Logos Bible Study

Numbers 23:18–24

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18Then he spoke his message:h

“Arise, Balak, and listen;

hear me, son of Zippor.i

19God is not human,j that he should lie,k

not a human being, that he should change his mind.l

Does he speak and then not act?

Does he promisem and not fulfill?

20I have received a command to bless;n

he has blessed,o and I cannot change it.p

21“No misfortune is seen in Jacob,q

no misery observeda in Israel.r

The Lord their God is with them;s

the shout of the Kingt is among them.

22God brought them out of Egypt;u

they have the strength of a wild ox.v

23There is no divination againstb Jacob,

no evil omensw againstc Israel.

It will now be said of Jacob

and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’

24The people rise like a lioness;x

they rouse themselves like a liony

that does not rest till it devours its prey

and drinks the bloodz of its victims.”

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Footnotes

  1. aOr He has not looked on Jacob’s offenses / or on the wrongs found
  2. bOr in
  3. cOr in

Cross references

  1. hSee ver 7
  2. iNu 22:2
  3. jJob 9:32; Isa 55:9; Hos 11:9
  4. kSee Nu 11:23
  5. l1 Sa 15:29; Job 12:13; 36:5; Ps 33:11; 89:34; 102:27; 110:4; Jer 4:28; 7:16; Mal 3:6; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18; 7:21; Jas 1:17
  6. m2 Sa 7:25; Ps 119:38
  7. nver 5, 16; Nu 24:1
  8. oGe 22:17; Nu 22:12
  9. pSee ver 8; See Job 9:12
  10. qPs 32:2, 5; 85:2; Ro 4:7–8
  11. rIsa 33:24; 40:2; Jer 50:20
  12. sSee Ge 26:3; Ex 29:45, 46; Dt 4:7; Ps 34:17–18; 145:18; Zec 2:10
  13. tDt 32:15; 33:5; Ps 89:15–18; Isa 44:2
  14. uNu 24:8; Jos 2:10; 9:9
  15. vDt 33:17; Job 39:9; Ps 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; Isa 34:7
  16. wver 3; See Ge 30:27; Nu 24:1
  17. xNu 24:9; Eze 19:2; Na 2:11
  18. ySee Ge 49:9
  19. zIsa 49:26

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“Rise, Balak, and hear;

give ear to me, O son of Zippor:

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?

Behold, I received a command to bless:

he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

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.

God brings them out of Egypt

and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

For there is no enchantment against Jacob,

no divination against Israel;

now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,

‘What has God wrought!’

Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up

and as a lion it lifts itself;

it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey

and drunk the blood of the slain.”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Balaam proclaimed his poem:

Balak, get up and listen;

son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!

God is not a man, that he might lie,

or a son of man, that he might change his mind.

Does he speak and not act,

or promise and not fulfill?

I have indeed received a command to bless;

since he has blessed, I cannot change it.

He considers no disaster for Jacob;

he sees no trouble for Israel.

The Lord their God is with them,

and there is rejoicing over the King among them.

God brought them out of Egypt;

he is like the horns of a wild ox for them.

There is no magic curse against Jacob

and no divination against Israel.

It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,

“What great things God has done!”

A people rise up like a lioness;

they rouse themselves like a lion.

They will not lie down until they devour the prey

and drink the blood of the slain.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

This was the message Balaam delivered:

“Rise up, Balak, and listen!

Hear me, son of Zippor.

God is not a man, so he does not lie.

He is not human, so he does not change his mind.

Has he ever spoken and failed to act?

Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

Listen, I received a command to bless;

God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!

No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob;

no trouble is in store for Israel.

For the Lord their God is with them;

he has been proclaimed their king.

God brought them out of Egypt;

for them he is as strong as a wild ox.

No curse can touch Jacob;

no magic has any power against Israel.

For now it will be said of Jacob,

‘What wonders God has done for Israel!’

These people rise up like a lioness,

like a majestic lion rousing itself.

They refuse to rest

until they have feasted on prey,

drinking the blood of the slaughtered!”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then he uttered his oracle, and said,

“Stand up, Balak, and hear;

listen to me, son of Zippor!

God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a son of humankind,

that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Behold, I have received a command to bless;

when he has blessed, I cannot cause it to return.

He has no regard for evil in Jacob,

and he does not see trouble in Israel;

Yahweh his God is with him,

and a shout of a king is among them.

God, who brings them out from Egypt,

is like the strength of a wild ox for them.

Because there is no sorcery against Jacob,

and there is no divination against Israel.

Now it will be said to Jacob and Israel,

what God has done!

Look! the people will rise like the lion;

he raises himself and will not lie down

until he eats the prey

and drinks the blood of the slain.”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

And he took up his parable, and said,

Rise up, Balak, and hear;

Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

God is not a man, that he should lie;

Neither the son of man, that he should repent:

Hath he said, and shall he not do it?

Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed;

And I cannot reverse it.

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob,

Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel:

The Lord his God is with him,

And the shout of a king is among them.

God brought them out of Egypt;

He hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob,

Neither is there any divination against Israel:

According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,

What hath God wrought!

Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion,

And lift up himself as a young lion:

He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,

And drink the blood of the slain.

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