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Numbers 20-25
English Standard Version
Numbers 20-25
English Standard Version
The Death of Miriam
20 And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came (A)into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And (B)Miriam died there and was buried there.
The Waters of Meribah
2 (C)Now there was no water for the congregation. (D)And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people (E)quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished (F)when our brothers perished before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5 And (G)why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and (H)fell on their faces. (I)And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 (J)“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So (K)you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff (L)from before the Lord, as he commanded him.
Moses Strikes the Rock
10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, (M)“Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, (N)and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because (O)you did not believe in me, (P)to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13 (Q)These are the waters of Meribah,[a] where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.
Edom Refuses Passage
14 (R)Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to (S)the king of Edom: “Thus says (T)your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15 (U)how our fathers went down to Egypt, (V)and we lived in Egypt a long time. (W)And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16 And (X)when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and (Y)sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 (Z)Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, (AA)or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18 But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” 19 And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, (AB)and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, (AC)then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” 20 But he said, (AD)“You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. 21 Thus Edom (AE)refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel (AF)turned away from him.
The Death of Aaron
22 And they journeyed from (AG)Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to (AH)Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, 24 (AI)“Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because (AJ)you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. 26 And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron (AK)shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.” 27 Moses did as the Lord commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 (AL)And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there (AM)on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, (AN)all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
Arad Destroyed
21 When (AO)the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in (AP)the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2 (AQ)And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.”[b] 3 And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called (AR)Hormah.[c]
The Bronze Serpent
4 From Mount Hor (AS)they set out by the way to the Red Sea, (AT)to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people (AU)spoke against God and against Moses, (AV)“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and (AW)we loathe this worthless food.” 6 (AX)Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and (AY)they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 (AZ)And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. (BA)Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So (BB)Moses made a bronze[d] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
The Song of the Well
10 And the people of Israel set out and (BC)camped in Oboth. 11 (BD)And they set out from Oboth and (BE)camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they set out and camped in (BF)the Valley of Zered. 13 From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the (BG)Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,
“Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,
15 and the slope of the valleys
that extends to the seat of (BH)Ar,
and leans to the border of Moab.”
16 And from there they continued (BI)to Beer;[e] that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that (BJ)I may give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
18 the well that the princes made,
that the nobles of the people dug,
with (BK)the scepter and with their staffs.”
And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah (BL)that looks down on the desert.[f]
King Sihon Defeated
21 Then (BM)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 (BN)“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 (BO)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and (BP)came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 (BQ)And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the (BR)Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the (BS)ballad singers say,
“Come to (BT)Heshbon, let it be built;
let the city of Sihon be established.
28 For (BU)fire came out from (BV)Heshbon,
flame from the city of Sihon.
It devoured (BW)Ar of Moab,
and swallowed[g] the heights of the Arnon.
29 (BX)Woe to you, O Moab!
You are undone, O people of (BY)Chemosh!
He has made his sons fugitives,
and his daughters captives,
to an Amorite king, Sihon.
30 So we overthrew them;
Heshbon, as far as (BZ)Dibon, perished;
and we laid waste as far as Nophah;
fire spread as far as (CA)Medeba.”[h]
King Og Defeated
31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent to spy out (CB)Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle (CC)at Edrei. 34 (CD)But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And (CE)you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.
Balak Summons Balaam
22 Then (CF)the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2 And (CG)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And (CH)Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. 4 And Moab said to (CI)the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 (CJ)sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor (CK)at Pethor, which is near the River[i] in the land of the people of Amaw,[j] to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. 6 (CL)Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and (CM)the elders of Midian departed with (CN)the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message. 8 And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 (CO)And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers 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 (CP)they are blessed.” 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” 14 So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
15 Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 (CQ)for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. (CR)Come, curse this people for me.’” 18 But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, (CS)“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, (CT)I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. 19 So you, too, (CU)please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.” 20 (CV)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; (CW)but only do what I tell you.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam's Donkey and the Angel
22 But God's anger was kindled because he went, (CX)and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way (CY)as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her 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, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord (CZ)opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord (DA)opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out (DB)to oppose you because your way is perverse[k] before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, (DC)“I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” 35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, (DD)but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, (DE)on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. 37 And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to (DF)honor you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? (DG)The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.” 39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.
41 And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.
Balaam's First Oracle
23 And Balaam said to Balak, (DH)“Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam (DI)offered on each altar a bull and a ram. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, (DJ)“Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come (DK)to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, 4 (DL)and 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.” 5 And the Lord (DM)put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7 And Balaam (DN)took up his discourse and said,
“From (DO)Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab (DP)from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, (DQ)curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 For from the top of the crags (DR)I see him,
from the hills I behold him;
behold, (DS)a people dwelling alone,
and (DT)not counting itself among the nations!
10 (DU)Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number the fourth part[l] of Israel?
Let me die (DV)the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!”
11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? (DW)I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” 12 And he answered and said, (DX)“Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
Balaam's Second Oracle
13 And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, (DY)and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, (DZ)“Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there.” 16 And the Lord met Balaam and (EA)put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” 17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
“Rise, Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19 (EB)God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I received a command to bless:
(EC)he has blessed, and (ED)I cannot revoke it.
21 (EE)He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
and the shout of a king is among them.
22 (EF)God brings them out of Egypt
and is for them like (EG)the horns of the wild ox.
23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
no (EH)divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
(EI)‘What has God wrought!’
24 Behold, a people! (EJ)As a lioness it rises up
and as a lion it lifts itself;
(EK)it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
and drunk the blood of the slain.”
25 And 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, (EL)‘All that the Lord says, that I must do’?” 27 And Balak said to Balaam, (EM)“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 (EN)Peor, which overlooks (EO)the desert.[m] 29 And Balaam said to Balak, (EP)“Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 (EQ)And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Balaam's Third Oracle
24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at (ER)other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel (ES)camping tribe by tribe. And (ET)the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he (EU)took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,[n]
4 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
(EV)falling down with his eyes uncovered:
5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
your encampments, O Israel!
6 Like palm groves[o] that stretch afar,
like gardens beside a river,
(EW)like aloes (EX)that the Lord has planted,
like cedar trees beside the waters.
7 Water shall flow from his buckets,
and his seed shall be (EY)in many waters;
his king shall be higher than (EZ)Agag,
and (FA)his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brings him out of Egypt
and is for him like the (FB)horns of the wild ox;
he shall (FC)eat up the nations, his adversaries,
and shall (FD)break their bones in pieces
and (FE)pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion
and (FF)like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
(FG)Blessed are those who bless you,
and cursed are those who curse you.”
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he (FH)struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, (FI)“I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, (FJ)‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 (FK)‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad (FL)of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, (FM)I will let you know what this people will do to your people (FN)in the latter days.”
Balaam's Final Oracle
15 (FO)And he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of (FP)the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
(FQ)falling down with his eyes uncovered:
17 (FR)I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
(FS)a star shall come out of Jacob,
and (FT)a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall (FU)crush the forehead[p] of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
18 (FV)Edom shall be dispossessed;
(FW)Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
Israel is doing valiantly.
19 And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion
and destroy the survivors of cities!”
20 Then he looked on Amalek and (FX)took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first among the nations,
(FY)but its end is utter destruction.”
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Enduring is your dwelling place,
and your nest is set in the rock.
22 Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned
when Asshur takes you away captive.”
23 And he took up his discourse and said,
“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from (FZ)Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and (GA)Eber;
and he too (GB)shall come to utter destruction.”
25 Then Balaam rose and (GC)went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.
Baal Worship at Peor
25 While Israel lived in (GD)Shittim, (GE)the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 (GF)These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, (GG)“Take all the chiefs of the people and (GH)hang[q] them in the sun before the Lord, (GI)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to (GJ)the judges of Israel, (GK)“Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were (GL)weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 (GM)When Phinehas (GN)the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, (GO)those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
The Zeal of Phinehas
10 And the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he (GP)was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in (GQ)my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, (GR)‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be to him and to (GS)his descendants after him the covenant of (GT)a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
14 The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of (GU)Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian.
16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 (GV)“Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18 for they have harassed you with their (GW)wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of (GX)Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 20:13 Meribah means quarreling
- Numbers 21:2 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verse 3
- Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction
- Numbers 21:9 Or copper
- Numbers 21:16 Beer means well
- Numbers 21:20 Or Jeshimon
- Numbers 21:28 Septuagint; Hebrew the lords of
- Numbers 21:30 Compare Samaritan and Septuagint; Hebrew and we laid waste as far as Nophah, which is as far as Medeba
- Numbers 22:5 That is, the Euphrates
- Numbers 22:5 Or the people of his kindred
- Numbers 22:32 Or reckless
- Numbers 23:10 Or dust clouds
- Numbers 23:28 Or Jeshimon
- Numbers 24:3 Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15
- Numbers 24:6 Or valleys
- Numbers 24:17 Hebrew corners [of the head]
- Numbers 25:4 Or impale
Numbers 20-25
New International Version
Numbers 20-25
New International Version
Water From the Rock
20 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin,(A) and they stayed at Kadesh.(B) There Miriam(C) died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water(D) for the community,(E) and the people gathered in opposition(F) to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled(G) with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead(H) before the Lord!(I) 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness,(J) that we and our livestock should die here?(K) 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.(L) And there is no water to drink!(M)”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting(N) and fell facedown,(O) and the glory of the Lord(P) appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff,(Q) and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.(R) You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff(S) from the Lord’s presence,(T) just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together(U) in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”(V) 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water(W) gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy(X) in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”(Y)
13 These were the waters of Meribah,[a](Z) where the Israelites quarreled(AA) with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.(AB)
Edom Denies Israel Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh(AC) to the king of Edom,(AD) saying:
“This is what your brother Israel says: You know(AE) about all the hardships(AF) that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt,(AG) and we lived there many years.(AH) The Egyptians mistreated(AI) us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry(AJ) and sent an angel(AK) and brought us out of Egypt.(AL)
“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.(AM) 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.(AN)”
18 But Edom(AO) answered:
“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.(AP)”
19 The Israelites replied:
“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock(AQ) drink any of your water, we will pay for it.(AR) We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”
20 Again they answered:
“You may not pass through.(AS)”
Then Edom(AT) came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory,(AU) Israel turned away from them.(AV)
The Death of Aaron
22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh(AW) and came to Mount Hor.(AX) 23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom,(AY) the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people.(AZ) He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command(BA) at the waters of Meribah.(BB) 25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.(BC) 26 Remove Aaron’s garments(BD) and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people;(BE) he will die there.”
27 Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor(BF) in the sight of the whole community. 28 Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar.(BG) And Aaron died there(BH) on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, 29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died,(BI) all the Israelites mourned for him(BJ) thirty days.
Arad Destroyed
21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,(BK) who lived in the Negev,(BL) heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow(BM) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy[b](BN) their cities.” 3 The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites(BO) over to them. They completely destroyed them(BP) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.[c](BQ)
The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor(BR) along the route to the Red Sea,[d](BS) to go around Edom.(BT) But the people grew impatient on the way;(BU) 5 they spoke against God(BV) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt(BW) to die in the wilderness?(BX) There is no bread! There is no water!(BY) And we detest this miserable food!”(BZ)
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes(CA) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.(CB) 7 The people came to Moses(CC) and said, “We sinned(CD) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord(CE) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed(CF) for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;(CG) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake(CH) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.(CI)
The Journey to Moab
10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.(CJ) 11 Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the wilderness that faces Moab(CK) toward the sunrise. 12 From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.(CL) 13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon(CM), which is in the wilderness extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.(CN) 14 That is why the Book of the Wars(CO) of the Lord says:
“. . . Zahab[e] in Suphah and the ravines,
the Arnon 15 and[f] the slopes of the ravines
that lead to the settlement of Ar(CP)
and lie along the border of Moab.”
16 From there they continued on to Beer,(CQ) the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”
17 Then Israel sang this song:(CR)
“Spring up, O well!
Sing about it,
18 about the well that the princes dug,
that the nobles of the people sank—
the nobles with scepters and staffs.”
Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah(CS) overlooks the wasteland.
Defeat of Sihon and Og
21 Israel sent messengers(CT) to say to Sihon(CU) king of the Amorites:(CV)
22 “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.(CW)”
23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory.(CX) He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz,(CY) he fought with Israel.(CZ) 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword(DA) and took over his land(DB) from the Arnon to the Jabbok,(DC) but only as far as the Ammonites,(DD) because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites(DE) and occupied them,(DF) including Heshbon(DG) and all its surrounding settlements. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon(DH) king of the Amorites,(DI) who had fought against the former king of Moab(DJ) and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.(DK)
27 That is why the poets say:
“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
let Sihon’s city be restored.
28 “Fire went out from Heshbon,
a blaze from the city of Sihon.(DL)
It consumed(DM) Ar(DN) of Moab,
the citizens of Arnon’s heights.(DO)
29 Woe to you, Moab!(DP)
You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!(DQ)
He has given up his sons as fugitives(DR)
and his daughters as captives(DS)
to Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 “But we have overthrown them;
Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon.(DT)
We have demolished them as far as Nophah,
which extends to Medeba.(DU)”
31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.(DV)
32 After Moses had sent spies(DW) to Jazer,(DX) the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan(DY),(DZ) and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.(EA)
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands, along with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.(EB)”
35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors.(EC) And they took possession of his land.(ED)
Balak Summons Balaam
22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab(EE) and camped along the Jordan(EF) across from Jericho.(EG)
2 Now Balak son of Zippor(EH) saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread(EI) because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites(EJ) said to the elders of Midian,(EK) “This horde is going to lick up everything(EL) around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.(EM)”
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor,(EN) who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River,(EO) in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt;(EP) they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse(EQ) on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.(ER) For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination.(ES) When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.(ET)” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam(EU) and asked,(EV) “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.(EW)”
13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said:
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely(EX) and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse(EY) on these people for me.”
18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.(EZ) 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.(FA)”
20 That night God came to Balaam(FB) and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”(FC)
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry(FD) when he went, and the angel of the Lord(FE) stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword(FF) in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it(FG) to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room 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 he was angry(FH) and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth,(FI) and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?(FJ)”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.(FK)”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,(FL) and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[g] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now,(FM) but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned.(FN) I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak(FO) heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon(FP) border, at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38 “Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”(FQ)
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep,(FR) and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal,(FS) and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.(FT)
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams(FU) for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(FV)
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me.(FW) Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
4 God met with him,(FX) and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
5 The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth(FY) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”(FZ)
6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.(GA) 7 Then Balaam(GB) spoke his message:(GC)
“Balak brought me from Aram,(GD)
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.(GE)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’(GF)
8 How can I curse
those whom God has not cursed?(GG)
How can I denounce
those whom the Lord has not denounced?(GH)
9 From the rocky peaks I see them,
from the heights I view them.(GI)
I see a people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(GJ)
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(GK)
or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(GL)
and may my final end be like theirs!(GM)”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies,(GN) but you have done nothing but bless them!”(GO)
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”(GP)
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place(GQ) where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp.(GR) And from there, curse them for me.(GS)” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah,(GT) and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(GU)
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth(GV) and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials.(GW) Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:(GX)
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.(GY)
19 God is not human,(GZ) that he should lie,(HA)
not a human being, that he should change his mind.(HB)
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise(HC) and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;(HD)
he has blessed,(HE) and I cannot change it.(HF)
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,(HG)
no misery observed[h] in Israel.(HH)
The Lord their God is with them;(HI)
the shout of the King(HJ) is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;(HK)
they have the strength of a wild ox.(HL)
23 There is no divination against[i] Jacob,
no evil omens(HM) against[j] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;(HN)
they rouse themselves like a lion(HO)
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood(HP) of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”(HQ)
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place.(HR) Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me(HS) from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor,(HT) overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.(HU)
24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,(HV) he did not resort to divination(HW) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(HX) 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him(HY) 3 and he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,(HZ)
4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,(IA)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,[k](IB)
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
5 “How beautiful are your tents,(IC) Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!
6 “Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river,(ID)
like aloes(IE) planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.(IF)
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water.
8 “God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
and break their bones in pieces;(II)
with their arrows they pierce them.(IJ)
9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
like a lioness(IK)—who dares to rouse them?
10 Then Balak’s anger burned(IN) against Balaam. He struck his hands together(IO) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,(IP) but you have blessed them(IQ) these three times.(IR) 11 Now leave at once and go home!(IS) I said I would reward you handsomely,(IT) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,(IU) 13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord(IV)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?(IW) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(IX)
Balaam’s Fourth Message
15 Then he spoke his message:
“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the prophecy of one who hears the words(IY) of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,(IZ)
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.(JA)
A star will come out of Jacob;(JB)
a scepter will rise out of Israel.(JC)
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,(JD)
the skulls[l](JE) of[m] all the people of Sheth.[n]
18 Edom(JF) will be conquered;
Seir,(JG) his enemy, will be conquered,(JH)
but Israel(JI) will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob(JJ)
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
Balaam’s Fifth Message
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek(JK) and spoke his message:
“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”(JL)
Balaam’s Sixth Message
21 Then he saw the Kenites(JM) and spoke his message:
“Your dwelling place is secure,(JN)
your nest is set in a rock;
22 yet you Kenites will be destroyed
when Ashur(JO) takes you captive.”
Balaam’s Seventh Message
23 Then he spoke his message:
“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[o]
24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;(JP)
they will subdue Ashur(JQ) and Eber,(JR)
but they too will come to ruin.(JS)”
25 Then Balaam(JT) got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
Moab Seduces Israel
25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,(JU) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality(JV) with Moabite(JW) women,(JX) 2 who invited them to the sacrifices(JY) to their gods.(JZ) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel yoked themselves to(KA) the Baal of Peor.(KB) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.
4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders(KC) of these people, kill them and expose(KD) them in broad daylight before the Lord,(KE) so that the Lord’s fierce anger(KF) may turn away from Israel.”
5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death(KG) those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”(KH)
6 Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite(KI) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping(KJ) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas(KK) son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear(KL) in his hand 8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;(KM) 9 but those who died in the plague(KN) numbered 24,000.(KO)
10 The Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.(KP) Since he was as zealous for my honor(KQ) among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. 12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace(KR) with him. 13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood,(KS) because he was zealous(KT) for the honor(KU) of his God and made atonement(KV) for the Israelites.”(KW)
14 The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman(KX) was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.(KY) 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi(KZ) daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.(LA)
16 The Lord said to Moses,(LB) 17 “Treat the Midianites(LC) as enemies(LD) and kill them.(LE) 18 They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident(LF) involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”
Footnotes
- Numbers 20:13 Meribah means quarreling.
- Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
- Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.
- Numbers 21:4 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Numbers 21:14 Septuagint; Hebrew Waheb
- Numbers 21:15 Or “I have been given from Suphah and the ravines / of the Arnon 15 to
- Numbers 22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Numbers 23:21 Or He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 23:23 Or in
- Numbers 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
- Numbers 24:17 Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Numbers 24:17 Or possibly Moab, / batter
- Numbers 24:17 Or all the noisy boasters
- Numbers 24:23 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
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