Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Thursday in Easter Week
Thursday in Easter Week
video advertismenet
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
Numbers 23:16
God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and give him the message."
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
Hebrew Names Version
The LORD met Bil`am, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.
The LORD met Bil`am, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.
King James Version
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
Lexham English Bible
Then Yahweh met with Balaam, and he put a word in his mouth, and he said, "Return to Balak, and you must speak thus."
Then Yahweh met with Balaam, and he put a word in his mouth, and he said, "Return to Balak, and you must speak thus."
English Standard Version
And the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."
And the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."
New Century Version
So the Lord came to Balaam and told him what to say. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and say such and such."
So the Lord came to Balaam and told him what to say. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and say such and such."
New English Translation
Then the Lord met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you."
Then the Lord met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you."
Amplified Bible
Then the LORD met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, "Go back to Balak and you shall speak thus."
Then the LORD met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, "Go back to Balak and you shall speak thus."
New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak."
Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord mette Balaam, and put an answere in his mouth, and sayd, Goe againe vnto Balak, and say thus.
And the Lord mette Balaam, and put an answere in his mouth, and sayd, Goe againe vnto Balak, and say thus.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Then Yahweh met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Contemporary English Version
The Lord appeared to Balaam and gave him another message, then he told him to go and tell Balak.
The Lord appeared to Balaam and gave him another message, then he told him to go and tell Balak.
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai met Bil‘am, put a word in his mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you."
Adonai met Bil‘am, put a word in his mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you."
Darby Translation
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the Lord came to Balaam and told Balaam what to say. Then he told Balaam to go back to Balak and say these things.
So the Lord came to Balaam and told Balaam what to say. Then he told Balaam to go back to Balak and say these things.
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD appeared to Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said to him, Go again to Balak and say thus.
And the LORD appeared to Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said to him, Go again to Balak and say thus.
Good News Translation
The Lord met Balaam, told him what to say, and sent him back to Balak to give him his message.
The Lord met Balaam, told him what to say, and sent him back to Balak to give him his message.
Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
Literal Translation
And Jehovah met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak, and say this.
And Jehovah met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak, and say this.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE mett Balaam, & put the worde in his mouth, & sayde: Go agayne vnto Balac, & saye on this wyse.
And the LORDE mett Balaam, & put the worde in his mouth, & sayde: Go agayne vnto Balac, & saye on this wyse.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord came to Balaam, and put words in his mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say.
And the Lord came to Balaam, and put words in his mouth, and said, Go back to Balak, and this is what you are to say.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a worde in his mouth, and sayd: Go agayne vnto Balac, and say thus.
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a worde in his mouth, and sayd: Go agayne vnto Balac, and say thus.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.'
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.'
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and saide, Goe againe vnto Balak, and say thus.
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and saide, Goe againe vnto Balak, and say thus.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And God met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, and said, return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.
And God met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, and said, return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.
English Revised Version
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, "Return to Balak and speak what I tell you."
And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, "Return to Balak and speak what I tell you."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the Lord hadde `come to him, and hadde put `a word in his mouth, he seide, Turne ayen to Balach, and thou schalt seie these thingis to hym.
And whanne the Lord hadde `come to him, and hadde put `a word in his mouth, he seide, Turne ayen to Balach, and thou schalt seie these thingis to hym.
Young's Literal Translation
and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'
and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.
And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus.
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak, and say thus.
World English Bible
Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.
Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.
New King James Version
Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
New Living Translation
And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."
And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."
New Life Bible
The Lord met Balaam and put words in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak. This is what you should say."
The Lord met Balaam and put words in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak. This is what you should say."
New Revised Standard
The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say."
The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, - and said - Return unto Balak and thus shalt thou speak.
And Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, - and said - Return unto Balak and thus shalt thou speak.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou say to him.
And when the Lord had met him, and had put the word in his mouth, he said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou say to him.
Revised Standard Version
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."
And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Contextual Overview
13 Balak said to him, "Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp—you won't be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake." 14 So he took him to Watchmen's Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, "Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there." 16 God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and give him the message." 17Balaam returned and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and the nobles of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What did God say?" Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor: God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? I was brought here to bless; and now he's blessed—how can I change that? He has no bone to pick with Jacob, he sees nothing wrong with Israel. God is with them, and they're with him, shouting praises to their King. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox. No magic spells can bind Jacob, no incantations can hold back Israel. People will look at Jacob and Israel and say, "What a great thing has God done!" Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, Unsleeping, unresting until its hunt is over and it's eaten and drunk its fill. 25 Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them." 26 Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak'?" 27Balak said to Balaam, "Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God's eyes where you'll be able to curse them for me." So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland). 29 Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice." 30 Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Numbers 23:5, Numbers 22:35, Numbers 24:1
Reciprocal: Exodus 3:18 - met Exodus 4:15 - and I Numbers 22:38 - the word Numbers 23:4 - God Deuteronomy 23:5 - Nevertheless 1 Kings 13:20 - the word of the Lord
Cross-References
Jeremiah 32:9
"So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels. I followed all the proper procedures: In the presence of witnesses I wrote out the bill of sale, sealed it, and weighed out the money on the scales. Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy that contained the contract and its conditions and also the open copy—and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. All this took place in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who had signed the deed, as the Jews who were at the jail that day looked on.
"So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels. I followed all the proper procedures: In the presence of witnesses I wrote out the bill of sale, sealed it, and weighed out the money on the scales. Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy that contained the contract and its conditions and also the open copy—and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. All this took place in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who had signed the deed, as the Jews who were at the jail that day looked on.
Zechariah 11:12
Then I addressed them: "Pay me what you think I'm worth." They paid me an insulting sum, counting out thirty silver coins.
Then I addressed them: "Pay me what you think I'm worth." They paid me an insulting sum, counting out thirty silver coins.
Matthew 7:12
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
Romans 13:8
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.
Philippians 4:8
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
1 Thessalonians 4:6
Don't run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God's concerns, and he will take care of them. We've warned you about this before. God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
Don't run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God's concerns, and he will take care of them. We've warned you about this before. God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth,.... As he did before, Numbers 23:5.
and said, go again unto Balak, and say thus; the words which are expressed in Numbers 23:18.
