< Numbers 22 >

1 After, the children of Israel departed and pitched in the plaine of Moab on the other side of Iorden from Iericho.
And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho.
2 Now Balak the sonne of Zippor sawe all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,
3 And the Moabites were sore afraide of the people, because they were many, and Moab fretted against the children of Israel.
and 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,
4 Therfore Moab said vnto the Elders of Midian, Nowe shall this multitude licke vp all that are round about vs, as an oxe licketh vp ye grasse of the fielde: and Balak the sonne of Zippor was King of the Moabites at that time.
and 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,
5 Hee sent messengers therefore vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor to Pethor (which is by the riuer of the lande of the children of his folke) to call him, saying, Beholde, there is a people come out of Egypt, which couer the face of the earth, and lye ouer against me.
and 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;
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, and curse me this people (for they are stronger then I) so it may be that I shall be able to smite them, and to driue them out of the land: for I knowe that hee, whome thou blessest, is blessed, and he whom thou cursest, shall be cursed.
and now, come, I pray thee, curse for me this people, for it [is] mightier than I; it may be I prevail — we smite it — and I cast it out from the land; for I have known — that which thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.'
7 And the Elders of Moab, and the Elders of Midian departed, hauing the reward of the soothsaying in their hande, and they came vnto Balaam, and tolde him the wordes of Balak.
And 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,
8 Who answered them, Tary here this night, and I will giue you an answere, as the Lord shall say vnto mee. So the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
and 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.
9 Then God came vnto Balaam, and sayde, What men are these with thee?
And God cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, 'Who [are] these men with thee?'
10 And Baalam said vnto God, Balak ye sonne of Zippor, king of Moab hath set vnto me, saying,
And Balaam saith unto God, 'Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:
11 Beholde, there is a people come out of Egypt and couereth the face of the earth: come nowe, curse them for my sake: so it may be that I shalbe able to ouercome them in battell, and to driue them out.
Lo, 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;'
12 And God said vnto Balaam, Go not thou with them, neither curse the people, for they are blessed.
and God saith unto Balaam, 'Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it [is] blessed.'
13 And Balaam rose vp in the morning, and sayde vnto ye princes of Balak, Returne vnto your land: for the Lord hath refused to giue me leaue to go with you.
And 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;'
14 So the princes of Moab rose vp, and went vnto Balak, and sayd, Balaam hath refused to come with vs.
and the princes of Moab rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, 'Balaam is refusing to come with us.'
15 Balak yet sent againe moe princes, and more honourable then they.
And Balak addeth yet to send princes, more numerous and honoured than these,
16 Who came to Balaam, and sayde to him, Thus saith Balak the sonne of Zippor, Bee not thou staied, I pray thee, from comming vnto me.
and 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,
17 For I wil promote thee vnto great honour, and wil do whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
for very greatly I honour thee, and all that thou sayest unto me I do; and come, I pray thee, pierce for me this people.'
18 And Balaam answered, and sayde vnto the seruants of Balak, If Balak woulde giue me his house full of siluer and golde, I can not goe beyonde the worde of the Lord my God, to doe lesse or more.
And 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;
19 But nowe, I pray you, tary here this night, that I may wit, what the Lord will say vnto mee more.
and, now, abide, I pray you, in this [place], you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with me.'
20 And God came vnto Balaam by night, and sayd vnto him, If the men come to call thee, rise vp, and goe with them: but onely what thing I say vnto thee, that shalt thou doe.
And 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 thee — it thou dost do.'
21 So Balaam rose vp early, and sadled his asse, and went with the princes of Moab.
And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab,
22 And ye wrath of God was kindled, because he went: and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way to be against him, as he rode vpon his asse, and his two seruants were with him.
and 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,
23 And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lord stand in the way, and his sworde drawen in his hand, the asse turned out of the way and went into the field, but Balaam smote the asse, to turne her into the way.
and 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.
24 Againe the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyardes, hauing a wall on the one side, and a wall on the other.
And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards — a wall on this [side] and a wall on that —
25 And when the asse sawe the Angel of the Lord, she thrust her selfe vnto the wall, and dasht Balaams foote against the wall: wherefore hee smote her againe.
and 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;
26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stoode in a narowe place, where was no way to turne, either to the right hand, or to the left.
and the messenger of Jehovah addeth to pass over, and standeth in a strait place where there is no way to turn aside — right or left —
27 And when the asse sawe the Angell of the Lord, she lay downe vnder Balaam: therefore Balaam was very wroth, and smote the asse with a staffe.
and 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.
28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the asse, and she saide vnto Balaam, What haue I done vnto thee, that thou hast smitten me nowe three times?
And 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?'
29 And Balaam saide vnto the asse, Because thou hast mocked me: I woulde there were a sworde in mine hand, for nowe would I kill thee.
and 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;'
30 And the asse saide vnto Balaam, Am not I thine asse, which thou hast ridden vpon since thy first time vnto this day? haue I vsed at any time to doe thus vnto thee? Who said, Nay.
and 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.'
31 And the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he sawe the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawen in his hande: then he bowed him selfe, and fell flat on his face.
And 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;
32 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto him, Wherefore hast thou nowe smitten thine asse three times? beholde, I came out to withstande thee, because thy way is not straight before me.
and the messenger of Jehovah saith unto him, 'Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? lo, I — I have come out for an adversary, for [thy] way hath been perverse before me,
33 But the asse sawe me, and turned from me now three times: for els, if she had not turned from me, surely I had euen nowe slaine thee, and saued her aliue.
and 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.'
34 Then Balaam saide vnto the Angel of the Lord, I haue sinned: for I wist not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore if it displease thee, I will turne home againe.
And 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 eyes — I turn back by myself.'
35 But the Angel said vnto Balaam, Go with the men: but what I say vnto thee, that shalt thou speake. So Balaam went with ye princes of Balak.
And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Balaam, 'Go with the men; and only the word which I speak unto thee — it thou dost speak;' and Balaam goeth with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam came, he went out to meete him vnto a citie of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, euen in the vtmost coast.
And 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;
37 Then Balak saide vnto Balaam, Did I not sende for thee to call thee? Wherefore camest thou not vnto me? am I not able in deede to promote thee vnto honour?
and 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?'
38 And Balaam made answere vnto Balak, Lo, I am come vnto thee, and can I nowe say any thing at all? the worde that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speake.
And Balaam saith unto Balak, 'Lo, I have come unto thee; now — am I at all able to speak anything? the word which God setteth in my mouth — it I do speak.'
39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came vnto the citie of Huzoth.
And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,
40 Then Balak offred bullockes, and sheepe, and sent thereof to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who [are] with him;
41 And on the morowe Balak tooke Balaam, and brought him vp into the hie places of Baal, that thence hee might see the vtmost part of the people.
and 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.

< Numbers 22 >