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 moved forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side of Jordan [by] Jericho.
2 And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
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,
And Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because 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 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 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;
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, 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.'
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 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 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 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, 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 cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, 'Who [are] these men with thee?'
And God came to Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee?
10 And Balaam saith unto God, 'Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent 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, [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 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; thou shalt not 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 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 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 up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
15 And Balak addeth yet to send princes, more numerous and honoured than these,
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable 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 said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming 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 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 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 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 and, now, abide, I pray you, in this [place], you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with 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 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 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 And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab,
And Balaam rose 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'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 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 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 And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards — a wall on this [side] and a wall on that —
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 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 the LORD, 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 further, and stood in a narrow place, where [was] no way to turn either to the right hand or to 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 the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a 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 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 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: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill 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 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 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;
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 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 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 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 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 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 knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displeaseth thee, I will return again.
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: but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt speak: So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
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 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 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 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 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 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 And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth.
40 and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who [are] with him;
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that [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 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.
