Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, La Nouvelle Bible Segond, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch start a new section here. We do not recommend this since verses 12-13 contain the final element of the structural pattern of narrative elements around the oracles (see the introductory comments on 22.41–23.12): After Balak admonishes Balaam for uttering an oracle of blessing, Balaam responds by saying that he must not fail to speak what the LORD tells him to say. Thus verses 12-13 are still connected to the preceding oracle narrative.
And Balaam said to Balak: The conjunction And may be translated “But” since Balaam’s response challenges what Balak just said. The generic verb said may be rendered “answered” (Good News Translation) or “replied” in this context.
Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me…?: Good News Translation renders this rhetorical question as a statement, saying “I told the messengers you sent to me….” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh expresses the force of this question better by using a stronger statement: “But I even told the messengers you sent to me….” New Living Translation breaks up the length of this question and also highlights the significant repetition of wording that occurs here in Hebrew: “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said….” The Hebrew term for messengers is the same one used in 22.5.
If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD: Balaam is quoting his own words in 22.18 (see the comments there), except that there he referred to the LORD as “the LORD my God.” Good News Translation uses indirect speech for this embedded quote, which other languages may find helpful.
To do either good or bad of my own will: This clause differs from the one in 22.18, where Balaam says “to do less or more.” Good News Translation and New Living Translation render either good or bad as “anything.” Translators may also say “anything at all” (New International Readers Version) to convey the inclusiveness of this phrase. Of my own will is literally “from my heart” (Buber, Luther, Vulgate). However, in Hebrew the “heart” is regarded as the seat of a person’s inner self, will or mind, not just of his emotions, so this phrase may be rendered “of my own will” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible), “of mine own mind” (King James Version), “of my own initiative” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or simply “of myself” (Good News Translation, La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle, La Nouvelle Bible Segond, Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap).
What the LORD speaks, that I will speak: There is a strong similarity between this statement and the LORD’s instruction to Balaam in 22.35 (see the comments there). The Hebrew word for that emphatically refers back to precisely what the LORD speaks.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .