Balaam

10And 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.

Balak 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!"

11Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

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

12And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,

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

13If 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?

"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."

14And 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.

"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."

15And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

Then 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."

16He 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:

"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."

17I 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.

"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."

18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

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

19Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

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

20And 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.

Then 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."

21And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

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

22Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

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

23And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

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

24And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

"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."

25And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

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

1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

2Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

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

3And 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.

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

4Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

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

5So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

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

6And 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.

Moses 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.

7And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

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

8And 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.

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

13And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

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

14And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.

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

15And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

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

16Behold, 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.

"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."

17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

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

18But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

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

3An 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:

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

4Because 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.

This 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.

5Nevertheless 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.

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

6Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

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

9Then 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:

"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.

10But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

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

1On 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;

That 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.

2Because 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.

This 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.

3Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

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

4For 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.

"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."

5O 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.

"My people, remember what Balak, the king of Moab, planned against you. 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."

15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Not written for this reading age yet.

16But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

Not written for this reading age yet.