Numbers 22
1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
The Israelites moved on and camped on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
Balak, son of Zippor, had seen all that the Israelites had done to 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.
The Moabites were terrified of the Israelites because there were so many of them. The Moabites dreaded the arrival of the Israelites
4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
and told the leaders of Midian, “This horde will eat up everything we have, just like an ox eats up grass in the field!” (Balak son of Zippor, was king of Moab at that time.)
5 He sent messengers therefore unto 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:
He sent messengers to call Balaam, son of Beor, who lived in Pethor near the Euphrates River in his own country. “Listen, a group of people has arrived here who came from Egypt,” Balak said in his message to Balaam. “There are hordes of them and they present a real threat to me.
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, 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 wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
Please come immediately and curse these people for me, because they are stronger than me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack them and drive them out of my country because I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
The Moabite and Midianite leaders departed, taking payment for the fortune-telling with them. When they arrived they gave Balaam the message from Balak.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yhwh shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
“Stay the night and I'll let you know the answer the Lord gives me,” Balaam told them. So the Moabite leaders stayed there with Balaam.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men staying with you?”
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
Balaam told God, “Balak, son of Zippor, the king of Moab, sent me this message:
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
‘Listen, a group of people has arrived here who came from Egypt. There are hordes of them. Please come immediately and curse these people for me. Maybe then I'll be able to fight them and drive them out of my country.’”
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
But God told Balaam, “You are not to go back with them. You must not curse this people, for they are blessed.”
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for Yhwh refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
In the morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's messengers, “Go back to where you came from because the Lord has refused to allow me to go with you.”
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
The Moabite leaders left. They returned to Balak, and told him, “Balaam refused to come back with us.”
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
Then Balak sent even more leaders who were more prestigious than before.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
When they arrived they told Balaam, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please don't let anything stop you from coming to see me,
17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
because I will pay you a great deal and follow all the advice you give me. Please come and curse these people for me!’”
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yhwh my God, to do less or more.
But Balaam told Balak's officials, “Even if Balak gave me his whole palace full of silver and gold, I couldn't disobey the command of the Lord my God in any way.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Yhwh will say unto me more.
Now you should also stay the night so I can see if the Lord has anything else to tell me.”
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
God came to Balaam during the night and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But only do what I tell you.”
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
In the morning Balaam got up, put a saddle on his donkey, and left with the Moabite leaders.
22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of Yhwh stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
God's got angry because Balaam had decided to go. The angel of the Lord came and stood in the road to confront him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and he was accompanied by his two servants.
23 And the donkey saw the angel of Yhwh standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the donkey, to turn her into the way.
The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road holding a drawn sword, so it turned from the road and went into a field. So Balaam beat it to make it go back to the road.
24 But the angel of Yhwh stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow part of the road that passed between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.
25 And when the donkey saw the angel of Yhwh, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and tried to get past. It pushed up against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. So he beat it again.
26 And the angel of Yhwh went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to get past, either on the right or the left.
27 And when the donkey saw the angel of Yhwh, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the donkey with a staff.
The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and lay down under Balaam. He got angry and beat it with his walking stick.
28 And Yhwh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
The Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you for you to beat me three times?”
29 And Balaam said unto the donkey, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
“You made me look stupid!” Balaam told the donkey. “If I was holding a sword, I'd kill you now!”
30 And the donkey said unto Balaam, Am not I thine donkey, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
But the donkey asked Balaam, “Aren't I the donkey you've ridden all your life right up to today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he admitted.
31 Then Yhwh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yhwh standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Then the Lord gave Balaam the ability to see the angel of the Lord standing in the road holding a drawn sword. Balaam bowed low and fell facedown on the ground.
32 And the angel of Yhwh said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine donkey these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why did you beat your donkey three times? Listen, I have come to confront you because you're being obstinate.
33 And the donkey saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
The donkey saw me and avoided me three times. If it had not avoided me, by now I definitely would have killed you and allowed the donkey to live.”
34 And Balaam said unto the angel of Yhwh, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
“I have sinned because I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me,” Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “So if this isn't what you want, I'll go back home.”
35 And the angel of Yhwh said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
The angel of the Lord told Balaam, “No, you can go with the men, but only say what I tell you.” So Balaam continued on with Balak's officials.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
When Balak found out that Balaam was on his way, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the border at the Arnon River, the farthest point of his territory.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
He said to Balaam, “Didn't you think my call for you to come was urgent? Why didn't you come to me straight away? Did you think I couldn't pay you enough?”
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
“Look, I'm here with you now, aren't I?” Balaam replied. “But do you think I can just say anything? I can only speak the words that God gives me to say.”
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath–huzoth.
So Balaam went with Balak and they arrived at Kiriath-huzoth.
40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he shared with meat with Balaam and the leaders who 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 thence he might see the utmost part of the people.
The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the extent of the Israelite camp.
