Numbers 22
1 The children of Israel traveled, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
And the children of Israel moved forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side of Jordan [by] Jericho.
2 Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
And Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all [that are] around 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.
5 He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor on the river, to the land of the people of Ammon, to call him, saying, "Look, there is a people who came out from Egypt. Look, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me.
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 has a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
6 And now please come, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike 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."
Come now therefore, I pray thee, Curse for me this people; for they [are] too mighty for me: it may be I shall prevail, [that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for 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 departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
8 And he said to them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as YHWH shall speak to me." The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
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 abode with Balaam.
9 And God came to Balaam, and said, "Who are these men with you?"
And God came to Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee?
10 And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent to me, [saying],
11 'Look, this people has come out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.'"
Behold, [there has] a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse them for me: it may be I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said to Balaam, "You are not to go with them, and you are not to curse the people, for they are blessed."
And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your lord; for God refuses to permit me to go with you."
And Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Depart into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14 The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
15 Then Balak again sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these.
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
16 They came to Balaam, and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me:
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 to me:
17 for I will greatly honor you, and whatever you say to me I will do for you. Please come therefore, and curse this people for me.'"
For I will promote thee to very great honor, and I will do whatever thou sayest to me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse this people for me.
18 Balaam answered the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the command of YHWH my God, to do less or more.
And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what else YHWH will say to me."
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say to me more.
20 God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do."
And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call thee, rise [and] go with them; but yet the word which I shall say to thee, that shalt thou perform.
21 Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
And Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of YHWH placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
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 upon his ass, and his two servants [were] with him.
23 The donkey saw the angel of God standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.
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.
24 Then the angel of God stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
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.
25 The donkey saw the angel of God, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he struck her again.
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26 The angel of God went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
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.
27 The donkey saw the angel of God, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
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.
28 And God opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29 Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you."
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?" He said, "No."
And the ass said to Balaam, [Am] not I thy ass, upon which thou hast rid ever since [I was] thine to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, Nay.
31 Then God opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of God standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.
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.
32 The angel of God said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me:
And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why hast thou smitten thy ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because [thy] way is perverse before me:
33 and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive."
And the ass 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.
34 Balaam said to the angel of YHWH, "I have sinned; for I did not know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again."
And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displeaseth thee, I will return again.
35 The angel of God 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 angel of the LORD said to Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt speak: So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.
And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to a city of Moab, which [is] in the border of Arnon, which [is] in the utmost limit.
37 Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not earnestly send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?"
And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? why camest thou not to me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?
38 Balaam said to Balak, "Look, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak."
And Balaam said to Balak, Lo, I have come to thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth.
40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that [were] with him.
41 It happened in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there the utmost part of the people.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and conducted him to the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost [part] of the people.
