KJV ORIGINAL
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then Balaam began his prophecy and said, 'Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the eastern mountains, saying, Come and curse Jacob for me, come and speak against Israel.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse shows Balaam explaining that King Balak hired him to come from far away to curse God's people Israel.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Israel's wilderness journey when they camped near Moab. King Balak of Moab feared the Israelites and hired Balaam, a renowned diviner from Mesopotamia, to curse them. However, God had forbidden Balaam to curse His chosen people and instead would use him to bless Israel.
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