Numbers 22
1 And the children of Israel moved forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side of Jordan [by] Jericho.
And they went forward and encamped in the plains of Moab, over against where Jericho is situate beyond the Jordan.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,
3 And Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,
4 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.
He said to the elders of Madian: So will this people destroy all that dwell in our borders, as the ox is wont to eat the grass to the very roots. Now he was at that time king in Moab.
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 has a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
He sent therefore messengers to Balaam the son of Beer, a soothsayer, who dwelt by the river of the land of the children of Ammon, to call him, and to say: Behold a people is come out of Egypt, that hath covered the face of the earth, sitting over against me.
6 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.
Come therefore, and curse this people, because it is mightier than I: if by any means I may beat them and drive them out of my land: for I know that he whom thou shalt bless is blessed, and he whom thou shalt 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 to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
And the ancients of Moab, and the elders of Madian, went with the price of divination in their hands. And when they were come to Balaam, and had told him all the words of Balac:
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 abode with Balaam.
He answered: Tarry here this night, and I will answer whatsoever the Lord shall say to me. And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him:
9 And God came to Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee?
What mean these men that are with thee?
10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent to me, [saying],
He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,
11 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.
Saying: Behold a people that is come out of Egypt, hath covered the face of the land: come and curse them, if by any means I may fight with them and drive them away.
12 And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.
And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.
13 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.
And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent 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 to me:
Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:
17 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.
For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse 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 could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either more or less.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say to me more.
I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.
20 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.
God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: It these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.
21 And Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.
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 upon his ass, and his two servants [were] with him.
And God was angry. And an angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who sat on the ass, and had two servants 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.
The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,
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.
The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.
25 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.
And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:
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 nevertheless the angel going on to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, stood to meet him.
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 angel standing, she fell under the feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a staff.
28 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?
And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said: What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time?
29 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.
Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.
30 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.
The ass said: Am not I thy beast, on which thou hast been always accustomed to ride until this present day? tell me if I ever did the like thing to thee. But he said: Never.
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.
Forthwith the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he worshipped him falling flat on the ground.
32 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:
And the angel said to him: Why beatest thou thy ass these three times? I am come to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse, and contrary to 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 thee, and saved her alive.
And unless the ass had turned out of the way, giving place to me who stood against thee, I had slain thee, and she should have lived.
34 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.
Balaam said: I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me: and now if it displease thee that I go, I will return.
35 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.
The angel said: Go with these men, and see thou speak no other thing than what I shall command thee. He went therefore with the princes.
36 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.
And when Balac heard it he came forth to meet him in a town of the Moabites, that is situate in the uttermost borders of Arnon.
37 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?
And he said to Balaam: I sent messengers to call thee, why didst thou not come immediately to me? was it because I am not able to reward thy coming?
38 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.
He answered him: Lo, here I am: shall I have power to speak any other thing but that which God shall put in my mouth?
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth.
So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.
40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that [were] with him.
And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41 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.
And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people.
