Numbers 22
1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
Then did the sons of Israel break up, —and encamp in the waste plains of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
And Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done unto the Amorites;
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
and Moab shrank with great fear from the presence of the people because, many, they were, —and Moab was alarmed at the presence of the sons of Israel.
4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
So Moab said unto the elders of Midian—Now, shall the gathered host lick up all that are round about us, as the ox doth lick up the verdure of the field. But, Balak son of Zippor, was king unto Moab at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore to Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
So he sent messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor which was by the river of the land of the sons of his people to call him, —saying Lo! a people, hath come forth out of Egypt Lo! he hath covered the eye of the land, Yea he, is tarrying over against me.
6 Come now therefore, I pray you, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite 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.
Now, therefore, do come, I pray thee curse me this people. For stronger, he is than I, If peradventure I prevail, we shall smite him, That I may drive him out of the land, —For I know that, he whom thou dost bless, is to be blessed, And, he whom thou dost curse, is to be cursed.
7 And the 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.
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went their way, with the rewards of divination in their hand, —so they came in unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8 And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
And he said unto them—Tarry ye here for the night, and I will bring you back word, as Yahweh shall speak unto me. So the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came to Balaam, and said, What men are these with you?
And God came in unto Balaam, —and said, Who are these men with thee?
10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,
Then said Balaam unto God, —Balak, son of Zippor king of Moab, hath sent unto me:
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covers the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
Lo! the people that hath come forth out of Egypt—he covereth the eye of the land. Now, do come, do revile me him, Peradventure I shall prevail in making war with him, And shall drive him out.
12 And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people: for they are blessed.
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, —Thou shalt not curse the people, For blessed, he is.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuses to give me leave to go with you.
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your own land, —For Yahweh hath refused to let me go with you.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.
So the princes of Moab arose, and came in unto Balak, —and said, Balaam refused to come with us.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
Then added Balak again, —to send princes, more and weightier than these.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray you, hinder you from coming to me:
And they came in unto Balaam, —and said unto him—Thus, said Balak son of Zippor, Do not be withheld, I pray thee from coming unto me:
17 For I will promote you to very great honor, and I will do whatever you say to me: come therefore, I pray you, curse me this people.
For I will honour, thee, exceedingly, and all that thou shalt say unto me, will I do. Do come therefore I pray thee oh revile me this people.
18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
And Balaam responded and said unto the servants of Balak, Though Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the bidding of Yahweh my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry you also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say to me more.
Now, therefore abide here, I pray you even ye, —for the night, —that I may get to know what further Yahweh may be speaking with me.
20 And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say to you, that shall you do.
And God came in unto Balaam, by night, and said unto him—If, to call thee, the men have come in, arise go with them, —But only, the thing that I shall speak unto thee, that, shalt thou do.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his ass, —and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his ass, and his two servants were with him.
Then kindled the anger of God, because he was going, and the messenger of Yahweh stationed himself in the way, to withstand him, —as he was riding upon his ass, his two young men being with him.
23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
And the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, so the ass turned aside out of the road and went into the field, —and Balaam smote the ass, to make her turn back into the road.
24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
But the messenger of Yahweh took his stand, in a hollow pass of the vineyards, —with a fence on this side, and a fence on that side.
25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
And when the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh, she squeezed herself against the wall, and squeezed the foot of Balaam against the wall, —and again he smote her.
26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
And the messenger of Yahweh went on further, and took his stand in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn to the right hand or to the left.
27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
And, when the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh, she sank down under Balaam, —then was Balaam’s anger kindled, and he smote the ass with the staff.
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you have smitten me these three times?
And Yahweh opened the mouth of the ass, —and she said unto Balaam—What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me, these three times?
29 And Balaam said to the ass, Because you have mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill you.
And Balaam said unto the ass, Surely thou hast been making sport of me, —Would there had been a sword in my hand, for, now, would I have slain thee.
30 And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I your ass, on which you have ridden ever since I was your to this day? was I ever wont to do so to you? And he said, No.
Then said the ass unto Balaam—Am not I thine own ass on which thou hast ridden all thy life, until this day? Have I, been wont, to do unto thee, thus? And he said, Nay!
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Then did Yahweh unveil the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road, with his sword drawn in his hand, —so he bent his head and bowed down before him.
32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why have you smitten your ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me:
And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass, these three times? Lo! I, myself, am come forth to withstand thee, because headlong was thy way before me.
33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain you, and saved her alive.
And the ass hath seen me, and hath turned aside at my presence these three times: Unless she had turned aside from my presence, yea now even thee, had I slain, but, her, had I suffered to live.
34 And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that you stood in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease you, I will get me back again.
Then said Balaam unto the messenger of Yahweh—I have sinned, for I knew not, that, thou, wast stationed to meet me in the road, —Now, therefore, if it be displeasing in thine eyes, I must get me back again.
35 And the 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.
And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Balaam—Go with the men: Only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that, shalt thou speak. So Balaam went his way with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him to a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
And Balak heard that Balaam, was coming, —so he went forth to meet him unto a city of Moab which was upon the boundary of Arnon, which was in the utmost part of the boundary.
37 And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to you to call you? why came you not to me? am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?
And Balak said unto Balaam: Did I not, send, unto thee, to call thee? Wherefore didst thou not come unto me? Am I not in very deed, able to honour thee?
38 And Balaam said to Balak, See, I am come to you: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
And Balaam said unto Balak—Lo! I am come unto thee, Now, can, I, possibly, promise anything? The word that God shall put in my mouth, that, must I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjathhuzoth.
So Balaam went with Balak, —and they entered Kiriath-huzoth.
40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
And Balak sacrificed herd and flock, —and sent unto Balaam, and unto the princes that were with him.
41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that there he might see the utmost part of the people.
And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up the high places of Baal, —and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people.
