Numbers Chapter 24
Showing all 25 verses for Numbers Chapter 24.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. "
"When Balaam realised it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he stopped going off to look for omens as he had before, and instead turned to face the wilderness."
Balaam finally stops seeking enchantments once he sees it pleases the LORD to bless Israel, letting go of his old methods and simply turning his face to look at them directly. Jesus rejoices whenever someone abandons manipulative shortcuts and instead faces the truth honestly, even after resisting it for a long time.
"And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. "
"Balaam looked up and saw Israel camped tribe by tribe, and the spirit of God came upon him."
Balaam looks out and sees Israel camped by tribes, and the spirit of God comes upon him in that moment of genuine observation. Jesus meets people not only in dramatic encounters but in ordinary moments of simply looking honestly at what is in front of them.
"And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: "
"Then he spoke his message: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes are open.""
Balaam describes himself as the man whose eyes are open, admitting that true sight is a gift rather than something he has always possessed. Jesus wants to open your eyes too, so that what was once hidden or misunderstood becomes clear and true before you.
"He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: "
""This is the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, falling into a trance but with his eyes wide open.""
Balaam describes falling into a trance while his eyes remain open, hearing the words of God and seeing the vision of the Almighty - a striking image of full, awake receptivity to divine revelation. Jesus can meet you in the most unexpected states and circumstances, provided your heart stays genuinely open to Him.
"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! "
""How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwellings, Israel!""
Balaam admires the goodly tents and tabernacles of Jacob and Israel, offering genuine praise for the beauty of God's people rather than the curse he came to speak. Jesus delights when even an outsider recognises and speaks well of the goodness found among His people.
"As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. "
""Like valleys stretched out, like gardens by a riverbank, like aloe trees the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the water.""
Balaam compares Israel to valleys spread out, gardens by a river, and cedar trees planted by the LORD Himself, a picture of flourishing that comes only from being rooted where God has placed you. Jesus wants your life to be like this too - not striving for growth alone, but drawing continually from the source that truly sustains you.
"He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. "
""Water will pour from his buckets, and his descendants will have plenty; his king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be highly honoured.""
Balaam foresees abundance and a king higher than Agag, a glimpse of Israel's future greatness under God's blessing rather than any curse Balak hoped for. Jesus can turn the very words meant to harm His people into words that foretell their flourishing instead.
"God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. "
""God brought him out of Egypt; he has the strength of a wild ox. He will devour the nations that oppose him, crush their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.""
Balaam repeats that God brought Israel out of Egypt with the strength of a wild ox, and pictures them consuming their enemies - imagery of God's power fighting on their behalf. Jesus wants you to remember that your true strength in any battle has always come from what God has done, not from your own effort.
"He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee. "
""He crouches, he lies down like a lion, like a great lion - who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.""
Balaam declares Israel couched like a lion that none dare rouse, and repeats the ancient promise that whoever blesses them is blessed, and whoever curses them is cursed. Jesus reminds you that how you treat His people ultimately reflects how you are treating Him, since He has bound Himself so closely to those who are His.
"And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. "
"Balak was furious with Balaam and clapped his hands together in anger. He said to Balaam, "I called you here to curse my enemies, and instead you've done nothing but bless them, three times now!""
Balak's anger finally explodes, striking his hands together in fury that Balaam has blessed Israel three times running instead of cursing them even once. Jesus is not shaken by anyone's fury when the truth simply refuses to say what they demanded it say.
"Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour. "
""So get out of here, go back home! I said I'd reward you richly, but look - the LORD has kept you from being honoured.""
Balak tells Balaam to flee home, admitting that the LORD Himself has kept Balaam back from the honour Balak had promised. Jesus knows that refusing to compromise may cost you the reward or status others dangled before you, yet obedience to Him is worth infinitely more than any withheld honour.
"And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, "
"Balaam replied, "Didn't I already tell your messengers, when you sent them to me...""
Balaam reminds Balak that he told the messengers from the very beginning what the limits of his mission were. Jesus values consistency between what you say at the start of a matter and how you actually act throughout it, rather than one story for the beginning and another as things get difficult.
"If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak? "
""...that even if Balak gave me his palace full of silver and gold, I couldn't go beyond what the LORD commands, to do good or bad on my own initiative - I can only say what the LORD says?""
Balaam restates plainly that not even a house full of silver and gold could move him beyond the commandment of the LORD, whether for good or bad. Jesus wants your loyalty to Him to be this unshakeable - untouched by whatever reward or punishment others might offer to sway you off course.
"And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. "
""Now I'm going back to my own people. But first, let me warn you what this people will do to your people in days to come.""
Before leaving, Balaam offers to tell Balak what Israel will do to his people in the latter days, turning from a paid curse-speaker into an unwilling prophet of genuine future events. Jesus can still use a compromised messenger to deliver a wholly true and important word, when the message itself comes from Him.
"And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: "
"Then he spoke his message again: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes are open.""
Balaam again introduces himself as the man whose eyes are open, repeating his claim to genuine spiritual sight before delivering his most far-reaching prophecy yet. Jesus wants you to keep your own eyes truly open too, ready to receive whatever truth He still has left to reveal to you.
"He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: "
""This is the message of one who hears the words of God and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, falling into a trance but with his eyes wide open.""
Balaam describes hearing the words of God and knowing the knowledge of the Most High, a deeper claim to insight than before as he approaches his greatest prophecy. Jesus offers this same growing knowledge of God to anyone who keeps drawing near to Him with an open heart.
"I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. "
""I see him, but not now; I observe him, but not close at hand. A star will come out of Jacob, a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the borders of Moab and destroy all the sons of Sheth.""
Balaam foresees a Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre out of Israel who will smite Moab, a prophecy pointing far beyond his own day towards a coming king. Jesus is the fulfilment of this very promise, the true Star and Sceptre who brings ultimate victory to God's people, though its first fulfilment lay centuries away.
"And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. "
""Edom will become a possession, and Seir too will belong to his enemies, while Israel does mighty things.""
Balaam foresees Edom and Seir becoming a possession while Israel does valiantly, a promise of victory that would only be fulfilled generations later under David. Jesus wants you to trust that His promises can take a long road to fulfilment, yet they arrive exactly as spoken in the end.
"Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. "
""One who has dominion will come out of Jacob, and he will destroy the remnant of the city.""
Balaam foresees dominion coming out of Jacob, one who shall destroy what remains of the hostile city, pointing to a lasting rule that outlasts every rival power. Jesus is that dominion fully realised, whose kingdom outlasts every empire that has ever opposed God's people.
"And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. "
"Then Balaam looked towards Amalek and spoke this message: "Amalek was first among the nations, but his end will be complete destruction.""
Balaam turns to look on Amalek, once first among the nations, and foretells their utter and final ruin. Jesus takes no pleasure in judgement, yet He is honest that persistent hostility towards God's purposes leads ultimately to ruin, however great a nation once seemed.
"And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock. "
"Then he looked at the Kenites and spoke: "Your home is secure; your nest is set high in the rock.""
Balaam looks on the Kenites and notes the strength of their rocky dwelling place, acknowledging real security even while foreseeing their eventual downfall. Jesus knows that no fortress of human making, however strong it looks, offers true lasting safety apart from Him.
"Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. "
""Yet the Kenites will be destroyed, when Asshur (Assyria) carries you away as captives.""
Balaam foresees the Kenites eventually wasted and carried captive by Asshur, a sober reminder that present strength does not guarantee a secure future. Jesus calls you to build your life on what truly lasts, rather than resting only in circumstances that feel unshakeable today.
"And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! "
"Then he spoke once more: "Alas! Who can survive when God does this?""
Balaam cries out in awe, asking who shall live when God does this, overwhelmed by the scale of what he has just foreseen. Jesus wants this same reverent awe to shape how you approach Him - not casual familiarity, but genuine wonder at what God is able to do.
"And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. "
""Ships will come from the coast of Chittim (Cyprus); they will afflict Asshur and afflict Eber, but they too will ultimately be destroyed.""
Balaam foresees ships coming from Chittim to afflict great powers, and even these in turn perishing forever, a picture of every rising empire eventually falling in its own time. Jesus reminds you that no earthly power, however dominant, stands beyond the reach of God's ultimate purposes.
"And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way. "
"Then Balaam got up and went back home, and Balak also went on his way."
Balaam rises and returns to his own place, and Balak likewise goes his own way, the story ending not with a curse but with both men walking away from a plan that failed against God's will. Jesus lets you see here that no scheme against His purposes, however well-funded or determined, can ultimately succeed - His blessing on His people stands.