Numbers 22

¹And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.

²And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

³And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

⁴And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

⁵And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to 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.

⁶Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

⁷And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

⁸And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Jehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

⁹And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?

¹⁰And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

¹¹Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.

¹²And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.

¹³And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

¹⁴And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

¹⁵And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

¹⁶And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

¹⁷for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

¹⁸And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.

¹⁹Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Jehovah will speak unto me more.

²⁰And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.

²¹And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

²²And God’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Jehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

²³And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

²⁴Then the angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

²⁵And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

²⁶And the angel of Jehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

²⁷And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.

²⁸And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

²⁹And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.

³⁰And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.

³¹Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.

³²And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me:

³³and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.

³⁴And Balaam said unto the angel of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

³⁵And the angel of Jehovah said unto Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.

³⁷And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?

³⁸And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.

³⁹And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-huzoth.

⁴⁰And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

⁴¹And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people.

Numbers 22

¹And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, by Jericho.

²And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,

³and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it is numerous; and Moab is vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel,

⁴and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, `Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab at that time,

⁵and he sendeth messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, `Lo, a people hath come out of Egypt; lo, it hath covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding over-against me;

⁶and now, come, I pray thee, curse for me this people, for it is mightier than I; it may be I prevailwe smite itand I cast it out from the land; for I have knownthat which thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.'

⁷And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian go, and divinations in their hand, and they come in unto Balaam, and speak unto him the words of Balak,

⁸and he saith unto them, `Lodge here to-night, and I have brought you back word, as Jehovah speaketh unto me;' and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam.

⁹And God cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, `Who are these men with thee?'

¹⁰And Balaam saith unto God, `Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:

¹¹Lo, the people that is coming out from Egypt and covereth the eye of the land, now come, pierce it for me; it may be I am able to fight against it, and have cast it out;'

¹²and God saith unto Balaam, `Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it is blessed.'

¹³And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saith unto the princes of Balak, `Go unto your land, for Jehovah is refusing to suffer me to go with you;'

¹⁴and the princes of Moab rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, `Balaam is refusing to come with us.'

¹⁵And Balak addeth yet to send princes, more numerous and honoured than these,

¹⁶and they come in unto Balaam, and say to him, `Thus said Balak son of Zippor, Be not, I pray thee, withheld from coming unto me,

¹⁷for very greatly I honour thee, and all that thou sayest unto me I do; and come, I pray thee, pierce for me this people.'

¹⁸And Balaam answereth and saith unto the servants of Balak, `If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah my God, to do a little or a great thing;

¹⁹and, now, abide, I pray you, in this place , you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with me.'

²⁰And God cometh in unto Balaam, by night, and saith to him, `If to call for thee the men have come, rise, go with them, and only the thing which I speak unto theeit thou dost do.'

²¹And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab,

²²and the anger of God burneth because he is going, and a messenger of Jehovah stationeth himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his ass, and two of his servants are with him,

²³and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.

²⁴And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyardsa wall on this side and a wall on that

²⁵and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and is pressed unto the wall, and presseth Balaam's foot unto the wall, and he addeth to smite her;

²⁶and the messenger of Jehovah addeth to pass over, and standeth in a strait place where there is no way to turn asideright or left

²⁷and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and croucheth under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burneth, and he smiteth the ass with a staff.

²⁸And Jehovah openeth the mouth of the ass, and she saith to Balaam, `What have I done to thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?'

²⁹and Balaam saith to the ass, `Because thou hast rolled thyself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain thee;'

³⁰and the ass saith unto Balaam, `Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden since I was thine unto this day? have I at all been accustomed to do to thee thus?' and he saith, `No.'

³¹And Jehovah uncovereth the eyes of Balaam, and he seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and he boweth and doth obeisance, to his face;

³²and the messenger of Jehovah saith unto him, `Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? lo, II have come out for an adversary, for thy way hath been perverse before me,

³³and the ass seeth me, and turneth aside at my presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from my presence, surely now also, thee I had slain, and her kept alive.'

³⁴And Balaam saith unto the messenger of Jehovah, `I have sinned, for I did not know that thou art standing to meet me in the way; and now, if evil in thine eyesI turn back by myself.'

³⁵And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Balaam, `Go with the men; and only the word which I speak unto theeit thou dost speak;' and Balaam goeth with the princes of Balak.

³⁶And Balak heareth that Balaam hath come, and goeth out to meet him, unto a city of Moab, which is on the border of Arnon, which is in the extremity of the border;

³⁷and Balak saith unto Balaam, `Did I not diligently sent unto thee to call for thee? why didst thou not come unto me? am I not truly able to honour thee?'

³⁸And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Lo, I have come unto thee; nowam I at all able to speak anything? the word which God setteth in my mouthit I do speak.'

³⁹And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,

⁴⁰and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who are with him;

⁴¹and it cometh to pass in the morning, that Balak taketh Balaam, and causeth him to go up the high places of Baal, and he seeth from thence the extremity of the people.