King James Version

Numbers 23:3

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…בִּלְעָ֜םbilamBalaamבִּלְעָםnoun, proper name — “Balaam”H1109Bilam, a Mesopotamian prophet; also a place in PalestineBalaam, Bileam.לְבָלָ֗קlevalaqto Balakבָּלָקpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Balak”H1111Balak, a Moabitish kingBalak.הִתְיַצֵּב֮hityatsevpresent selvesיָצַבverb, hithpael, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “present selves”, a commandH3320to place (any thing so as to stay); reflexively, to station, offer, continuepresent selves, remaining, resort, set (selves), (be able to, can, with-) stand (fast, forth, -ing, still, up).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…עֹלָתֶךָ֒olatekhaascentעֹלָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “ascent”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5930a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke)ascent, burnt offering (sacrifice), go up to. See also H5766 (עֶוֶל).וְאֵֽלְכָ֗הveelekhahand carryיָלַךְconjunction, verb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular — “and carry”, a determination or requestH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…אוּלַ֞יulayif so beאוּלַיadverb — “if so be”H194if not; hence perhapsif so be, may be, peradventure, unless.יִקָּרֵ֤הyiqarehfloorקָרָהverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “floor”, an unfinished actionH7136to light upon (chiefly by accident); causatively, to bring about; specifically, to impose timbers (for roof or floor)appoint, lay (make) beams, befall, bring, come (to pass unto), floor, (hap) was, happen (unto), meet, send good speed.יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).לִקְרָאתִ֔יliqratito helpקִרְאָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to help”, the to-form of the verbH7125an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite)[idiom] against (he come), help, meet, seek, [idiom] to, [idiom] in the way.וּדְבַ֥רudevarand causeדָּבָרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.יַּרְאֵ֖נִיyareniseeרָאָהverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “see”, an unfinished actionH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּיvehigadtiand bewrayנָגַדconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and bewray”, a completed action in a sequenceH5046properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praisebewray, [idiom] certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, [idiom] fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, [idiom] surely, tell, utter.לָ֑ךְlakhetoלָ֑ךְpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”toוַיֵּ֖לֶךְvayelekhand carryיָלַךְconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and carry”, the next action in the storyH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…שֶֽׁפִיshefihigh placeשְׁפִיnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “high place”, the ordinary formH8205bareness; concretely, a bare hill or plainhigh place, stick out.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee.' And he went to a bare height.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.

Young’s Literal Translation

and Balaam saith to Balak, 'Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me — I have declared to thee;' and he goeth [to] a high place.

World English Bible

Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.

Darby Translation

And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatever he shews me I will tell thee. And he went to a hill.

Douay-Rheims

And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; peradventure the LORD will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee.' And he went to a bare height.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Balaam said to Balac, Stand by thy sacrifice, and I will go and see if God will appear to me and meet me, and the word which he shall shew me, I will report to thee. And Balac stood by his sacrifice.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Βαλαὰμ πρὸς Βαλὰκ, παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου, καὶ πορεύσομαι εἴ μοι φανεῖται ὁ Θεὸς ἐν συναντήσει, καὶ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐάν μοι δείξῃ, ἀναγγελῶ σοι· καὶ παρέστη Βαλὰκ ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ.