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 set forward, and encamped in the plains of Moab, on this side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.
2 And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites.
3 And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,
And Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because it was numerous; and Moab was horrified because 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 unto the elders of Midian, Now will this assemblage devour all that is round about us, as the ox devoureth the grass of the field; and Balak the son of Zippor 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 messengers unto Bil'am the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river, in the land of the children of his people, to have him called; saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, it covereth the surface of the earth, and it is abiding opposite 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 do but come, curse me this people; for it is too mighty for me; peradventure I may be able to smite it, that I may drive it out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is 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 and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Bil'am, and spoke unto him the words of Balak.
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 unto them, Remain you here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord may speak unto me; and the princes of Moab abode with Bil'am.
9 What mean these men that are with thee?
And God came unto Bil'am, and said, Who are these men with thee?
10 He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,
And Bil'am said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, hath sent unto 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, there is the people that is come out of Egypt, and covereth the face of the earth: now come, denounce it for me; peradventure I shall be able to fight against it, and drive it away.
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 unto Bil'am, Thou shalt not go with them: thou shalt not curse the people; for it is 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 Bil'am rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Go back to your land; for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14 The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Bil'am refuseth to come with us.
15 Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:
And Balak sent yet again princes, more in number, and more honorable than those.
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 Bil'am, and said to him, Thus hath said Balak the son of Zippor, Do not suffer thyself, I pray thee, to be prevented from coming unto me;
17 For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.
For I will honor thee greatly, and whatsoever thou mayest say unto me will I do: and only come, I pray thee, denounce 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 Bil'am answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the order of the Lord my God, to do a small or a great thing.
19 I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.
And now, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will farther speak with 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 unto Bil'am at night, and said unto him, If to call thee the men have come, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21 Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.
And Bil'am 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 the anger of God was kindled, because he went; and an angel of the Lord placed himself in the way to be a hindrance to him; and he was riding upon 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 the ass saw the angel of the Lord 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 Bil'am smote the ass, to make her turn into the way.
24 The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.
But the angel of the Lord stepped into a path between the vineyards, [with] a wall on this side, and a wall on that side.
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 the Lord, she forced herself against the wall, and pressed Bil'am'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 yet farther, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to 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 the Lord, she lay down under Bil'am: whereupon Bil'am's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a stick.
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 the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Bil'am, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
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 Bil'am said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: had I but a sword in my hand, I would assuredly have now 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 said unto Bil'am, Am not I thy ass, upon which thou hast ridden from thy commencement unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto 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.
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Bil'am, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head and prostrated himself 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 the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thy ass these three times? behold, I went out to be a hindrance; because the journey which is odious to me was too quickly begun.
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 the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times; if she had not turned aside from me, I would surely now not only have slain thee, but 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 Bil'am said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou wast standing against me in the way; but now, if it be evil in thy eyes, I will return home again.
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 unto Bil'am, Go with the men; however, only the word which I will speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak: and Bil'am went with the princes of Balak.
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 Balak heard that Bil'am was come, he went out to meet him unto 'Ir-Moab, which is on the border of Arnon, which is at the outmost end of the boundary.
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 Balak said unto Bil'am, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to have thee called? wherefore camest thou not unto me? in truth, am I not able to honor 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 Bil'am said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee; have I now any power whatever to speak the least? the word that God may put in my mouth, that alone must I speak.
39 So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.
And Bil'am went with Balak, and they came unto Kiryath-chuzoth.
40 And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
And Balak slew oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil'am and to the princes that 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 came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Bil'am, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, and he saw thence a portion of the people.
