offering, he and all the chiefs of Moab.

7He took up his verse and said, From Aram Balak led me, the king of Moab, from the mountains of the east. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, denounce Israel.

Notes (1)

Translation
Mashal is a verse, a saying set in lines. Arar is curse. Za’am is denounce, to speak heat against.

8How can I put a curse on one El has not cursed? How can I denounce one Yahweh has not denounced?

9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I look at him. Look, a people that dwells apart, and among the nations it is not counted.

10Who has counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered a fourth of Israel? Let my life die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his.

Notes (1)

Translation
Rova is a fourth, a quarter. “A cloud of dust” is another proposal for the same consonants, and it is not printed.

11Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed, blessed them.

12He answered and said, Must I not keep to speaking what Yahweh puts in my mouth?

13Balak said to him, Go, please, with me to another place, from which you will see him. You will see only his edge. All of him you will not see. Put a curse on him for me from there.

Notes (1)

Text
The written consonants are לך, “go.” The Masoretic reading is לכה, the longer form of the same command. The written form is printed.

14He took him to the field of watchers, to the top of the Pisgah, and he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Notes (1)

Translation
Sedeh tzofim is the field of watchers, the field of those who look out. Rosh ha-pisgah is the top of the Pisgah.

15He said to Balak, Stand here by your whole offering, and I will meet here.

16Yahweh met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.

17He came to him, and look, he was standing by his whole offering, and the chiefs of Moab were with him. Balak said to him, What has Yahweh spoken?

18He took up his verse and said, Rise, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, son of Zippor.

19El is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of a human, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not make it stand?

20Look, I received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I will not turn it back.

21He has not looked on trouble in Jacob, and he has not seen misery in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him, and a king’s blast is in him.

Notes (1)

Translation
Aven is trouble. Amal is misery, grinding toil. Teru’at melekh is a king’s blast, the shout that marks a king. The line is YHWH Elohav, Yahweh his God.

22El, who brings them out of Egypt, has horns like a wild ox for him.

Notes (1)

Translation
To’afot re’em are the horns of a wild ox. Re’em is that animal. A later one-horned beast is not printed.

23For there is no divination against Jacob, and no omen against Israel. Now it is said of Jacob, and of Israel, What has El done?

24Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it eats prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

Notes (1)

Translation
Lavi is a lioness. Ari is a lion. The two animals are both printed.

25Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.

26Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not speak to you, saying, All that Yahweh speaks, that I will do?

27Balak said to Balaam, Come, please, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will be right in God’s eyes, and you will put a curse on him for me from there.

28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks out over the face of the wasteland.

29Balaam said to Balak, Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here.

30Balak did as Balaam said, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

1Balaam said to Balak, Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here.

2Balak did as Balaam said, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your whole offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you. He went to a bare height.

Notes (1)

Translation
Shefi is a bare height, a place scraped clear. Yiqqareh is “he will meet,” the same verb as the chance meeting later in the chapter.

4God met Balaam, and he said to him, I have arranged the seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

5Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.

6He returned to him, and look, he was standing by his whole offering, he and all the chiefs of Moab.

7He took up his verse and said, From Aram Balak led me, the king of Moab, from the mountains of the east. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, denounce Israel.

Notes (1)

Translation
Mashal is a verse, a saying set in lines. Arar is curse. Za’am is denounce, to speak heat against.

8How can I put a curse on one El has not cursed? How can I denounce one Yahweh has not denounced?

9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I look at him. Look, a people that dwells apart, and among the nations it is not counted.

10Who has counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered a fourth of Israel? Let my life die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his.

Notes (1)

Translation
Rova is a fourth, a quarter. “A cloud of dust” is another proposal for the same consonants, and it is not printed.

11Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed, blessed them.

12He answered and said, Must I not keep to speaking what Yahweh puts in my mouth?

13Balak said to him, Go, please, with me to another place, from which you will see him. You will see only his edge. All of him you will not see. Put a curse on him for me from there.

Notes (1)

Text
The written consonants are לך, “go.” The Masoretic reading is לכה, the longer form of the same command. The written form is printed.

14He took him to the field of watchers, to the top of the Pisgah, and he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Notes (1)

Translation
Sedeh tzofim is the field of watchers, the field of those who look out. Rosh ha-pisgah is the top of the Pisgah.

15He said to Balak, Stand here by your whole offering, and I will meet here.

16Yahweh met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.

17He came to him, and look, he was standing by his whole offering, and the chiefs of Moab were with him. Balak said to him, What has Yahweh spoken?

18He took up his verse and said, Rise, Balak, and hear. Listen to me, son of Zippor.

19El is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of a human, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not make it stand?

20Look, I received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I will not turn it back.

21He has not looked on trouble in Jacob, and he has not seen misery in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him, and a king’s blast is in him.

Notes (1)

Translation
Aven is trouble. Amal is misery, grinding toil. Teru’at melekh is a king’s blast, the shout that marks a king. The line is YHWH Elohav, Yahweh his God.

22El, who brings them out of Egypt, has horns like a wild ox for him.

Notes (1)

Translation
To’afot re’em are the horns of a wild ox. Re’em is that animal. A later one-horned beast is not printed.

23For there is no divination against Jacob, and no omen against Israel. Now it is said of Jacob, and of Israel, What has El done?

24Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it eats prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

Notes (1)

Translation
Lavi is a lioness. Ari is a lion. The two animals are both printed.

25Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.

26Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not speak to you, saying, All that Yahweh speaks, that I will do?

27Balak said to Balaam, Come, please, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will be right in God’s eyes, and you will put a curse on him for me from there.

28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks out over the face of the wasteland.

29Balaam said to Balak, Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here.

30Balak did as Balaam said, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.