Numbers 23:8–11

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8 How can I curse

those whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce

those whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 From the rocky peaks I see them,

from the heights I view them.

I see a people who live apart

and do not consider themselves one of the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob

or number even a fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

and may my final end be like theirs!”

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?

Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him:

Lo, the people shall dwell alone,

And shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,

And the number of the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my last end be like his!

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

8 But how can I curse those

whom God has not cursed?

How can I condemn those

whom the Lord has not condemned?

9 I 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.

10 Who 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.”

11 Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!”

8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him;

There! A people dwelling alone,

Not reckoning itself among the nations.

10 “Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number one-fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

8 But God has not cursed them,

so I cannot curse them.

The Lord has not called down evil on them,

so I cannot call down evil on them.

9 I see them from the top of the mountains;

I see them from the hills.

I see a people who live alone,

who think they are different from other nations.

10 No one can number the many people of Jacob,

and no one can count a fourth of Israel.

Let me die like good men,

and let me end up like them!”

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!”

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?

And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him:

Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone,

And shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my last end be like his!

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

8 How shall I curse whom •God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his! 11 And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

8 How can I curse those whom God hasn’t cursed? 

How can I condemn those whom the Lord hasn’t condemned? 

9 I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, 

I look at them from the hills. 

I see a nation that lives by itself, 

people who do not consider themselves 

to be like other nations. 

10 The descendants of Jacob are like specks of dust. 

Who can count them 

or number even one-fourth of the people of Israel? 

Let me die the death of innocent people. 

Let my end be like theirs.” 

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but all you’ve done is bless them!” 

8 How can I curse someone God has not cursed?

How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?

9 I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,

and I watch them from the hills.

There is a people living alone;

it does not consider itself among the nations.

10 Who has counted the dust of Jacob

or numbered the dust clouds of Israel?

Let me die the death of the upright;

let the end of my life be like theirs.

11 “What have you done to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!”

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?

How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the crags I see him;

from the hills I behold him.

Here is a people living alone

and not reckoning itself among the nations!

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob

or number the dust cloud of Israel?

Let me die the death of the upright,

and let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them.”

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed,

and how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?

9 Because from the top of the rocks I see him,

from hilltops I watch him.

Behold, a people who dwell alone,

they do not consider themselves among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,

or as a number the fourth part of Israel?

Let my life die the death of an upright person,

and let my end be like his!”

11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have surely blessed them!”

8 But how can I put a curse on

people God hasn’t cursed?

How can I speak against

people the Lord hasn’t spoken against?

9 I see them from the rocky peaks.

I view them from the hills.

I see a group of people who live by themselves.

They don’t consider themselves to be one of the nations.

10 Jacob’s people are like the dust of the earth.

Can dust be counted?

Who can count even a fourth of the people of Israel?

Let me die as godly people die.

Let my death be like theirs!”

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to put a curse on my enemies! But all you have done is give them a blessing!”

8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 “As I see him from the top of the rocks,

And I look at him from the hills;

Behold, a people who dwells apart,

And will not be reckoned among the nations.

10 “Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number the fourth part of Israel?

Let me die the death of the upright,

And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!”