Numbers 22
1 And they went forward and encamped in the plains of Moab, over against where Jericho is situate beyond the Jordan.
The children of Israel traveled, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
2 And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,
Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,
Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 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.
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.
5 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.
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.
6 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.
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."
7 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:
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.
8 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:
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.
9 What mean these men that are with thee?
And God came to Balaam, and said, "Who are these men with you?"
10 He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,
And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,
11 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.
'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.'"
12 And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.
And God said to Balaam, "You are not to go with them, and you are not to curse the people, for they are blessed."
13 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.
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."
14 The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.
The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."
15 Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:
Then Balak again sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these.
16 Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:
They came to Balaam, and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me:
17 For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.
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.'"
18 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.
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.
19 I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.
Now therefore, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what else YHWH will say to me."
20 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.
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."
21 Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.
Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 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.
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.
23 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,
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.
24 The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.
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.
25 And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:
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.
26 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.
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.
27 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.
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.
28 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?
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?"
29 Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.
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."
30 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.
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."
31 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.
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.
32 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:
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:
33 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.
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."
34 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.
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."
35 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.
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.
36 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.
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.
37 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?
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?"
38 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?
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."
39 So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.
Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.
40 And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.
41 And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people.
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.
