民數記23:1-30

23:1 巴蘭對巴勒說：「你在這裡給我築七座壇，為我預備七隻公牛，七隻公羊。」
23:2 巴勒照巴蘭的話行了。巴勒和巴蘭在每座壇上獻一隻公牛，一隻公羊。
23:3 巴蘭對巴勒說：「你站在你的燔祭旁邊，我且往前去，或者耶和華來迎見我。他指示我甚麼，我必告訴你。」於是巴蘭上一淨光的高處。
23:4 上帝迎見巴蘭；巴蘭說：「我預備了七座壇，在每座壇上獻了一隻公牛，一隻公羊。」
23:5 耶和華將話傳給巴蘭，又說：「你回到巴勒那裡，要如此如此說。」
23:6 他就回到巴勒那裡，見他同摩押的使臣都站在燔祭旁邊。
23:7 巴蘭便題起詩歌說：巴勒引我出亞蘭，摩押王引我出東山，說：來啊，為我咒詛雅各；來啊，怒罵以色列。
23:8 上帝沒有咒詛的，我焉能咒詛？耶和華沒有怒罵的，我焉能怒罵？
23:9 我從高峰看他，從小山望他；這是獨居的民，不列在萬民中。
23:10 誰能數點雅各的塵土？誰能計算以色列的四分之一？我願如義人之死而死；我願如義人之終而終。
23:11 巴勒對巴蘭說：「你向我做的是甚麼事呢？我領你來咒詛我的仇敵，不料，你竟為他們祝福。」
23:12 他回答說：「耶和華傳給我的話，我能不謹慎傳說嗎？」
23:13 巴勒說：「求你同我往別處去，在那裡可以看見他們；你不能全看見，只能看見他們邊界上的人。在那裡要為我咒詛他們。」
23:14 於是領巴蘭到了瑣腓田，上了毘斯迦山頂，築了七座壇；每座壇上獻一隻公牛，一隻公羊。
23:15 巴蘭對巴勒說：「你站在這燔祭旁邊，等我往那邊去迎見耶和華。」
23:16 耶和華臨到巴蘭那裡，將話傳給他；又說：「你回到巴勒那裡，要如此如此說。」
23:17 他就回到巴勒那裡，見他站在燔祭旁邊；摩押的使臣也和他在一處。巴勒問他說：「耶和華說了甚麼話呢？」
23:18 巴蘭就題詩歌說：巴勒，你起來聽；西撥的兒子，你聽我言。
23:19 上帝非人，必不致說謊，也非人子，必不致後悔。他說話豈不照著行呢？他發言豈不要成就呢？
23:20 我奉命祝福；上帝也曾賜福，此事我不能翻轉。
23:21 他未見雅各中有罪孽，也未見以色列中有奸惡。耶和華─他的上帝和他同在；有歡呼王的聲音在他們中間。
23:22 上帝領他們出埃及；他們似乎有野牛之力。
23:23 斷沒有法術可以害雅各，也沒有占卜可以害以色列。現在必有人論及雅各，就是論及以色列說：上帝為他行了何等的大事！
23:24 這民起來，彷彿母獅，挺身，好像公獅，未曾吃野食，未曾喝被傷者之血，決不躺臥。
23:25 巴勒對巴蘭說：「你一點不要咒詛他們，也不要為他們祝福。」
23:26 巴蘭回答巴勒說：「我豈不是告訴你說『凡耶和華所說的，我必須遵行』嗎？」
23:27 巴勒對巴蘭說：「來吧，我領你往別處去，或者上帝喜歡你在那裡為我咒詛他們。」
23:28 巴勒就領巴蘭到那下望曠野的毘珥山頂上。
23:29 巴蘭對巴勒說：「你在這裡為我築七座壇，又在這裡為我預備七隻公牛，七隻公羊。」
23:30 巴勒就照巴蘭的話行，在每座壇上獻一隻公牛，一隻公羊。

  Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ² Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
⁴ God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
⁵ The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
⁶ So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. ⁷ Then Balaam spoke his message:

“Balak brought me from Aram,
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’
⁸ How can I curse
    those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce
    those whom the Lord has not denounced?
⁹ From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
    and may my final end be like theirs!”

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”

¹² He answered, “Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” ¹⁴ So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
¹⁶ The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
¹⁷ So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
¹⁸ Then he spoke his message:

“Arise, Balak, and listen;
    hear me, son of Zippor.
¹⁹ God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill?
²⁰ I have received a command to bless;
    he has blessed, and I cannot change it.

²¹ “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
    no misery observed^[a] in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
    the shout of the King is among them.
²² God brought them out of Egypt;
    they have the strength of a wild ox.
²³ There is no divination against^[b] Jacob,
    no evil omens against^[c] Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
    and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
²⁴ The people rise like a lioness;
    they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till it devours its prey
    and drinks the blood of its victims.”

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

²⁶ Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?”
²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.
²⁹ Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ³⁰ Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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    巴勒要巴蘭先知咒詛以色列人，可是巴蘭卻一而再、再而三的祝福以色列人。也因為這樣，讓巴勒很不高興。巴蘭卻故意戲弄巴勒，要他一在換位置，其實他深知上帝地幫助以色列人！

    巴蘭祝福以色列人，也讓我們感受到上帝的心意是不被人的作為改變的，人再多的花樣是沒有意義的，重要的還是人要順應上帝的旨意來行事，人是無法改變與抗拒上帝的旨意的！

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，既然知道上帝的旨意是無法抗拒的，我們就要越發相信：耶穌基督必定再來，上帝的國必定實現！耶穌基督已經復活、升天、坐在上帝的右邊，祂的再來是不會落空的，我們當存歡喜快樂的心來面對！