Numbers 22
1 And they went forward and encamped in the plains of Moab, over against where Jericho is situate beyond the Jordan.
And the children of Israel departed, and encamped on the west of Moab by Jordan toward Jericho.
2 And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,
And when Balac son of Sepphor saw all that Israel did to the Amorite,
3 And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,
then Moab feared the people exceedingly because they were many; and Moab was grieved before the face of the children of Israel.
4 He 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.
And Moab said to the elders of Madiam, Now shall this assembly lick up all that are round about us, as a calf would lick up the green [herbs] of the field: —and Balac son of Sepphor was king of Moab at that time.
5 He sent therefore messengers to Balaam the son of Beer, 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.
And he sent ambassadors to Balaam the son of Beor, to Phathura, which is on a river of the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, a people is come out of Egypt, and behold it has covered the face of the earth, and it has encamped close to me.
6 Come 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.
And now come, curse me this people, for it is stronger than we; if we may be able to smite some of them, and I will cast them out of the land: for I know that whomsoever thou dost bless, they are blessed, and whomsoever thou dost curse, they are cursed.
7 And the ancients of Moab, and the elders of Madian, went with the price of divination in their hands. And when they were come to Balaam, and had told him all the words of Balac:
And the elders of Moab went, and the elders of Madiam, and their divining [instruments were] in their hands; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balac.
8 He 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:
And he said to them, Tarry here the night, and I will answer you the things which the Lord shall say to me; and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 What mean these men that are with thee?
And God came to Balaam, and said to him, Who are these men with thee?
10 He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,
And Balaam said to God, Balac son of Sepphor, king of Moab, sent them to me, saying,
11 Saying: 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.
Behold, a people has come forth out of Egypt, and has covered the face of the land, and it has encamped near to me; and now come, curse it for me, if indeed I shall be able to smite it, and cast it out of the land.
12 And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.
And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, neither shalt thou curse the people; for they are blessed.
13 And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balac, Depart quickly to your lord; God does not permit me to go with you.
14 The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.
And the princes of Moab rose, and came to Balac, and said, Balaam will not come with us.
15 Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:
And Balac yet again sent more princes and more honourable than they.
16 Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:
And they came to Balaam, and they say to him, Thus says Balac the son of Sepphor: I beseech thee, delay not to come to me.
17 For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.
For I will greatly honour thee, and will do for thee whatsoever thou shalt say; come then, curse me this people.
18 Balaam 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.
And Balaam answered and said to the princes of Balac, If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I shall not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord God, to make it little or great in my mind.
19 I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.
And now do ye also tarry here this night, and I shall know what the Lord will yet say to me.
20 God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: It these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.
And God came to Balaam by night, and said to him, If these men are come to call thee, rise and follow them; nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, it shalt thou do.
21 Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And 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.
And God was very angry because he went; and the angel of the Lord rose up to withstand him. Now he had mounted his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 The 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,
And when the ass saw the angel of God standing opposite in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and [Balaam] smote the ass with his staff to direct her in the way.
24 The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.
And the angel of the Lord stood in the avenues of the vines, a fence [being] on this side and a fence on that.
25 And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:
And when the ass saw the angel of God, she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall, and he smote her again.
26 And 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.
And the angel of the Lord went farther, and came and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn to the right or the left.
27 And 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.
And when the ass saw the angel of God, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was angry, and struck the ass with his staff.
28 And 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?
And God opened the mouth of the ass, and she says to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me this third time?
29 Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; and if I [had] had a sword in my hand, I would now have killed thee.
30 The 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.
And the ass says to Balaam, [Am] not I thine ass on which thou hast ridden since thy youth till this day? did I ever do thus to thee, utterly disregarding [thee]? and he said, No.
31 Forthwith 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.
And God opened the eyes of Balaam, and he sees the angel of the Lord withstanding [him] in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, and he stooped down and worshipped on his face.
32 And 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:
And the angel of God said to him, Why hast thou smitten thine ass this third time? and, behold, I came out to withstand thee, for thy way was not seemly before me; and when the ass saw me, she turned away from me this third time.
33 And 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.
And if she had not turned out of the way, surely now, I should have slain thee, and should have saved her alive.
34 Balaam said: I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me: and now if it displease thee that I go, I will return.
And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know that thou wert standing opposite in the way to meet [me]; and now if it shall not be pleasing to thee [for me to go on], I will return.
35 The 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.
And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men: nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt take heed to speak. And Balaam went with the princes of Balac.
36 And 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.
And when Balac heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him, to a city of Moab, which is on the borders of Arnon, which is on the [extreme] part of the borders.
37 And 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?
And Balac said to Balaam, Did I not send to thee to call thee? why hast thou not come to me? shall I not indeed be able to honour thee?
38 He answered him: Lo, here I am: shall I have power to speak any other thing but that which God shall put in my mouth?
And Balaam said to Balac, Behold, I am now come to thee: shall I be able to say anything? the word which God shall put into my mouth, that I shall speak.
39 So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.
And Balaam went with Balac, and they came to the cities of streets.
40 And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
And Balac offered sheep and calves, and sent to Balaam and to his princes who were with him.
41 And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people.
And it was morning; and Balac took Balaam, and brought him up to the pillar of Baal, and shewed him thence a part of the people.
