VERSE STUDY • KJV

Numbers 22:3-14

³ And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. ⁴ And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all [that are] round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor [was] king of the Moabites at that time. ⁵ He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which [is] by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: ⁶ Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they [are] too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, [that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. ⁷ And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. ⁸ And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. ⁹ And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee? ¹⁰ And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, [saying], ¹¹ Behold, [there is] a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. ¹² And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed. ¹³ And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you. ¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

³ And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. ⁴ And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all [that are] round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor [was] king of the Moabites at that time. ⁵ He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which [is] by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: ⁶ Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they [are] too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, [that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. ⁷ And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. ⁸ And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. ⁹ And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee? ¹⁰ And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, [saying], ¹¹ Behold, [there is] a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. ¹² And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed. ¹³ And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you. ¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

³ and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites. ⁴ So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time, ⁵ he sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. ⁶ So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.” ⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak. ⁸ “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and I will give you the answer that the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹ Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” ¹⁰ And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: ¹¹ ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’” ¹² But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.” ¹³ So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” ¹⁴ And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

WEB World English Bible

³ Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. ⁴ Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵ He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. ⁶ Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” ⁷ The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸ He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹ God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?” ¹⁰ Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me, ¹¹ ‘Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt, it covers the surface of the earth: now, come curse me them; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.’” ¹² God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed.” ¹³ Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to go with you.” ¹⁴ The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

ASV American Standard Version

³ And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. ⁴ And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵ And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. ⁶ Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. ⁷ And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. ⁸ And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Jehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. ⁹ And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? ¹⁰ And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, ¹¹ Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out. ¹² And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed. ¹³ And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you. ¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

³ and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it is numerous; and Moab is vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel, ⁴ and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, ‘Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.’ And Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab at that time, ⁵ and he sendeth messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, ‘Lo, a people hath come out of Egypt; lo, it hath covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding over-against me; ⁶ and now, come, I pray thee, curse for me this people, for it is mightier than I; it may be I prevail—we smite it—and I cast it out from the land; for I have known—that which thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.’ ⁷ And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian go, and divinations in their hand, and they come in unto Balaam, and speak unto him the words of Balak, ⁸ and he saith unto them, ‘Lodge here to-night, and I have brought you back word, as Jehovah speaketh unto me;’ and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam. ⁹ And God cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, ‘Who are these men with thee?’ ¹⁰ And Balaam saith unto God, ‘Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me: ¹¹ Lo, the people that is coming out from Egypt and covereth the eye of the land,—now come, pierce it for me; it may be I am able to fight against it, and have cast it out;’ ¹² and God saith unto Balaam, ‘Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it is blessed.’ ¹³ And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saith unto the princes of Balak, ‘Go unto your land, for Jehovah is refusing to suffer me to go with you;’ ¹⁴ and the princes of Moab rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, ‘Balaam is refusing to come with us.’

Surrounding context — Numbers 22

1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan [by] Jericho.

2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all [that are] round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor [was] king of the Moabites at that time.

5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which [is] by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they [are] too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, [that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee?

10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, [saying],

11 Behold, [there is] a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.

13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

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