1
And the sons of Israel journeyed , and encamped in the deserts of Moab across the Jordan by Jericho .
2
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3
And Moab was· very ·afraid of the faces of the people, for they were many ; and Moab was moved··with··loathing at the faces of the sons of Israel .
4
And Moab said to▵ the elders of Midian , Now shall the assembly lick up all that are around us , as the ox licks up the greenness◦ of the field . And Balak the son of Zippor was king of◦ Moab at that◦ time .
5
And he sent messengers to▵ Balaam the son of Beor to▫ Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, a people has come··out from Egypt ; behold, they cover the eye of the earth , and they are sitting next··to me.
6
And go now, I pray◦ thee, curse for me this people; for he◦ is too numerous for me; perhaps I shall prevail◦, that we may smite him, and that I may drive· him ·out from 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 went, and the divinations were in their hand*; and they came to▵ Balaam , and spoke to▵ him the words of Balak.
8
And he said to▵ them, Pass··the··night here tonight , and I will return you word , as◦ Jehovah shall speak to▵ me; and the princes of Moab dwelt with Balaam .
9
And God came to▵ Balaam , and said , Who are these men◦ with thee?
10
And Balaam said to▵ God , Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab , has sent to▵ me, saying,
11
Behold, there is a people gone··out from Egypt , and he covers the eye of the earth ; go now, curse▵ him for me; perhaps I shall be··able to fight with him, and drive· him ·out.
12
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 land ; for Jehovah refuses to allow◦ me to Go ◦ with you.
14
And the princes of Moab rose ··up, and they came to▵ Balak, and said , Balaam refuses to go◦ with us .
15
And Balak added yet··again to send princes , more, and more honorable than those.
16
And they came to▵ Balaam , and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray◦ thee, withhold thee from coming* to▵ me;
17
for honoring◦ I will honor ◦ thee exceedingly, and I will do all that thou sayest to▵ me; go now◦, I pray◦ thee, curse▵ for me this people.
18
And Balaam answered and said to▵ the servants of Balak, If Balak would give to me his house full of silver and gold , I am not able to go ··beyond◦ the mouth of Jehovah my God , to do less or more.
19
And now, I pray◦ you, dwell ye also in this place tonight , and I will know what Jehovah will again speak with me.
20
And God came to▵ Balaam at night , and said to him, If the men◦ come to call thee, rise ··up, go with◦ them; but surely the word which I speak to▵ thee, it shalt thou do.
21
And Balaam rose ··up in the morning , and saddled his she··donkey, and went with the princes of Moab .
22
And the anger of God was··fierce because◦ he◦ went◦; and the angel of Jehovah stood··forth in the way to be an opponent to him. And he◦ was riding on his she··donkey, and his two lads were with him.
23
And the she··donkey saw the angel of Jehovah standing··up in the way , and his sword drawn▵ in His hand ; and the she··donkey turned ··aside◦ out··of the way , and went into the field ; and Balaam smote the she··donkey, to turn her into the way .
24
But the angel of Jehovah stood in a lane of the vineyards , a fence being on this side , and a fence on that▵ side .
25
And the she··donkey saw the angel of Jehovah , and she pressed · herself ·against the wall ◦, and pressed · the foot of Balaam ·against the wall ◦; and he smote her again.
26
And the angel of Jehovah passed ··on again, and stood in a strait place , where▵ there was no way to go··aside either to the right hand or◦ to the left hand.
27
And the she··donkey saw the angel of Jehovah , and she couched under Balaam ; and Balaam ’s anger was··fierce, and he smote the she··donkey with a stick.
28
And Jehovah opened the mouth of the she··donkey, and she said to Balaam , What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times*?
29
And Balaam said to the she··donkey, Because◦ thou hast acted against◦ me, would··that there··were a sword in my hand , for now would I kill thee.
30
And the she··donkey said to▵ Balaam , Am not I▵ thy she··donkey, upon which thou hast ridden as··long ··as I have been thine until this day ? Being··familiar is· this ·familiar for me to do thus to thee? And he said , No.
31
And Jehovah uncovered the eyes of Balaam , and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing··up in the way , and His sword was drawn▵ in His hand ; and he bent··himself, and bowed · himself ·down on his face◦.
32
And the angel of Jehovah said to▵ him, On· what ·account hast thou smitten thy she··donkey these three times? Behold, I▵ went··out to be an opponent, for in··front··of Me thy way is evil.
33
And the she··donkey saw Me, and went··aside before Me these three times; perhaps she went··aside before Me, for by now I would have even killed thee, and let· her ·live.
34
And Balaam said to▵ the angel of Jehovah , I have sinned; for I knew not that Thou◦ stoodest··up in the way to meet me; and now, if it be··evil in Thine eyes , I will turn· myself ·back .
35
And the angel of Jehovah said to▵ Balaam , Go with the men◦; and nothing but the word that I shall speak to▵ thee, it thou shalt speak . And Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36
And Balak heard that Balaam had come , and he went··out to meet him to▵ a city of Moab , which is on the border of Arnon, which is at the end of the border .
37
And Balak said to▵ Balaam , Sending did I not send to▵ thee to call thee? Why camest thou not to▵ me? Am· I not truly ·able to glorify thee.
38
And Balaam said to▵ Balak, Behold, I have come to▵ thee; now being··able am· I ·able to speak anything? The word that God sets in my mouth , it shall I speak .
39
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came ··to Kirjath-chuzoth.
40
And Balak sacrificed of the herd and of the flock , and sent to Balaam , and to the princes who were with◦ him.
41
And it was in the morning , and Balak took Balaam , and brought· him ·up to the high ··places of Baal, and thence he saw the edge of the people.