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Sunday, August 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Numbers 22:7

The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. Then they told him what Balak had said.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Government;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Divination;   Earthly;   Magic;   Reward;   Reward-Punishment;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Divination;   Midianites;   Moabites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Midianites;   Moabites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Midian;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Age, Old (the Aged);   Elder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Midianite;   Moab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Avith;   Balaam;   Epistle;   Midian;   Zalmunna;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Transjordan;   Wages;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Government;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Midian, Mtdianites;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Soothsaying;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Elders;   Midian, Midianites ;   Zippor ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Balak;   Midian;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Moab;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Magic, Magicians;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Midian;   Sinai;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Divination;   Elder;   Hafṭarah;   Joshua, the Samaritan Book of;   Korah;   Midian and Midianites;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The Zakenim of Mo'av and the Zakenim of Midyan departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Bil`am, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him.
English Standard Version
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message.
New Century Version
The elders of Moab and Midian went with payment in their hands. When they found Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
New English Translation
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported to him the words of Balak.
Amplified Bible
So the elders of Moab and of Midian departed with fees for divination (foretelling) in hand; and they came to Balaam and told him the words of Balak.
New American Standard Bible
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the fees for divination in their hands; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak's words to him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Elders of Moab, and the Elders of Midian departed, hauing the reward of the soothsaying in their hande, and they came vnto Balaam, and tolde him the wordes of Balak.
Legacy Standard Bible
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went away with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke Balak's words to him.
Contemporary English Version
The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam for his work. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
Complete Jewish Bible
The leaders of Mo'av and Midyan left, taking with them the payment for divining, came to Bil‘am and spoke to him the words of Balak.
Darby Translation
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed, having the rewards of divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
George Lamsa Translation
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with gifts for divination in their hands; and they came to Balaam and told him the words of Balak.
Good News Translation
So the Moabite and Midianite leaders took with them the payment for the curse, went to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message.
Christian Standard Bible®
The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him.
Literal Translation
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the rewards of the seer in their hand. And they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Elders of the Moabites wente on with ye Elders of the Madianites, and had the rewarde of ye soyth sayenge in their handes, and they came vnto Balaam, & tolde him the wordes of Balaac.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
So the responsible men of Moab and Midian went away, taking in their hands rewards for the prophet; and they came to Balaam and said to him what Balak had given them orders to say.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Madian departed, hauyng the [rewarde] of the southsaying in their hande: And they came vnto Balaam, and tolde hym the wordes of Balac.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 spoke unto him the words of Balak.
King James Version (1611)
And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian departed, with the rewards of diuination in their hand; and they came vnto Balaam, and spake vnto him the words of Balak.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the elders of Moab went, and the elders of Madiam, and their divining instruments were in their hands; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balac.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The eldere men of Moab and the grettere men in birthe of Madian yeden forth, hauynge in hondis the prijs of fals dyuynyng; and whanne thei hadden come to Balaam, and hadden teld to hym alle the wordis of Balaach, he answeride,
Young's Literal Translation
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,
Update Bible Version
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of fortune-telling in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
Webster's Bible Translation
And 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.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner's fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.
New Living Translation
Balak's messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message to him.
New Life Bible
So the leaders of Moab and the leaders of Midian left with the pay in their hand for the one who tells what will happen in the future. When they came to Balaam, they told him Balak's words.
New Revised Standard
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went their way, with the rewards of divination in their hand, - so they came in unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the ancients of Moab, and the elders of Madian, went with the price of divination in their hands. And where they were come to Balaam, and had told him all the words of Balac:
Revised Standard Version
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Mid'ian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and gave him Balak's message.
THE MESSAGE
The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak's message. "Stay here for the night," Balaam said. "In the morning I'll deliver the answer that God gives me." The Moabite nobles stayed with him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak's words to him.

Contextual Overview

1 Then the Israelites traveled to the Jordan Valley in Moab. They camped near the Jordan River across from Jericho. 2Balak son of Zippor saw everything the Israelites had done to the Amorites. The king of Moab was very frightened of the Israelites because there were so many of them. He was very afraid. 4 The king of Moab said to the leaders of Midian, "This large group of people will destroy everything around us, the way an ox eats all the grass in a field." Balak son of Zippor was the king of Moab at this time. 5 He sent some men to Balaam son of Beor. Balaam was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River. This was where Balaam's people lived. This was Balak's message: "A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover all the land. They have camped next to me. 6 Come and help me. These people are too powerful for me. I know that you have great power. If you bless people, good things happen to them. And if you curse people, bad things happen to them. So come and curse these people. Maybe then I will be able to defeat them and force them to leave my country." 7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. Then they told him what Balak had said. 8 Balaam said to them, "Stay here for the night. I will talk to the Lord and tell you the answer he gives me." So the leaders of Moab stayed there with Balaam that night. 9 God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" 10 Balaam said to God, "The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to give me a message. 11 This is the message: A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover the land. So come and curse these people. Then maybe I will be able to fight them and force them to leave my land."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

rewards of divination: 1 Samuel 9:7, 1 Samuel 9:8, Isaiah 56:11, Ezekiel 13:19, Micah 3:11, Romans 16:18, 1 Timothy 6:9, 1 Timothy 6:10, Titus 1:11, 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:4 - elders Numbers 22:15 - princes Numbers 22:19 - General Deuteronomy 23:4 - because they hired Judges 16:18 - brought money 1 Kings 11:18 - Midian 2 Kings 5:5 - and took Daniel 2:6 - ye shall Daniel 5:7 - be clothed Acts 1:18 - with

Cross-References

Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to honor the Lord . Noah took some of all the clean birds and some of all the clean animals and burned them on the altar as a gift to God.
Genesis 22:2
Then God said, "Take your son to the land of Moriah and kill your son there as a sacrifice for me. This must be Isaac, your only son, the one you love. Use him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there. I will tell you which mountain."
Genesis 22:4
After they traveled three days, Abraham looked up, and in the distance he saw the place where they were going.
Exodus 12:3
This command is for the whole community of Israel: On the tenth day of this month each man must get one lamb for the people in his house.
Matthew 26:39
Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want."
Matthew 26:42
Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if I must do this and it is not possible for me to escape it, then I pray that what you want will be done."
John 18:11
Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its place! I must drink from the cup the Father has given me."
Romans 8:15
The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God's chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, " Abba, Father."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian, departed,.... By which it appears that they were princes and nobles; for such the elders were, that were sent on this errand to Balaam; and that they were some of both people, Midian and Moab, that went upon it, see

Numbers 22:14 which shows, that if they were not one people, under one king, which yet seems likely, nevertheless they made a common cause of it, and joined in this expedient to save their country:

with the rewards of divination in their hands; not that diviners were sent along with them to Balsam, as Aben Ezra interprets it, that he might not deceive them, and put them off, by saying it was not a fit and proper day or hour to go out and curse, which these men would be able to refute; but if they were skilled in the art of divination as well as he, what need was there to send to him, when they had such at hand? nor instruments of divination, as Jarchi, which so famous a soothsayer could not be thought to be without; but, as we rightly render it, the rewards of divination, which were either fixed or left to the generosity of those that had recourse to such persons, and were presents which they brought them, in order to engage them to use the utmost of their art for them; and this sense is confirmed by the Apostles Peter and Jude, see 2 Peter 2:15:

and they came unto Balaam; at Pethor:

and spake unto him the words of Balak: told him the errand they were sent on to him by the king of Moab.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rewards of divination - Rightly interpreted in 2 Peter 2:15 as “the wages of unrighteousness.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 22:7. The rewards of divination — Whoever went to consult a prophet took with him a present, as it was on such gratuitous offerings the prophets lived; but here more than a mere present is intended, perhaps every thing necessary to provide materials for the incantation. The drugs, c., used on such occasions were often very expensive. It appears that Balaam was very covetous, and that he loved the wages of unrighteousness, and probably lived by it see 2 Peter 2:15.


 
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