Numbers 23:7 · KJV
“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.”
— Numbers 23:7
And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, {whom} the LORD hath not defied?
Numbers 23 — Context
And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7And 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.
8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, {whom} the LORD hath not defied?
9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Cross References
Numbers 24:3
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: {whose...: Heb. who had his eyes shut, but now opened}
Deuteronomy 23:4
Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
Numbers 23:18
And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
Numbers 22:5-6
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which {is} by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: {face: Heb. eye}
Numbers 24:23
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
Job 29:1
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, {continued: Heb. added to take up}
Micah 2:4
In that day shall {one} take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, {and} say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed {it} from me! turning away he hath divided our fields. {a doleful...: Heb. a lamentation of lamentations} {turning...: or, instead of restoring}
Psalms 78:2
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: