Numbers 23:4

Good News Translation

and God met him. Balaam said to him, "I have built the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
God met Bil`am: and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

King James Version
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

Lexham English Bible
And God met with Balaam, and he said to him, "I have arranged seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar."

English Standard Version
and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."

New Century Version
God came to Balaam there, and Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar."

New English Translation
Then God met Balaam, who said to him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."

Amplified Bible
Now God met Balaam, who said to Him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

New American Standard Bible
Now God met with Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And God met Balaam, and Balaam sayd vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and haue offred vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

Contemporary English Version
When God appeared to him, Balaam said, "I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one."

Complete Jewish Bible
God met Bil‘am, who said to him, "I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

Darby Translation
And God met Balaam; and [Balaam] said to him, I have disposed seven altars, and have offered up a bullock and a ram upon [each] altar.

Easy-to-Read Version
God came to Balaam at that place, and Balaam said, "I have prepared seven altars. And I have killed a bull and a ram as a sacrifice on each altar."

George Lamsa Translation
And God appeared to Balaam and said to him, You have prepared seven altars, and have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

Christian Standard Bible®
God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”

Literal Translation
And God came to Balaam, and he said to Him, I have set up seven altars. And I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye LORDE mett Balaam. And Balaam saide vnto him: Seuen altares haue I prepared, and offred on euery altare a bullocke and a ramme.

American Standard Version
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Bible in Basic English
And God came to Balaam, and Balaam said to him, I have made ready seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But God met Balaam, & [Balaam] sayd vnto hym: I haue prepared seuen aulters, and haue offred vpon euery aulter an oxe and a ramme.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him: 'I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.'

King James Version (1611)
And God met Balaam, and he said vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and I haue offered vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam went to enquire of God; and he went straight forward, and God appeared to Balaam; and Balaam said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and have offered a calf and a ram on every altar.

English Revised Version
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Berean Standard Bible
and God met with him. "I have set up seven altars," Balaam said, "and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne he hadde go swiftli, God cam to hym; and Balaam spak to hym, and seide, Y reiside seuene auteris, and Y puttide a calf and a ram aboue.

Young's Literal Translation
And God cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, `The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;'

Update Bible Version
And God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

Webster's Bible Translation
And God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.

World English Bible
God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

New King James Version
And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."

New Living Translation
and God met him there. Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar."

New Life Bible
God met Balaam. Balaam said to Him, "I have made seven altars. And I have given a bull and a ram on each altar in worship."

New Revised Standard
Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And God came unto Balaam, - so he said unto him The seven altars, have I built in a row, and have caused to ascend, bullock and a ram on each altar.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram.

Revised Standard Version
And God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bull and a ram."

THE MESSAGE
God did meet with Balaam. Balaam said, "I've set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

Contextual Overview

¹ He said to Balak, "Build seven altars here for me, and bring me seven bulls and seven rams." ² Balak did as he was told, and he and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I go to see whether or not the Lord will meet me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So he went alone to the top of a hill, ⁴ and God met him. Balaam said to him, "I have built the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each." ⁵ The Lord told Balaam what to say and sent him back to Balak to give him his message. ⁶ So he went back and found Balak still standing by his burnt offering with all the leaders of Moab. ⁷ Balaam uttered this prophecy: "Balak king of Moab has brought me From Syria, from the eastern mountains. ‘Come speak for me,' he said. ‘Put a curse on the people of Israel.' ⁸ How can I curse what God has not cursed, Or speak of doom when the Lord has not? ⁹ From the high rocks I can see them; I can watch them from the hills. They are a nation that lives alone; They know they are blessed more than other nations. ¹⁰ The descendants of Israel are like the dust— There are too many of them to be counted. Let me end my days like one of God's people; Let me die in peace like the righteous."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: Numbers 23:16, Numbers 22:9, Numbers 22:20

I have prepared: Numbers 23:1, Isaiah 58:3, Isaiah 58:4, Matthew 20:12, Luke 18:12, John 16:2, Romans 3:27, Ephesians 2:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:18 - met 1 Kings 13:11 - an old prophet 2 Kings 10:16 - Come with me 1 Chronicles 15:26 - bullocks

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."

Genesis 17:8
I will give to you and to your descendants this land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan will belong to your descendants forever, and I will be their God."

Genesis 23:12
But Abraham bowed before the Hittites

Genesis 23:13
and said to Ephron, so that everyone could hear, "May I ask you, please, to listen. I will buy the whole field. Accept my payment, and I will bury my wife there."

Genesis 23:16
Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people—four hundred pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.

Genesis 47:9
Jacob answered, "My life of wandering has lasted a hundred and thirty years. Those years have been few and difficult, unlike the long years of my ancestors in their wanderings."

Genesis 49:30
at Machpelah east of Mamre in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought this cave and field from Ephron for a burial ground.

Genesis 50:13
they carried his body to Canaan and buried it in the cave at Machpelah east of Mamre in the field which Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground.

Leviticus 25:23
Your land must not be sold on a permanent basis, because you do not own it; it belongs to God, and you are like foreigners who are allowed to make use of it.

1 Chronicles 29:15
You know, O Lord , that we pass through life like exiles and strangers, as our ancestors did. Our days are like a passing shadow, and we cannot escape death.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And God met Balaam,.... Not in a kind and gracious manner; not out of any respect to him and his offerings; not to indulge him with any spiritual communion with him; nor to communicate his mind and will to him as a friend of his; not to gratify his desires, and grant the request of the king of Moab, or to smile upon and succeed the scheme that they had concerted; but for the sake of his people Israel, to counterwork the designs of their enemies; to blast and confound them, and turn their curses into blessings; and particularly to oblige Balaam to bless the people he was so desirous of cursing for the sake of gain:

and he said unto him; in a bragging boasting way, in order to gain his favour, and carry his point:

I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram: that is, to him the Lord; for had they been offered to Baal, he could never have had the nerve to have spoken of them to God; and which he could never have proposed as a reason why he should be regarded by him, or expect on account of them any favour from him: and indeed these altars and sacrifices were not at his expense, though they were prepared and offered at a motion of his; nor were they offered in a right manner, nor with a right end, nor from a right principle, and were far from being acceptable unto God, yea, were abominable unto him; see Proverbs 21:27.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

God met Balaam - God served His own purposes through the arts of Balaam, and manifested His will through the agencies employed to seek it, dealing thus with Balaam in an exceptional manner. To God’s own people auguries were forbidden Leviticus 19:26.

I have prepared seven altars - And therefore Balaam expected that God on His part would do what was desired by the donor; compare Numbers 22:15 note.