Numbers 22

¹And they set out and made camp in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan, where Jericho is situated.

²Then Balak, the son of Zippor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorite,

³and that the Moabites had great fear of him, and that they were not able to bear his assault,

⁴said to those greater by birth of Midian: “So will this people wipe away all those who are dwelling within our borders, in the same way that the ox is accustomed to tear out grass, all the way to the roots.” At that time, he was king of Moab.

⁵Therefore, he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a seer who lived above the river of the land of the sons of Ammon, to call him, and to say: “Behold, a people has gone forth from Egypt, which has covered the face of the earth. They are encamped opposite me.

⁶Therefore, come and curse this people, for they are stronger than I am. If only, in some way, I might be able to strike them and to drive them from my land. For I know that he whom you bless shall be blessed, and he whom you curse shall be cursed.”

⁷And the elders of Moab, and those greater by birth of Midian, continued on, holding the price of divination in their hands. And when they had come to Balaam, and had explained to him all the words of Balak,

⁸he responded, “Remain for this night, and I will answer with whatever the Lord will say to me.” And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him,

⁹“What do these men want with you?”

¹⁰He responded, “Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites has sent to me,

¹¹saying: ‘Behold, a people, which has gone forth from Egypt, has covered the face of the earth. Come and curse them, so that, in some way, I may be able to fight them and drive them away.’ ”

¹²And God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

¹³And he, rising up in the morning, said to the leaders, “Go into your own land, for the Lord has prohibited me from going with you.”

¹⁴Returning, the leaders said to Balak, “Balaam was not willing to come with us.”

¹⁵Again, he sent many more persons, and these were more noble than those he had sent before.

¹⁶And when these had come to Balaam, they said: “So says Balak, the son of Zippor. Do not hesitate to come to me.

¹⁷For I am ready to honor you, and whatever you would want, I shall give to you. Come and curse this people.”

¹⁸Balaam responded: “Even if Balak were to give to me his own house, filled with silver and gold, I still would not be able to change the word of the Lord my God, neither to say more, nor to say less.

¹⁹I beg you to remain for this night also, so that I may know what the Lord will answer me again.”

²⁰Therefore, God came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: “If these men have arrived to call you, then rise up and go with them; yet only in so far as you shall do what I will command you.”

²¹Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddling his donkey, he set out with them.

²²And God was angry. And an Angel of the Lord stood in the way opposite Balaam, who was sitting on the donkey, and he had two servants with him.

²³The donkey, discerning that the Angel was standing in the way with a drawn sword, turned herself from the road and went through a field. And when Balaam beat her and intended to return her to the path,

²⁴the Angel stood in a narrow place between the two walls, with which the vineyards were enclosed.

²⁵And the donkey, seeing this, drew herself close to the wall and scraped the foot of the rider. So he beat her again.

²⁶And, nevertheless, the Angel passing on to a narrow place, where one would not be able to deviate either to the right or to the left, stood to meet him.

²⁷And when the donkey had seen the Angel standing there, she fell under the feet of the rider, who, being angry, struck her sides more vehemently with a club.

²⁸And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said: “What have I done to you? Why do strike you me, behold now, for the third time?”

²⁹Balaam responded, “Because you have deserved it, and you have mistreated me. If only I had a sword, so that I might pierce you.”

³⁰The donkey said: “Am not I your animal, on which you have always been accustomed to sit, even until this present day? Tell me, when did I ever do the same thing to you.” But he said, “Never.”

³¹Immediately, the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he reverenced him prone on the ground.

³²And the Angel said to him: “Why did you beat your donkey three times? I have come to be an adversary to you, because your way is perverse and contrary to me.

³³And unless the donkey had turned aside from the way, allowing a place for my opposition, I would have killed you, and she would have lived.”

³⁴Balaam said: “I have sinned, not knowing that you stood against me. And now, if it displeases you for me to continue on, I will return.”

³⁵The Angel said, “Go with them, but be careful not to speak anything other than what I shall instruct you.” And so, he went with the leaders.

³⁶And when Balak had heard it, he went out to meet him in a town of the Moabites, which is situated at the furthest borders of Arnon.

³⁷And he said to Balaam: “I sent messengers to call you. Why did you not come to me immediately? Was it because I am not able to pay the cost for your arrival?”

³⁸He answered him: “Behold, here I am. Am I able to speak anything other than what God will put into my mouth?”

³⁹Therefore, they continued on together, and they arrived at a city, which was at the furthest borders of his kingdom.

⁴⁰And after Balak had killed oxen and sheep, he sent the gifts to Balaam, and to the leaders who were with him.

⁴¹Then, when morning arrived, he led him to the heights of Baal, and he gazed upon the most distant portions of the population.

Numbers 22

¹And they went forward and encamped in the plains of Moab, over against where Jericho is situate beyond the Jordan.

²And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,

³And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,

⁴He said to the elders of Madian: So will this people destroy all that dwell in our borders, as the ox is wont to eat the grass to the very roots. Now he was at that time king in Moab.

⁵He sent therefore messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, a soothsayer, who dwelt by the river of the land of the children of Ammon, to call him, and to say: Behold a people is come out of Egypt, that hath covered the face of the earth, sitting over against me.

⁶Come therefore, and curse this people, because it is mightier than I: if by any means I may beat them and drive them out of my land: for I know that he whom thou shalt bless is blessed, and he whom thou shalt curse is cursed.

⁷And the ancients of Moab, and the elders of Madian, went with the price of divination in their hands. And where they were come to Balaam, and had told him all the words of Balac:

⁸He answered: Tarry here this night and I will answer whatsoever the Lord shall say to me. And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him:

⁹What mean these men that are with thee?

¹⁰He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,

¹¹Saying: Behold a people that is come out of Egypt, hath covered the face of the land: come and curse them, if by any means I may fight with them and drive them away.

¹²And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.

¹³And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.

¹⁴The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.

¹⁵Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:

¹⁶Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:

¹⁷For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.

¹⁸Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either more or less.

¹⁹I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.

²⁰God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: If these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.

²¹Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.

²²And God was angry. And an angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who sat on the ass, and had two servants with him.

²³The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,

²⁴The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.

²⁵And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:

²⁶And nevertheless the angel going on to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, stood to meet him.

²⁷And when the ass saw the angel standing, she fell under the feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a staff.

²⁸And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said: What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time?

²⁹Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.

³⁰The ass said: Am not I thy beast, on which thou hast been always accustomed to ride until this present day? tell me if I ever did the like thing to thee. But he said: Never.

³¹Forthwith the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he worshipped him falling flat on the ground.

³²And the angel said to him: Why beatest thou thy ass these three times? I am come to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse, and contrary to me:

³³And unless the ass had turned out of the way, giving place to me who stood against thee, I had slain thee, and she should have lived.

³⁴Balaam said: I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me: and now if it displease thee that I go, I will return.

³⁵The angel said: Go with these men, and see thou speak no other thing than what I shall command thee. He went therefore with the princes.

³⁶And when Balac heard it he came forth to meet him in a town of the Moabites, that is situate in the uttermost borders of Arnon.

³⁷And he said to Balaam: I sent messengers to call thee, why didst thou not come immediately to me? was it because I am not able to reward thy coming?

³⁸He answered him: Lo, here I am: shall I have power to speak any other thing but that which God shall put in my mouth?

³⁹So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.

⁴⁰And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

⁴¹And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people.