Numbers 22

¹ Then the sons of Israel journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab along the Jordan across from Jericho. ² Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorite, ³ and Moab shrank in view of the people exceedingly, for they were numerous. Since Moab was irritated in view of the sons of Israel, ⁴ Moab said to the elders of Midian: "Now this assembly shall lick up all around us like a bull licks up the green grass of the field." So Balak son of Zippor who was king of Moab at that time ⁵ sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor (which is on the Stream in the land of the sons of his people) to call for him, saying: "Behold, a people has come forth from Egypt. Behold, they cover the eye of the land, and they are dwelling at my forefront. ⁶ Now come, I pray, curse this people for me, for they are more substantial than I. Perhaps I shall prevail, so that we may smite them and I may drive them out from the land, for I know that whomever you bless is being blessed and whomever you curse is accursed." ⁷ The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with the pay for divinations in their hands. They came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸ He said to them: "Lodge here for the night, and I will bring back word to you just as Yahweh shall speak to me." So the chiefs of Moab dwelt with Balaam. ⁹ Now Elohim came to Balaam and said: "Who are these men with you?" ¹⁰ And Balaam said to the One, Elohim: "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them to me, saying: ¹¹ Behold, the people coming forth from Egypt are covering the eye of the land! Now go, revile him for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight him, and I will drive him out." ¹² Then Elohim said to Balaam: "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for it is blessed." ¹³ Balaam rose in the morning and said to the chiefs of Balak: "Go back to your land, for Yahweh has refused to allow me to go with you." ¹⁴ So the chiefs of Moab rose and came to Balak and said: "Balaam refused to go with us." ¹⁵ Balak continued further to send other chiefs, more numerous and illustrious than these. ¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said to him: "Thus says Balak son of Zippor, Do not, I pray, be withheld from coming to me, ¹⁷ for I shall glorify, yea glorify you exceedingly, and all that you may say to me I shall do. So come now I pray, revile this people for me." ¹⁸ Yet Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak: "If Balak were giving to me the fullness of his house in silver and gold I could not cross the bidding of Yahweh my Elohim to do what is small or great. ¹⁹ Yet now dwell, I pray, you too, in this place, for the night; then I shall know what Yahweh shall continue to speak with me." ²⁰ Elohim came to Balaam at night and said to him: "Since the men have come to call for you, rise, go with them. Yet only the word that I speak to you, only it shall you use." ²¹ Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his jenny and went with the chiefs of Moab. ²² Elohim's anger grew hot because he was going. So a messenger of Yahweh stationed himself in the road to be adverse to him. Now he was riding on his jenny, and his two lads were with him. ²³ The jenny saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, so the jenny turned aside from the road and went into a field. Balaam smote the jenny to turn her aside into the road. ²⁴ Then the messenger of Yahweh stood in a lane between the vineyards with a stone dike on this side and a stone dike on that side. ²⁵ The jenny saw the messenger of Yahweh and pressed herself close to the sidewall. When she pressed Balaam's foot close to the sidewall he continued to smite her. ²⁶ Yet the messenger of Yahweh continued to pass and stood in a narrow place in which there was no way to turn aside right or left. ²⁷ The jenny saw the messenger of Yahweh, and she reclined under Balaam. Balaam's anger grew hot, and he smote the jenny with a stick. ²⁸ Then Yahweh opened the mouth of the jenny, and she said to Balaam: "What have I done to you that you have smitten me these three times?" ²⁹ And Balaam said to the jenny: "Because you abused me! O that there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now." ³⁰ The jenny said to Balaam: "Am I not your jenny on which you have ridden from your youth until this day? Have I been accustomed, yea accustomed to do thus to you?" And he said: "No." ³¹ Yahweh exposed the eyes of Balaam so that he saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. So he bowed his head and bowed himself down, with his nostrils to the ground. ³² The messenger of Yahweh said to him: "On what grounds did you smite your jenny these three times? Behold, I myself came forth as your adversary, for your way in front of me is precipitant. ³³ The jenny saw me and turned aside from before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from before me surely just now I would have killed you, and I would have preserved her alive." ³⁴ Then Balaam said to the messenger of Yahweh: "I was at fault, for I did not realize that you were stationed to meet me on the road. And now, if it is evil in your eyes let me return to mine." ³⁵ The messenger of Yahweh said to Balaam: "Go with the men, yet only the word which I speak to you may you speak to him." So Balaam went with the chiefs of Balak. ³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went forth to meet him at Ar of Moab on the boundary of Arnon which was at the end of the territory. ³⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam: "Did I not send, yea send to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I truly not able to glorify you?" ³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak: "Behold, I have come to you now. Can I prevail to speak anything freely? The word that Elohim places in my mouth, it shall I speak." ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed from herd and flock and sent some to Balaam and to the chiefs who were with him. ⁴¹ It came to be in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the fane heights of Baal that he might see from there the outmost part of the people.