Numbers 22

¹Then the children of Israel, journeying on, put up their tents in the lowlands of Moab, on the other side of Jordan at Jericho.

²Now Balak, the son of Zippor, saw what Israel had done to the Amorites.

³And in Moab there was great fear of the people, because their numbers were so great: and the feeling of Moab was bitter against the children of Israel.

⁴Then Moab said to the responsible men of Midian, It is clear that this great people will be the destruction of everything round us, making a meal of us as the ox does of the grass of the field. At that time Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of Moab.

⁵So he sent men to Balaam, son of Beor, at Pethor by the River in the land of the children of his people, saying to him, See, a people has come out of Egypt, covering all the face of the earth, and they have put up their tents opposite to me:

⁶Come now, in answer to my prayer, and put a curse on this people, for they are greater than I: and then I may be strong enough to overcome them and send them out of the land: for it is clear that good comes to him who has your blessing, but he on whom you put your curse is cursed.

⁷So the responsible men of Moab and Midian went away, taking in their hands rewards for the prophet; and they came to Balaam and said to him what Balak had given them orders to say.

⁸And he said to them, Take your rest here tonight, and I will give you an answer after hearing what the Lord says; so the chiefs of Moab kept there with Balaam that night.

⁹And God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you?

¹⁰And Balaam said to God, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent them to me, saying,

¹¹See, the people who have come out of Egypt are covering all the earth: now, put a curse on this people for me, so that I may be able to make war on them, driving them out of the land.

¹²And God said to Balaam, You are not to go with them, or put a curse on this people, for they have my blessing.

¹³In the morning Balaam got up and said to the chiefs of Balak, Go back to your land, for the Lord will not let me go with you.

¹⁴So the chiefs of Moab went back to Balak and said, Balaam will not come with us.

¹⁵So Balak sent more chiefs, greater in number and of higher position than the others.

¹⁶And they came to Balaam and said, Balak, son of Zippor, says, Let nothing keep you from coming to me:

¹⁷For I will give you a place of very great honour, and whatever you say to me I will do; so come, in answer to my prayer, and put a curse on this people.

¹⁸But Balaam, in answer; said to the servants of Balak, Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, it would not be possible for me to do anything more or less than the orders of the Lord my God.

¹⁹So take your rest here this night, till I have knowledge what more the Lord has to say to me.

²⁰And that night God came to Balaam and said to him, If these men have come for you, go with them: but do only what I say to you.

²¹So in the morning Balaam got up and, making his ass ready, went with the chiefs of Moab.

²²But God was moved to wrath because he went: and the angel of the Lord took up a position in the road to keep him from his purpose. Now he was seated on his ass, and his two servants were with him.

²³And the ass saw the angel of the Lord waiting in the road with his sword in his hand; and turning from the road, the ass went into the field; and Balaam gave the ass blows, to get her back on to the road.

²⁴Then the angel of the Lord took up his position in a narrow road through the vine-gardens, with a wall on this side and on that.

²⁵And the ass saw the angel of the Lord, and went near the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against the wall; and he gave her more blows.

²⁶Then the angel of the Lord went further, stopping in a narrow place where there was no room for turning to the right or to the left.

²⁷And the ass saw the angel of the Lord and went down on the earth under Balaam; and full of wrath, Balaam gave her hard blows with his stick.

²⁸Then the Lord gave the ass the power of talking, and opening her mouth she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you have given me blows these three times?

²⁹And Balaam said to the ass, You have made me seem foolish: if only I had a sword in my hand I would put you to death.

³⁰And the ass said to Balaam, Am I not your ass upon which you have gone all your life till this day? and have I ever done this to you before? And he said, No.

³¹Then the Lord made Balaam's eyes open, and he saw the angel of the Lord in the way with his sword in his hand: and he went down on his face to the earth.

³²And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you given your ass blows these three times? See, I have come out against you to keep you back, because your purpose is not pleasing to me.

³³And the ass saw me, turning to one side from me three times: if she had not gone to one side, I would certainly have put you to death and kept her safe.

³⁴And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, I have done wrong, for I did not see that you were in the way against me: but now, if it is evil in your eyes, I will go back again.

³⁵And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men; but say only what I give you to say. Then Balaam went on with the chiefs of Balak.

³⁶Now Balak, hearing that Balaam had come, went to the chief town of Moab, on the edge of the Arnon, in the farthest part of the land, for the purpose of meeting him.

³⁷And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not send to you, requesting you with all my heart to come to me? why did you not come? am I not able to give you a place of honour?

³⁸Then Balaam said to Balak, Now I have come to you; but have I power to say anything? Only what God puts into my mouth may I say.

³⁹And Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-huzoth.

⁴⁰And Balak made offerings of oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam and the chiefs who were with him.

⁴¹And in the morning Balak took Balaam up to the high places of Baal, and from there he was able to see the outer limits of the people.

Numbers 22

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

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

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

⁴Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

⁵He sent messengers to 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 who came out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me.

⁶Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

⁷The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.

⁸He said to them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak to me." The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹God came to Balaam, and said, "Who are these men with you?"

¹⁰Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me,

¹¹'Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt, it covers the surface of the earth: now, come curse me them; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.'"

¹²God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people; for they are blessed."

¹³Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your land; for the Lord refuses to permit me to go with you."

¹⁴The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."

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

¹⁶They came to Balaam, and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me:

¹⁷for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.'"

¹⁸Balaam answered the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.

¹⁹Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will speak to me more."

²⁰God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do."

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

²²God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the Lord placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

²³The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.

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

²⁵The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he struck her again.

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

²⁷The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"

²⁹Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you."

³⁰The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?" He said, "No."

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

³²The angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me:

³³and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive."

³⁴Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned; for I did not know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again."

³⁵The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

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

³⁷Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not earnestly send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?"

³⁸Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak."

³⁹Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.

⁴⁰Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.

⁴¹It happened in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there the utmost part of the people.