Numbers 22
1 And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho.
And the children of Israel departed, and encamped on the west of Moab by Jordan toward Jericho.
2 And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,
And when Balac son of Sepphor saw all that Israel did to the Amorite,
3 and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it [is] numerous; and Moab is vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel,
then Moab feared the people exceedingly because they were many; and Moab was grieved before the face of the children of Israel.
4 and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, 'Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor [is] king of Moab at that time,
And Moab said to the elders of Madiam, Now shall this assembly lick up all that are round about us, as a calf would lick up the green [herbs] of the field: —and Balac son of Sepphor was king of Moab at that time.
5 and he sendeth messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which [is] by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, 'Lo, a people hath come out of Egypt; lo, it hath covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding over-against me;
And he sent ambassadors to Balaam the son of Beor, to Phathura, which is on a river of the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, a people is come out of Egypt, and behold it has covered the face of the earth, and it has encamped close to me.
6 and now, come, I pray thee, curse for me this people, for it [is] mightier than I; it may be I prevail — we smite it — and I cast it out from the land; for I have known — that which thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.'
And now come, curse me this people, for it is stronger than we; if we may be able to smite some of them, and I will cast them out of the land: for I know that whomsoever thou dost bless, they are blessed, and whomsoever thou dost curse, they are cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian go, and divinations in their hand, and they come in unto Balaam, and speak unto him the words of Balak,
And the elders of Moab went, and the elders of Madiam, and their divining [instruments were] in their hands; and they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balac.
8 and he saith unto them, 'Lodge here to-night, and I have brought you back word, as Jehovah speaketh unto me;' and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam.
And he said to them, Tarry here the night, and I will answer you the things which the Lord shall say to me; and the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 And God cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, 'Who [are] these men with thee?'
And God came to Balaam, and said to him, Who are these men with thee?
10 And Balaam saith unto God, 'Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:
And Balaam said to God, Balac son of Sepphor, king of Moab, sent them to me, saying,
11 Lo, the people that is coming out from Egypt and covereth the eye of the land, — now come, pierce it for me; it may be I am able to fight against it, and have cast it out;'
Behold, a people has come forth out of Egypt, and has covered the face of the land, and it has encamped near to me; and now come, curse it for me, if indeed I shall be able to smite it, and cast it out of the land.
12 and God saith unto Balaam, 'Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it [is] blessed.'
And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, neither shalt thou curse the people; for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saith unto the princes of Balak, 'Go unto your land, for Jehovah is refusing to suffer me to go with you;'
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balac, Depart quickly to your lord; God does not permit me to go with you.
14 and the princes of Moab rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, 'Balaam is refusing to come with us.'
And the princes of Moab rose, and came to Balac, and said, Balaam will not come with us.
15 And Balak addeth yet to send princes, more numerous and honoured than these,
And Balac yet again sent more princes and more honourable than they.
16 and they come in unto Balaam, and say to him, 'Thus said Balak son of Zippor, Be not, I pray thee, withheld from coming unto me,
And they came to Balaam, and they say to him, Thus says Balac the son of Sepphor: I beseech thee, delay not to come to me.
17 for very greatly I honour thee, and all that thou sayest unto me I do; and come, I pray thee, pierce for me this people.'
For I will greatly honour thee, and will do for thee whatsoever thou shalt say; come then, curse me this people.
18 And Balaam answereth and saith unto the servants of Balak, 'If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah my God, to do a little or a great thing;
And Balaam answered and said to the princes of Balac, If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I shall not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord God, to make it little or great in my mind.
19 and, now, abide, I pray you, in this [place], you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with me.'
And now do ye also tarry here this night, and I shall know what the Lord will yet say to me.
20 And God cometh in unto Balaam, by night, and saith to him, 'If to call for thee the men have come, rise, go with them, and only the thing which I speak unto thee — it thou dost do.'
And God came to Balaam by night, and said to him, If these men are come to call thee, rise and follow them; nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, it shalt thou do.
21 And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab,
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 and the anger of God burneth because he is going, and a messenger of Jehovah stationeth himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his ass, and two of his servants [are] with him,
And God was very angry because he went; and the angel of the Lord rose up to withstand him. Now he had mounted his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.
And when the ass saw the angel of God standing opposite in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and [Balaam] smote the ass with his staff to direct her in the way.
24 And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards — a wall on this [side] and a wall on that —
And the angel of the Lord stood in the avenues of the vines, a fence [being] on this side and a fence on that.
25 and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and is pressed unto the wall, and presseth Balaam's foot unto the wall, and he addeth to smite her;
And when the ass saw the angel of God, she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall, and he smote her again.
26 and the messenger of Jehovah addeth to pass over, and standeth in a strait place where there is no way to turn aside — right or left —
And the angel of the Lord went farther, and came and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn to the right or the left.
27 and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and croucheth under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burneth, and he smiteth the ass with a staff.
And when the ass saw the angel of God, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was angry, and struck the ass with his staff.
28 And Jehovah openeth the mouth of the ass, and she saith to Balaam, 'What have I done to thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?'
And God opened the mouth of the ass, and she says to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me this third time?
29 and Balaam saith to the ass, 'Because thou hast rolled thyself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain thee;'
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; and if I [had] had a sword in my hand, I would now have killed thee.
30 and the ass saith unto Balaam, 'Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden since [I was] thine unto this day? have I at all been accustomed to do to thee thus?' and he saith, 'No.'
And the ass says to Balaam, [Am] not I thine ass on which thou hast ridden since thy youth till this day? did I ever do thus to thee, utterly disregarding [thee]? and he said, No.
31 And Jehovah uncovereth the eyes of Balaam, and he seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and he boweth and doth obeisance, to his face;
And God opened the eyes of Balaam, and he sees the angel of the Lord withstanding [him] in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, and he stooped down and worshipped on his face.
32 and the messenger of Jehovah saith unto him, 'Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? lo, I — I have come out for an adversary, for [thy] way hath been perverse before me,
And the angel of God said to him, Why hast thou smitten thine ass this third time? and, behold, I came out to withstand thee, for thy way was not seemly before me; and when the ass saw me, she turned away from me this third time.
33 and the ass seeth me, and turneth aside at my presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from my presence, surely now also, thee I had slain, and her kept alive.'
And if she had not turned out of the way, surely now, I should have slain thee, and should have saved her alive.
34 And Balaam saith unto the messenger of Jehovah, 'I have sinned, for I did not know that thou [art] standing to meet me in the way; and now, if evil in thine eyes — I turn back by myself.'
And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know that thou wert standing opposite in the way to meet [me]; and now if it shall not be pleasing to thee [for me to go on], I will return.
35 And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Balaam, 'Go with the men; and only the word which I speak unto thee — it thou dost speak;' and Balaam goeth with the princes of Balak.
And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men: nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt take heed to speak. And Balaam went with the princes of Balac.
36 And Balak heareth that Balaam hath come, and goeth out to meet him, unto a city of Moab, which [is] on the border of Arnon, which [is] in the extremity of the border;
And when Balac heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him, to a city of Moab, which is on the borders of Arnon, which is on the [extreme] part of the borders.
37 and Balak saith unto Balaam, 'Did I not diligently sent unto thee to call for thee? why didst thou not come unto me? am I not truly able to honour thee?'
And Balac said to Balaam, Did I not send to thee to call thee? why hast thou not come to me? shall I not indeed be able to honour thee?
38 And Balaam saith unto Balak, 'Lo, I have come unto thee; now — am I at all able to speak anything? the word which God setteth in my mouth — it I do speak.'
And Balaam said to Balac, Behold, I am now come to thee: shall I be able to say anything? the word which God shall put into my mouth, that I shall speak.
39 And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,
And Balaam went with Balac, and they came to the cities of streets.
40 and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who [are] with him;
And Balac offered sheep and calves, and sent to Balaam and to his princes who were with him.
41 and it cometh to pass in the morning, that Balak taketh Balaam, and causeth him to go up the high places of Baal, and he seeth from thence the extremity of the people.
And it was morning; and Balac took Balaam, and brought him up to the pillar of Baal, and shewed him thence a part of the people.
