Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Easy-to-Read Version

Numbers 22:8

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Prayer;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Moabites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Midianites;   Moabites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Transjordan;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zippor ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Balak;   Midian;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Moab;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lodge;   Numbers, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Balaam;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafṭarah;   Joshua, the Samaritan Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the princes of Mo'av abode with Bil`am.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
He said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will return, and I will return word to you, just as Yahweh speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
English Standard Version
And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
New Century Version
Balaam said to them, "Stay here for the night, and I will tell you what the Lord tells me." So the Moabite leaders stayed with him.
New English Translation
He replied to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the Lord may speak to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Amplified Bible
Balaam said to them, "Spend the night here and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me." So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam [that night].
New American Standard Bible
And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you just as the LORD may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who answered them, Tary here this night, and I will giue you an answere, as the Lorde shall say vnto mee. So the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Contemporary English Version
"Spend the night here," Balaam replied, "and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord 's answer." So the officials stayed at his house.
Complete Jewish Bible
He said to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring you back whatever answer Adonai tells me." So the princes of Mo'av stayed with Bil‘am.
Darby Translation
And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, according as Jehovah shall speak unto me. And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to them, Lodge here this night and I will give you an answer as the LORD shall speak to me; and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Good News Translation
Balaam said to them, "Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the Lord tells me." So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam.
Christian Standard Bible®
He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will give you the answer the Lord tells me.” So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Literal Translation
And he said to them, Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, even as Jehovah may speak to me. And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he saide vnto the: Tary here all night, & I will bringe you worde agayne, euen as the LORDE shal saye vnto me. So ye prynces of ye Moabites abode with Balaam.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And he said to them, Take your rest here tonight, and I will give you an answer after hearing what the Lord says; so the chiefs of Moab kept there with Balaam that night.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He aunswered them: Tary here this nyght, and I wyll bryng you worde, euen as the Lorde shall say vnto me. And the lordes of Moab abode with Balaam.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said unto them: 'Lodge here this night, and I will bring you back word, as the LORD may speak unto me'; and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
King James Version (1611)
And hee said vnto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word againe as the Lord shal speake vnto mee: and the Princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to them, Tarry here the night, and I will answer you the things which the Lord shall say to me; and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
"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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Dwelle ye here to nyyt, and Y schal answere what euer thing the Lord schal seie to me. Sotheli while thei dwelliden at Balaam, God cam, and seide to hym,
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Update Bible Version
And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
World English Bible
He said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
New King James Version
And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
New Living Translation
"Stay here overnight," Balaam said. "In the morning I will tell you whatever the Lord directs me to say." So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.
New Life Bible
Balaam said to them, "Stay here tonight. I will bring word to you as the Lord may speak to me." So the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
New Revised Standard
He said to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, just as the Lord speaks to me"; so the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said unto them - Tarry ye here for the night, and I will bring you back word, as Yahweh shall speak unto me. So the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He answered: Tarry here this night and I will answer whatsoever the Lord shall say to me. And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him:
Revised Standard Version
And he said to them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me"; so the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

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

Numbers 22:19, Numbers 22:20, Numbers 12:6, Numbers 23:12, Jeremiah 12:2, Ezekiel 33:31

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:15 - princes Numbers 23:3 - peradventure Numbers 23:15 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 18:14
But is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 22:19
Then Abraham went back to his servants. They all traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.
Genesis 22:20
After all these things happened, a message was sent to Abraham. It said, "Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have children now.
2 Chronicles 25:9
Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what about the money I already paid to the Israelite army?" The man of God answered, "The Lord has plenty. He can give you much more than that."
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, "This is something that people cannot do. But God can do anything."
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world!
John 1:36
He saw Jesus walking by and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
Revelation 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center near the throne with the four living beings around it. The elders were also around the Lamb. The Lamb looked as if it had been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that were sent into all the world.
Revelation 5:12
The angels said in a loud voice, "All power, wealth, wisdom, and strength belong to the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive honor, glory, and praise!"
Revelation 7:14
I answered, "You know who they are, sir." And the elder said, "These are the ones who have come out of the great suffering. They have washed their robes with the blood of the Lamb, and they are clean and white.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto them, lodge here this night,.... Which shows that he was at once inclined to do their business for them, and would readily engage in it if he could be permitted; and it looks as if it was in the night season that he got knowledge of things, either in dreams, or by familiar spirits, or by consulting the stars, or other methods used by him at such seasons; or it may be, this was only said to get time before he gave them a peremptory answer, that he might, if he could, get leave to do what they desired, to which he showed a good inclination:

and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me; by which it appears he had some knowledge of the true God, and pretended great familiarity with him, thereby to make himself the more respectable; and indeed he was surprisingly favoured with some degree of intimacy with him, which, for the sake of Israel, he was now admitted to; whether at any other time, or on any other occasion, is not certain; however, he promised the princes he would let them know the next morning what was said to him, and so accordingly what he should or could do:

and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam; that is, that night, and so very probably the princes of Midian likewise; though some of the Jewish writers think e they departed as soon as they heard Balaam say he would consult the Lord about this matter; from whence they concluded there was no room to hope for success, since he would never consent to destroy a nation so dear unto him, and for whose sake he had wrought so many miracles; but if this was the case, how came the princes of Moab to stay, with whom the same objection would have place? but the reason why they only are named may be what Aben Ezra gives an hint of, that these were the principal persons in the embassy, in whom the rest were included, as Balak their king was the principal person that sent them.

e Jarchi, Ramban, & Isaac Arama, apud Muis in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Balaam must surely have known that God’s blessing was on the people with whose marvelous march forth from Egypt he was acquainted Exodus 15:14; Exodus 18:1; Joshua 2:9, and from whom he had himself probably learned much (compare the language of Numbers 23:12 with Genesis 13:6, and that of Numbers 24:9 with Genesis 49:9). But his reply to the messengers next morning Numbers 22:13, betrays the desire to venture to the utmost of that which God would not forbid rather than to carry out God’s will in hearty sincerity.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 22:8. I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak — So it appears he knew the true God, and had been in the habit of consulting him, and receiving oracles from his mouth.


 
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