Numbers 22:10

THE MESSAGE

Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'"

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Bil`am said to God, Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo'av, has sent to me, [saying],

King James Version
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

Lexham English Bible
And Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me,

English Standard Version
And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

New Century Version
Balaam said to God, "The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to me with this message:

New English Translation
Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying,

Amplified Bible
Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me:

New American Standard Bible
Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me:

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Baalam said vnto God, Balak ye sonne of Zippor, king of Moab hath set vnto me, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me,

Contemporary English Version
"They are messengers from King Balak of Moab," Balaam answered. "He sent them

Complete Jewish Bible
Bil‘am said to God, "Balak the son of Tzippor, king of Mo'av, has sent me this message:

Darby Translation
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me,

Easy-to-Read Version
Balaam said to God, "The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to give me a message.

George Lamsa Translation
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

Good News Translation
He answered, "King Balak of Moab has sent them to tell me

Christian Standard Bible®
Balaam replied to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent this message to me:

Literal Translation
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab has sent to me,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Balaam sayde vnto God: Balac ye sonne of Ziphor the kynge of the Moabites hath sent vnto me:

American Standard Version
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

Bible in Basic English
And Balaam said to God, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them to me, saying,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balaam sayd vnto God: Balac the sonne of Ziphor kyng of Moab hath sent vnto me [saying:]

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balaam said unto God: 'Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me [saying]:

King James Version (1611)
And Balaam said vnto God, Balak the sonne of Zippor, King of Moab, hath sent vnto me, saying;

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam said to God, Balac son of Sepphor, king of Moab, sent them to me, saying,

English Revised Version
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
And Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Balaam answeride, Balaach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moabitis, sente to me, and seide, Lo!

Young's Literal Translation
And Balaam saith unto God, `Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:

Update Bible Version
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, [saying],

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent to me, [saying],

World English Bible
Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, [saying],

New King James Version
So Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

New Living Translation
Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message:

New Life Bible
Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, saying,

New Revised Standard
Balaam said to God, "King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, has sent me this message:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Balaam unto God, - Balak, son of Zipper king of Moab, hath sent unto me:

Douay-Rheims Bible
He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,

Revised Standard Version
And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me,

Contextual Overview

¹ The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. ²Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites. The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized. ⁴Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out—a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean." Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland. Balak's emissaries said, "Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they're all over the place! And they're pressing hard on me. Come and curse them for me—they're too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we'll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed." 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. Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "So who are these men here with you?" Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'" God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others—they are a blessed people." The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's nobles, "Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you." So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us." Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Please, don't refuse to come to me. I will honor and reward you lavishly—anything you tell me to do, I'll do; I'll pay anything—only come and curse this people.'" Balaam answered Balak's servants: "Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to defy the orders of my God to do anything, whether big or little. But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I'll see what God will say to me this time." God came to Balaam that night and said, "Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you." Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab. As he was going, though, God's anger flared. The angel of God stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road. But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God 's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again. God 's angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick. Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?" Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you've ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?" He said, "No." Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God 's angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. God 's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off." Balaam said to God 's angel, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don't like what I'm doing, I'll head back." But God 's angel said to Balaam, "Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word." And so Balaam continued to go with Balak's nobles. When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land. Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send an urgent message for help? Why didn't you come when I called? Do you think I can't pay you enough?" Balaam said to Balak, "Well, I'm here now. But I can't tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me—no others." Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town). Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him. At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people. ⁶Balaam The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites. The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized. Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out—a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean." Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland. Balak's emissaries said, "Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they're all over the place! And they're pressing hard on me. Come and curse them for me—they're too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we'll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed." ⁷The 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. ⁹ Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "So who are these men here with you?" ¹⁰Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'" ¹² God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others—they are a blessed people." ¹³ The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's nobles, "Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you." ¹⁴ So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 22:4-6

Reciprocal: Numbers 31:8 - Balaam

Cross-References

Genesis 22:6
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and gave it to Isaac his son to carry. He carried the flint and the knife. The two of them went off together.

Genesis 22:12
"Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me."

Genesis 22:19
Then Abraham went back to his young servants. They got things together and returned to Beersheba. Abraham settled down in Beersheba.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balaam said unto God,.... In answer to the question he put to him:

Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me; these men, and a message by them:

saying; as follows.