And athe children of Israel set forward, and pitched ain the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.

2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And bMoab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab cwas distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 And Moab said unto dthe elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about 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 eHe sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to fPethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the †face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, gcurse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot 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 departed with hthe rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. 8 And he said unto them, iLodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. 9 kAnd God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? 10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, 11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure †I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. 12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for lthey are blessed. 13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you. 14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. 16 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 unto me: 17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: mcome therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. 18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, nIf Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, oI cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, I pray you, ptarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. 20 qAnd God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but ryet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his sass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: tand 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 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 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 when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.