Balaam

10Balak got very angry at Balaam. He clapped his hands together hard. He said, "I called you here to curse my enemies. Instead you have blessed them three times!"

And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

NoteBalak was the king of Moab, a land close by. Clapping his hands hard was a way of showing he was very angry.

11"Go home, right now! I planned to make you rich and important. But the LORD has kept that reward away from you."

Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

12Balaam said to Balak, "I already said this to the men you sent to me."

And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,

13"I said that even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I still could not do as I please. I cannot go past what the LORD tells me, for good or for bad. I will say only what the LORD says."

If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?

NoteBack then people did not use coins like ours. They paid with pieces of silver and gold. A house full of it would be a huge amount of money.

14"Now I am going back to my own people. But first, let me tell you something. I will tell you what these people will do to your people in days to come."

And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

NoteThe King James says "I will advertise thee". Long ago that word simply meant to tell someone something.

15Then he spoke the message God gave him. He said, "This is what Balaam son of Beor says. This is what the man with open eyes says."

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

16"He heard the words of God. He knows what God Most High has taught him. He saw a picture that God Most Powerful showed him. He bowed low, and his eyes were wide open."

He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

Note"Most High" is another name for God. It means no one is higher or greater than he is.

17"I see him, but not now. I see him, but he is not close yet. A star will come out of Jacob. A king will rise up out of Israel. He will crush the heads of Moab. He will strike down all the people of Sheth."

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

NoteA star stood for a great new leader. The King James says a "Sceptre", which is the special stick a king holds. Both mean a king who will come later. Moab was King Balak's own land, and Sheth was another group of people.

18"The land of Edom will be taken over. The land of Seir will be taken too. Israel will be strong and brave."

And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

NoteEdom was a land next to Israel. Seir was the rocky, hilly part of Edom. They are two names for nearly the same place.

19"A ruler will come from Jacob's family. He will destroy whoever is left in the city."

Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

20Then Balaam looked at the people of Amalek. He spoke this message: "Amalek was the first of the nations. But in the end Amalek will be gone forever."

And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

NoteAmalek was a group of people who attacked Israel in the desert. "First of the nations" means they were strong and important early on.

21Then he looked at the Kenite people. He spoke this message: "Your home is safe and strong. You built your nest up in the rocks."

And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

NoteThe Kenites were a small group of people living in rocky hills. Their towns sat up high on cliffs, like birds' nests.

22"Even so, the Kenites will be ruined. Asshur will come and take you away as prisoners."

Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

NoteAsshur is another name for Assyria. It was a strong country far to the north. Its army took people far from home and made them prisoners.

23Then he spoke this message: "Oh, who will still be alive when God does this?"

And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

24"Ships will come from the shore of Chittim. They will hurt Asshur. They will hurt Eber too. But those ships and their people will also be gone forever."

And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

NoteChittim is the island we now call Cyprus. It sits across the sea from that land. Eber was another group of people living far away.

25Then Balaam got up and went back home. Balak went on his way too.

And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2"Pay the Midianites back for what they did to Israel. After that, you will die and join your family who died before you."

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

NoteThe Midianites were a desert people who lived near Israel. They traveled with tents and flocks instead of living in big cities.

3So Moses said to the people, "Get some of your men ready for war. Send them against Midian to pay Midian back for the LORD."

And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.

4"Send 1,000 men to the fight from each of the twelve tribes of Israel."

Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

NoteA tribe was one big family group. Israel had twelve of them, one for each son of a man named Jacob.

5So 1,000 men came from each tribe. That made 12,000 men ready for war.

So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

6Moses sent them out to fight. Phinehas went with them. He was the son of Eleazar the priest, the man who led worship for God. Phinehas carried holy things from the worship tent and the trumpets for signals.

And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

NoteThe worship tent was a large tent where Israel worshiped God. It was taken down and carried whenever the people moved.

7They fought against Midian, just as the LORD had told Moses. They killed every man.

And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

8Among the dead were the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with a sword.

And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

NoteBalaam was a man who was paid to speak messages about people. Earlier a king had paid him to say bad words against Israel.

13Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders went outside the camp to meet them.

And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

14Moses was angry with the army officers. These were the men who led groups of a thousand and groups of a hundred.

And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

NoteAn army was split into groups. One officer led a thousand men, and another led a hundred.

15Moses asked them, "Did you let all the women live?"

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

16"These are the women who listened to Balaam's advice. They led Israel to turn away from the LORD at Peor. Then a sickness spread through the people, and many died."

Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

NotePeor was a place where some Israelites had worshiped a god that was not the LORD. Many people got sick and died after that.

17"So now kill every boy. Also kill every woman who has been with a man."

Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

Note"Been with a man" is the old, polite way of saying a woman had been married.

18"But let every girl live who has never been with a man. Keep them for yourselves."

But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

3No one from Ammon or Moab may join the LORD's gathering. Even their families ten generations later may not join.

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

NoteAmmon and Moab were two small lands close to Israel. Their people were distant cousins of the Israelites.

4This is because they brought you no bread or water on your way out of Egypt. They also paid Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor in Mesopotamia, to curse you.

Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

NoteA curse is words asking for bad things to happen to someone. Balaam was a man paid to say words like that. Mesopotamia was a land far away to the north and east.

5But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam. He turned the curse into a blessing for you, because he loved you.

Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

NoteA blessing is the opposite of a curse. It is words asking for good things to happen to someone.

6Never work for their peace or their good, as long as you live.

Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

9"Then Balak, the son of Zippor, went to war against Israel. He was the king of Moab. He sent for a man named Balaam and asked him to curse you.

Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:

NoteMoab was a small country near Israel. To curse someone means to ask a god to bring harm to them.

10"But I would not listen to Balaam. So instead he kept blessing you. That is how I kept you safe from Balak.

But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

NoteTo bless someone means to ask God to be good to them. Balaam was asked to say bad words but said good ones instead.

1That day the Book of Moses was read out loud to the people. In it they found a rule. No Ammonite or Moabite could ever join God's gathered people.

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;

NoteThe Book of Moses holds the oldest rules God gave his people. Ammon and Moab were two lands close to Israel. Long ago their people had treated Israel badly.

2This was because those nations did not bring food and water to Israel. Instead they paid a man named Balaam to curse Israel. But God turned that curse into a blessing.

Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

NoteA curse is words that ask for bad things to happen to someone. Balaam was a man people paid to say such words. People believed his words had power.

3As soon as the people heard this law, they sent away everyone who came from other nations.

Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

4"I brought you up out of Egypt. I set you free from being slaves there. I sent Moses ahead of you, and Aaron and Miriam too."

For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

NoteLong ago God's people were slaves in Egypt, a country far to the south. Slaves are people forced to work and not allowed to leave. God brought them out and made them free. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam were the leaders who walked them out.

5"My people, remember what Balak, the king of Moab, planned. Remember what Balaam son of Beor answered him. Remember your trip from Shittim to Gilgal. Then you will know that the LORD does what is right."

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

NoteBalak was a king who wanted God's people hurt. He paid a man named Balaam to speak words against them. Balaam ended up speaking kind words about them instead. Shittim and Gilgal were two places on the long walk to their new home.

15They have left the straight road and wandered off. They follow the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor. Balaam loved the money he was paid for doing wrong.

Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

NoteBalaam was a prophet in an old Bible story. A king paid him money to speak bad words against God's people. Bosor is another way to spell Beor, the name of Balaam's father.

16But Balaam was scolded for his sin. His donkey, an animal that cannot speak, spoke with a man's voice. It stopped the prophet from his foolish plan.

But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

NoteIn the King James, "dumb" means not able to speak. It does not mean silly. In the old story, Balaam's donkey spoke out loud to warn him.