Numbers 22
1 And the children of Israel set forward, and encamped in the plains of Moab, on this side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho.
And they set out and made camp in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan, where Jericho is situated.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites.
Then Balak, the son of Zippor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorite,
3 And Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because it was numerous; and Moab was horrified because of the children of Israel.
and that the Moabites had great fear of him, and that they were not able to bear his assault,
4 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.
said to those greater by birth of Midian: “So will this people wipe away all those who are dwelling within our borders, in the same way that the ox is accustomed to tear out grass, all the way to the roots.” At that time, he was king of Moab.
5 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:
Therefore, he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a seer who lived above the river of the land of the sons of Ammon, to call him, and to say: “Behold, a people has gone forth from Egypt, which has covered the face of the earth. They are encamped opposite me.
6 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.
Therefore, come and curse this people, for they are stronger than I am. If only, in some way, I might be able to strike them and to drive them from my land. For I know that he whom you bless shall be blessed, and he whom you curse shall 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 unto Bil'am, and spoke unto him the words of Balak.
And the elders of Moab, and those greater by birth of Midian, continued on, holding the price of divination in their hands. And when they had come to Balaam, and had explained to him all the words of Balak,
8 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.
he responded, “Remain for this night, and I will answer with whatever the Lord will say to me.” And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him,
9 And God came unto Bil'am, and said, Who are these men with thee?
“What do these men want with you?”
10 And Bil'am said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, hath sent unto me, [saying, ]
He responded, “Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites has sent to me,
11 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.
saying: ‘Behold, a people, which has gone forth from Egypt, has covered the face of the earth. Come and curse them, so that, in some way, I may be able to fight them and drive them away.’”
12 And God said unto Bil'am, Thou shalt not go with them: thou shalt not curse the people; for it is blessed.
And God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
13 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.
And he, rising up in the morning, said to the leaders, “Go into your own land, for the Lord has prohibited me from going with you.”
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Bil'am refuseth to come with us.
Returning, the leaders said to Balak, “Balaam was not willing to come with us.”
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more in number, and more honorable than those.
Again, he sent many more persons, and these were more noble than those he had sent before.
16 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;
And when these had come to Balaam, they said: “So says Balak, the son of Zippor. Do not hesitate to come to me.
17 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.
For I am ready to honor you, and whatever you would want, I shall give to you. Come and curse this people.”
18 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.
Balaam responded: “Even if Balak were to give to me his own house, filled with silver and gold, I still would not be able to change the word of the Lord my God, neither to say more, nor to say less.
19 And now, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will farther speak with me.
I beg you to remain for this night also, so that I may know what the Lord will answer me again.”
20 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.
Therefore, God came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: “If these men have arrived to call you, then rise up and go with them; yet only in so far as you shall do what I will command you.”
21 And Bil'am rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddling his donkey, he set out with them.
22 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.
And God was angry. And an Angel of the Lord stood in the way opposite Balaam, who was sitting on the donkey, and he had two servants with him.
23 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.
The donkey, discerning that the Angel was standing in the way with a drawn sword, turned herself from the road and went through a field. And when Balaam beat her and intended to return her to the path,
24 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.
the Angel stood in a narrow place between the two walls, with which the vineyards were enclosed.
25 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.
And the donkey, seeing this, drew herself close to the wall and scraped the foot of the rider. So he beat her again.
26 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.
And, nevertheless, the Angel passing on to a narrow place, where one would not be able to deviate either to the right or to the left, stood to meet him.
27 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.
And when the donkey had seen the Angel standing there, she fell under the feet of the rider, who, being angry, struck her sides more vehemently with a club.
28 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?
And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said: “What have I done to you? Why do strike you me, behold now, for the third time?”
29 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.
Balaam responded, “Because you have deserved it, and you have mistreated me. If only I had a sword, so that I might pierce you.”
30 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.
The donkey said: “Am not I your animal, on which you have always been accustomed to sit, even until this present day? Tell me, when did I ever do the same thing to you.” But he said, “Never.”
31 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.
Immediately, the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he reverenced him prone on the ground.
32 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.
And the Angel said to him: “Why did you beat your donkey three times? I have come to be an adversary to you, because your way is perverse and contrary to me.
33 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.
And unless the donkey had turned aside from the way, allowing a place for my opposition, I would have killed you, and she would have lived.”
34 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.
Balaam said: “I have sinned, not knowing that you stood against me. And now, if it displeases you for me to continue on, I will return.”
35 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.
The Angel said, “Go with them, but be careful not to speak anything other than what I shall instruct you.” And so, he went with the leaders.
36 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.
And when Balak had heard it, he went out to meet him in a town of the Moabites, which is situated at the furthest borders of Arnon.
37 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?
And he said to Balaam: “I sent messengers to call you. Why did you not come to me immediately? Was it because I am not able to pay the cost for your arrival?”
38 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.
He answered him: “Behold, here I am. Am I able to speak anything other than what God will put into my mouth?”
39 And Bil'am went with Balak, and they came unto Kiryath-chuzoth.
Therefore, they continued on together, and they arrived at a city, which was at the furthest borders of his kingdom.
40 And Balak slew oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil'am and to the princes that were with him.
And after Balak had killed oxen and sheep, he sent the gifts to Balaam, and to the leaders who were with him.
41 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.
Then, when morning arrived, he led him to the heights of Baal, and he gazed upon the most distant portions of the population.
