New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996

Numbers 22

1 Then the people of Israel traveled to the flatlands of Moab. They camped along the Jordan River across from Jericho. 📍 Jericho

2 Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. Balak was the son of Zippor. Reference

References Israel

Judges 11:25

People

Balak Zippor

3 The people of Moab were terrified because there were so many Israelites. In fact, Moab was filled with panic because of the people of Israel. Reference

Parallel theme

Exodus 15:15 Isaiah 23:5

4 The Moabites spoke to the elders of Midian. They said, "This huge mob is going to lick up everything around us. They'll lick it up as an ox licks up all of the grass in the fields." Balak, the son of Zippor, was the king of Moab at that time. Reference

Kingdom

Numbers 31:8

5 He sent messengers to get Balaam. Balaam was the son of Beor. Balaam was at the city of Pethor near the Euphrates River. Pethor was in the land where Balaam had been born. Balak told the messengers to say to Balaam, "A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the face of the land. They've settled down next to me. Reference

Parallel theme

Joshua 24:9 Micah 6:5 Jude 1:11 Revelation 2:14 Joshua 13:22 Numbers 23:7

References Egypt

Deuteronomy 23:4

📍 Locations

📍 Amaw 📍 Pethor 📍 River

People

Balaam Beor

6 So come and put a curse on those people. They are too powerful for me. Maybe I'll be able to win the battle over them. Maybe I'll be able to drive them out of the country. I know that those you bless will be blessed. And I know that those you put a curse on will be cursed." Reference

Blessing

Numbers 24:9

7 The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took with them the money they knew Balaam would ask for. They wanted him to use magic and figure things out for them. They came to where Balaam was. And they told him what Balak had said. Reference

Parallel theme

Micah 3:11

8 "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them. "I'll bring you back the answer the Lord gives me." So the princes of Moab stayed with him.

9 God came to Balaam. He asked, "Who are these men who are with you?" Reference

References God

Genesis 20:3 Numbers 22:20

10 Balaam said to God, "Balak king of Moab, the son of Zippor, sent me a message.

11 He said, 'A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the whole surface of the land. So come. Put a curse on them for me. Maybe I'll be able to fight them. Maybe I'll be able to drive them away.' "

12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. I have blessed them." Reference

Blessing

Ephesians 1:3 Deuteronomy 23:5 Genesis 12:2

Parallel theme

Matthew 27:19 Deuteronomy 33:29 Micah 6:5

References God

Romans 11:29 Psalm 146:5 Psalm 144:15 Numbers 23:23

13 The next morning Balaam got up. He said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country. The Lord won't let me go with you."

14 So the princes of Moab returned to Balak. They said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us."

15 Then Balak sent other princes. They were more important than the first ones. And there were more of them.

16 They came to Balaam. They said, "Balak, the son of Zippor, says, 'Don't let anything keep you from coming to me.

17 I'll make you very rich. I'll do anything you say. Come. Put a curse on those people for me.' " Reference

Parallel theme

Numbers 24:11

18 But Balaam gave them his answer. He said, "Balak could give me his palace filled with silver and gold. Even then, I still couldn't do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord my God commands. Reference

References God

2 Chronicles 18:13

References Lord

1 Kings 22:14 Numbers 23:26

Word

Numbers 24:13 Numbers 22:38

19 Stay here tonight, just as the others did. I'll find out what else the Lord will tell me." Reference

Parallel theme

Jude 1:11 2 Peter 2:3 2 Peter 2:15

20 That night God came to Balaam. He said, "These men have come to get you. So go with them. But do only what I tell you to do." Reference

Parallel theme

Numbers 23:26 Numbers 23:12

Word

Numbers 24:13 Numbers 22:35

21 Balaam got up in the morning. He put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the princes of Moab.

22 But God was very angry when Balaam went. So the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey. His two servants were with him. Reference

Parallel theme

Lamentations 2:4

References Lord

Exodus 4:24 Numbers 22:32

23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. The angel was holding a sword. He was ready for battle. So the donkey left the road and went into a field. Balaam hit the donkey. He wanted to get it back on the road. Reference

Parallel theme

Jude 1:11

24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path. The path went between two vineyards. There were walls on both sides.

25 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it moved close to the wall. It crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. He hit the donkey again. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 47:12

26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead. He stood in a narrow place. There was no room to turn, either right or left. Reference

Parallel theme

Hosea 2:6

References Lord

Isaiah 26:11

27 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it lay down under Balaam. That made him angry. He hit the donkey with his walking stick. Reference

Parallel theme

Proverbs 14:16 James 1:19

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth. It said to Balaam, "What have I done to you? Why did you hit me those three times?" Reference

Parallel theme

2 Peter 2:16 Luke 1:37

References Lord

Exodus 4:11

29 Balaam answered the donkey. He said, "You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand. If I did, I'd kill you right now." Reference

Parallel theme

Proverbs 12:10 Matthew 15:19

30 The donkey said to Balaam, "I'm your own donkey. I'm the one you have always ridden. Haven't you been riding me to this very day? Have I ever made you look foolish before?" "No," he said. Reference

Sin

2 Peter 2:16

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes. He saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. He saw that the angel was holding a sword. The angel was ready for battle. So Balaam bowed down. He fell with his face to the ground. Reference

Parallel theme

Genesis 21:19 Luke 24:16 Acts 26:18 John 18:6 Luke 24:31

32 The angel of the Lord spoke to him. He asked him, "Why have you hit your donkey three times? I have come here to oppose you. What you are doing is foolish. Reference

Parallel theme

Proverbs 28:18 Proverbs 28:6

References Lord

Acts 13:10 Numbers 22:22 Proverbs 14:2

33 The donkey saw me. It turned away from me three times. Suppose it had not turned away. Then I would certainly have killed you by now. But I would have spared the donkey." Reference

Parallel theme

Numbers 14:37

34 Balaam spoke to the angel of the Lord. He said, "I have sinned. I didn't realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Tell me whether you are pleased with me. If you aren't, I'll go back." Reference

Sin

1 Samuel 15:24 2 Samuel 12:13 1 Samuel 15:30 1 Samuel 26:21

35 The angel of the Lord spoke to Balaam. He said, "Go with the men. But say only what I tell you to say." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So he went out to meet him. They met at a Moabite town near the Arnon River. The town was on the border of Balak's territory. Reference

Parallel theme

Isaiah 16:2 Acts 28:15 Jeremiah 48:20

37 Balak spoke to Balaam. He said, "Didn't I send messengers to you? I wanted you to come quickly. So why didn't you come? I can make you very rich." Reference

Parallel theme

Numbers 24:11 John 5:44

38 "Well, I've come to you now," Balaam replied. "But I can't say just anything. I can only speak the words God puts in my mouth." Reference

Parallel theme

Proverbs 19:21 Numbers 23:26

Word

Numbers 22:18 Numbers 23:16

39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 📍 Kiriath-huzoth

40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep. He gave some to Balaam. He also gave some to the princes who were with him. Reference

Parallel theme

Numbers 23:14 Proverbs 1:16

41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he saw part of the people of Israel. Reference

Parallel theme

Numbers 23:13

📍 Bamoth-baal

Chapter Summary

Numbers 22 begins a new section in the Israelites' journey. The Israelites were now in the plains of Moab, Jordan side, facing Jericho. The recent victories over Sihon and Og had caused the nations to be afraid of Israel. The Moabite king, Balak, decided that Israel would be too strong for Moab to withstand, and he sought to hire Balaam to curse them (Numbers 22:5-6).

Balak had seen the people of Israel encamp opposite Moab's lands near Jericho. He had been afraid of Israel's conquests over Amorite kings and had sought to find another way to diminish Israel's strength. Balak sent messengers to Pethor, where Balaam lived near the Euphrates River (Numbers 22:5). They asked Balaam to come and curse the people of Israel (Numbers 22:6).

Balaam responded to the messengers with the assurance that if they would spend the night with him and allow him to seek God's will, he would tell them what answer to give Balak. God appeared to Balaam and asked what the messengers were saying (Numbers 22:18). Balaam told God of Balak's intentions: the men of Israel had come from Egypt (Numbers 22:18).

God commanded Balaam to not go with the men. God warned Balaam that Israel was blessed and that He had charged Balaam to bless Israel (Numbers 22:12). Balaam then refused to accompany Balak's messengers, saying that the Lord had not permitted him to (Numbers 22:13).

Balak would not accept this, and he sent messengers who were more honorable than the first. They told Balaam with more respect that Balak sought his blessings (Numbers 22:17). They asked Balaam to come with them; they would reward him handsomely (Numbers 22:15). Balaam replied that he could not take Balak's money because the Lord had forbidden him to, but he would stay the night with them (Numbers 22:16).

Balaam then asked the men to return the next morning (Numbers 22:20). God told him to go with the messengers, but warned that he could only say what He told Balaam to say (Numbers 22:21). Balaam arose the next morning and rode with the prince of Moab (Numbers 22:21).

God was angry with Balaam for going with the messengers, so He placed an angel before the road with a sword in his hand (Numbers 22:22). Balaam did not see the angel, but his ass did (Numbers 22:23). The ass saw the angel and turned aside into a field (Numbers 22:24). Balaam became angry and beat the ass (Numbers 22:25). The angel moved to a more confined place between two vines and stood with his back against the wall of the ditch (Numbers 22:26). The ass saw the angel again, buted into the ditch, and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall (Numbers 22:27). Balaam beat the ass again (Numbers 22:28). The angel went ahead of them yet again and moved to a narrow path (Numbers 22:29). The ass saw the angel and lay down before him (Numbers 22:30).

Balaam was angry and beat the ass (Numbers 22:31). Then God opened the donkey's eyes, and it saw the angel (Numbers 22:31). The ass asked Balaam why he beat it three times. Balaam answered as if the ass were a human being, saying that it had made a fool of him, and that he would kill it if he had a sword (Numbers 22:32). The ass replied that it had always served Balaam, and had it not done so before, please tell me (Numbers 22:33).

God then permitted the ass to speak. After the ass asked Balaam if it had ever been known to behave in this fashion, the Lord opened Balaam's eyes so that he might see the angel in the road with a sword in hand (Numbers 22:33). Balaam bowed before the angel (Numbers 22:34). The angel said to him that he was going to kill Balaam inasmuch as the path was narrow, and his ass had turned aside, but that if the ass had turned aside he would have killed the ass inasmuch as he might have died (Numbers 22:35).

Balaam asked the angel why he had been permitted to travel with the messengers if God's will was to kill him (Numbers 22:36). The angel told Balaam that he was going to return with the messengers, but only so long as he spoke what God desired him to say (Numbers 22:37).

When Balaam reached Moab, Balak came to meet him (Numbers 22:38). Balak asked what was the reason for Balaam's delay, and whether it was his belief that he could not reward him (Numbers 22:39). Balaam replied that he had no power to say anything or to do anything (Numbers 22:40). Balak then took Balaam to see Israel from several places (Numbers 22:40-41). The men went to Kirjath-huzoth and to Bamoth-baal (Numbers 22:41). Balak offered sacrifices to the Lord (Numbers 22:41). Balaam told Balak to prepare seven altars with seven oxen and seven rams (Numbers 22:42). Balaam went to seek the Lord while Balak waited with the sacrifices (Numbers 22:45).

The chapter ends with Balaam preparing to bring Israel the message of God. Balak asks for a curse, but Israel's future is not in Balak's hands. The chapter also describes the journey of Balak through the plains of Moab to where Balaam waited for the messengers to arrive. Balak's fear over Israel is revealed. His power to influence Israel is shown to be limited. Balaam is permitted to accompany Balak's messengers, but only on the stipulation that he will speak what God has told him to say.