Numbers 24

Balaam's Third Oracle

1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at a other times, to seek to use 1 sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel b encamped according to their tribes; and c the Spirit of God came upon him.

3 d Then he took up his oracle and said:
"The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who e falls down, with eyes wide open:
5 "How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6 Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
f Like aloes g planted by the LORD,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7 He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be h in many waters.
"His king shall be higher than i Agag,
And his j kingdom shall be exalted.
8 "God k brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall l consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall m break their bones
And n pierce them with his arrows.
9 'He o bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?' 2
p "Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you."

10 Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he q struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, r "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 "Now therefore, flee to your place. s I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the LORD has kept you back from honor." 12 So Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 'If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak'? 14 "And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, t I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the u latter days."

Balaam's Final Oracle

15 So he took up his oracle and said:
"The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
And has the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
17 "I v see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
w A Star shall come out of Jacob;
x A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And 3 batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of 4 tumult.
18 "And y Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does 5 valiantly.
19 z Out of Jacob One 6 shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city."

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:
"Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes."

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:
"Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
How long until Asshur carries you away captive?"

23 Then he took up his oracle and said:
"Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from the coasts of a Cyprus, 7
And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict b Eber,
And so shall 8 Amalek, until he perishes."

25 So Balaam rose and departed and c returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

  1. Cross References
    Numbers 23:3
    Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you." So he went to a desolate height.
    Numbers 23:15
    And he said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.
  2. Cross References
    Numbers 2:2
    Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father's house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.
    Numbers 2:34
    Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers' houses.
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 11:25
    Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.
    1 Samuel 10:10
    When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
    1 Samuel 19:20
    Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
    1 Samuel 19:23
    So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
    2 Chronicles 15:1
    Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
  4. Cross References
    Numbers 23:7
    And he took up his oracle and said: "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. 'Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!
    Numbers 23:18
    Then he took up his oracle and said: "Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!
  5. Cross References
    Ezekiel 1:28
    Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
  6. Cross References
    Psalms 1:3
    He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
    Jeremiah 17:8
    For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
  7. Cross References
    Psalms 104:16
    The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted.
  8. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:13
    O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.
    Revelation 17:1
    Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.
    Revelation 17:15
    Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:8
    He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
    1 Samuel 15:9
    But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 5:12
    So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
    1 Chronicles 14:2
    So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 23:22
    God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 14:9
    "Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."
    Numbers 23:24
    Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion; It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.
  13. Cross References
    Psalms 2:9
    You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'
    Jeremiah 50:17
    "Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones."
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 45:5
    Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; The peoples fall under You.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 49:9
    Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
    Numbers 23:24
    Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion; It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 12:3
    I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
    Genesis 27:29
    Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!
  17. Cross References
    Ezekiel 21:14
    You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers.
    Ezekiel 21:17
    "I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the LORD, have spoken."
  18. Cross References
    Numbers 23:11
    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!
    Nehemiah 13:2
    Because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
  19. Cross References
    Numbers 22:17
    'for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.'"
    Numbers 22:37
    Then Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?
  20. Cross References
    Micah 6:5
    O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the LORD.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 49:1
    And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:
    Deuteronomy 4:30
    When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice
    Daniel 2:28
    But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
  22. Cross References
    Revelation 1:7
    Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
    Matthew 1:2
    Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
    Luke 3:34
    The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor.
  23. Cross References
    Matthew 2:2
    Saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.
  24. Cross References
    Genesis 49:10
    The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
  25. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:14
    He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.
  26. Cross References
    Genesis 49:10
    The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
    Amos 9:11
    On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old.
    Amos 9:12
    That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name," Says the LORD who does this thing.
  27. Cross References
    Genesis 10:4
    The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
    Ezekiel 27:6
    Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks With ivory from the coasts of Cyprus.
    Daniel 11:30
    For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.
  28. Cross References
    Genesis 10:21
    And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.
    Genesis 10:25
    To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
  29. Cross References
    Numbers 22:5
    Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: "Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!
    Numbers 31:8
    They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed - Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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