Numbers 22:2-25:9 Lesson 36
Torah Portion Balak
Numbers 22 (Torah Portion Balak)
1 The Israelites marched and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. 2 Balak, Zippor’s son, saw everything that the Israelites did to the Amorites. 3 The Moabites greatly feared the people, for they were so numerous. The Moabites were terrified of the Israelites. 4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will devour everything around us, as an ox eats up the grass in the field.”
Balak, Zippor’s son, was king of Moab at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam, Beor’s son, at Pethor, which is by the river in the land of his people, to summon him: “A people has come out of Egypt, and they have now covered the land. They have settled next to me. 6 Now please come and curse this people for me because they are stronger than I am. Perhaps I’ll be able to destroy them and drive them from the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and Midian went with the payment for divination in their hands. They came to Balaam and told him Balak’s words. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here and I’ll bring back to you a word exactly as the Lord speaks to me.” So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Moab’s King Balak, Zippor’s son, sent them to me with the message, 11 ‘A people has come out of Egypt and covered the land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I’ll be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”
12 God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. Don’t curse the people, because they are blessed.”
13 Then Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s officials, “Go to your land, for the Lord has refused to allow me to go with you.”
14 The officials of Moab arose, they went to Balak, and they said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Balak continued to send other officials more numerous and important than these. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak, Zippor’s son, says: ‘Please let nothing hold you back from coming to me, 17 for I’ll greatly honor you and I’ll do anything you ask of me. Please come and curse this people for me.’”
18 Balaam answered and said to Balak’s servants, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to do anything, small or great, to break the command of the Lord my God. 19 Now you also must remain the night here so that I may know what else the Lord may say to me.”
20 God came to Balaam in the night and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, arise and go with them. But you must do only what I tell you to do.” 21 So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.
22 Then God became angry because he went. So while he was riding on his donkey accompanied by his two servants, the Lord’s messenger stood in the road as his adversary. 23 The donkey saw the Lord’s messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey in order to turn him back onto the road. 24 Then the Lord’s messenger stood in the narrow path between vineyards with a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the Lord’s messenger, it leaned against the wall and squeezed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he continued to beat it. 26 The Lord’s messenger persisted and crossed over and stood in a narrow place, where it wasn’t possible to turn either right or left. 27 The donkey saw the Lord’s messenger and lay down underneath Balaam. Balaam became angry and beat the donkey with the rod. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you’ve beaten me these three times?”
29 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you’ve tormented me. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on whom you’ve often ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
Balaam said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and Balaam saw the Lord’s messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. Then he bowed low and worshipped. 32 The Lord’s messenger said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I’ve come out here as an adversary, because you took the road recklessly in front of me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it hadn’t turned away from me, I would just now have killed you and let it live.”
34 Balaam said to the Lord’s messenger, “I’ve sinned, because I didn’t know that you were standing against me in the road. Now, if you think it’s wrong, I’ll go back.”
35 The Lord’s messenger said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But don’t say anything. Say only that which I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, which is on the border of the Arnon at the farthest point of the border. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I send urgently and summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?”
38 Balaam said to Balak, “I’ve now come to you. But I’m only able to speak whatever word God gives me to say. That is what I will speak.”
39 Then Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and sent them to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41 In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the people.
Numbers 23 (Torah Portion Balak)
1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said. Then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay by your entirely burned offering. I will go and perhaps the Lord will grant me an appearance and speak. Whatever he shows me, I will tell you.” Then he went off to a high outlook.
4 God granted Balaam an appearance. Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and I have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.”
5 The Lord gave Balaam something to say, and said to him, “Return to Balak and say this.”
6 Balaam returned to him, while he and all the officials of Moab were standing next to his entirely burned offering. 7 Then he raised his voice and made his address:
“From
Aram Balak led me,
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains.
Come, curse Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.
8 How
can I curse
whom God hasn’t cursed?
How can I denounce
whom God hasn’t denounced?
9 From
the top of the rocks I see him;
from the hills I gaze on him.
Here is a people living alone;
it doesn’t consider itself among the nations.
10 Who
can count the dust of Jacob,
or number a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of those who do right,
and let my end be like his.”
11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemy. But now you’ve blessed him.”
12 He answered and said, “Don’t I have to take care to speak whatever the Lord gives me to say?”
13 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me, please, to another place where you’ll see them. You’ll see only part of them. You won’t see all of them. Then curse them for me from there.” 14 He took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your entirely burned offering, while I seek an appearance over there.”
16 The Lord granted Balaam an appearance and gave him a message. He said, “Return to Balak and say this.”
17 Balaam approached Balak, who was standing by his entirely burned offering with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then Balaam raised his voice and made his address:
“Arise,
Balak, and listen;
hear me out, Zippor’s son.
19 God
isn’t a man that he would lie,
or a human being that he would change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and not done it,
or promised and not fulfilled it?
20 I
received a blessing, and he blessed.
I can’t take it back.
21 He
hasn’t envisioned misfortune for Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble for Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
proclaimed as his king.
22 God,
who brought them out of Egypt,
is like a magnificent wild bull for him.
23 There
is no omen against Jacob,
no divination against Israel.
Instantly it is told to Jacob,
and to Israel, what God performs.
24 A
people now rises like a lioness,
like a lion it stands up.
It doesn’t lie down until it eats the prey
and drinks the blood of the slain.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them or bless them.”
26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘I’ll do whatever the Lord tells me to’?”
27 Balak said to Balaam, “Please come and I’ll take you to another place. Perhaps God will prefer it, so that you could curse him for me from there.”
28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon. 29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”30 Balak did just as Balaam said. He offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Numbers 24 (Torah Portion Balak)
1 Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless the Israelites, so he didn’t go as the other times to seek omens. Instead, he turned toward the desert. 2 Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping by tribes. Then God’s spirit came on him. 3 He raised his voice and made his address:
“The
oracle of Balaam, Beor’s son;
the oracle of a man whose eye is open.
4 The
oracle of one who hears God’s speech,
who perceives the Almighty’s visions,
who falls down with eyes uncovered.
5 How
beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your camps, Israel!
6 Like
palm groves that stretch out,
like gardens next to a river,
like eaglewood trees that the Lord has planted,
like cedar trees next to water.
7 Water
will drip from his branches;
his seed will have plenty of water;
his king will be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom will be lifted up.
8 God,
who brought him from Egypt,
is like a magnificent wild bull for him.
He will devour enemy nations
and break their bones;
he will strike with his arrows.
9 He
crouched and lay down like a lion;
like a lioness, who can make her rise?
The one blessing you will be blessed,
and the one cursing you will be cursed.”
10 Balak was angry with Balaam. He pounded his fists. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but now you’ve given a blessing these three times.11 Now get out of here and go home. I told you I’d greatly honor you, but the Lord has denied you any honor.”
12 Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I tell your messengers, whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to break the Lord’s command for good or ill by my own will. I’ll say whatever the Lord says’? 14 So now I’m going to my people. Let me advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” 15 He raised his voice and made his address:
“The
oracle of Balaam, Beor’s son,
the oracle of a man whose eye is open.
16 The oracle of one who hears God’s speech,
and understands the Most High’s knowledge,
who perceives the Almighty’s visions,
who falls down with eyes uncovered.
17 I
see him, but not now;
I look at him, but not nearby.
A star comes from Jacob;
a scepter arises from Israel,
smashing Moab’s forehead,
the head of all the Sethites.
18 Edom
will become a possession,
Seir a possession of its enemies.
But Israel acts powerfully.
19 Someone
from Jacob will rule
and destroy the survivors from Ir.”
20 He
looked at Amalek
and raised his voice
and gave his address:
“Amalek is foremost among the nations,
but its end is to perish forever.”
21 He
looked at the Kenites
and raised his voice
and gave his address:
“Your dwelling is secure;
your nest is set in the rock.
22 Yet
Kain will burn
when Asshur takes you away captive.”
23 He
raised his voice
and made his address:
“How terrible!
Who will live when God does this?
24 Ships
from Kittim will attack Asshur;
they will attack Eber,
and even he will perish forever.”
25 Then Balaam arose, set out, and returned home. Balak also went on his way.
Numbers 25 (Torah Portion Balak)
1 When the Israelites lived at Shittim, the people made themselves impure by having illicit sex with Moabite women. 2 The Moabite women invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. So the people ate a meal, and they worshipped their god. 3 Israel became attached to the Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry at the Israelites. 4 The Lord said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people and kill them on behalf of the Lord in broad daylight, so that the Lord’s anger turns away from Israel.
5 Then Moses said to Israel’s officials, “Each of you: kill your men who are attached to the Baal of Peor.”
6 An Israelite man brought a Midianite woman to his brothers in the sight of Moses and the entire Israelite community, who were weeping at the entrance of the meeting tent. 7 When Phinehas (Eleazar’s son and Aaron the priest’s grandson) saw this, he arose in the middle of the community, took a spear in his hand, 8 went after the Israelite man into the chamber, and stabbed the two of them, the Israelite man and the woman, through the stomach. Then the plague stopped spreading among the Israelites. 9 Yet those who died by the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.
Torah Portion Balak Numbers 22:2-25:9
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