Numbers 22–24

¹And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, by Jericho. ²And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite, ³and 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, ⁴and 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, ⁵and 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; ⁶and 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.’ ⁷And 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, ⁸and 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. ⁹And God cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, ‘Who are these men with thee?’ ¹⁰And Balaam saith unto God, ‘Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me: ¹¹Lo, 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;’ ¹²and God saith unto Balaam, ‘Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it is blessed.’ ¹³And 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;’ ¹⁴and the princes of Moab rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, ‘Balaam is refusing to come with us.’

¹⁵And Balak addeth yet to send princes, more numerous and honoured than these, ¹⁶and 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, ¹⁷for very greatly I honour thee, and all that thou sayest unto me I do; and come, I pray thee, pierce for me this people.’ ¹⁸And 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; ¹⁹and, now, abide, I pray you, in this place, you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with me.’ ²⁰And 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.’ ²¹And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab.

²²And 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, ²³and 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. ²⁴And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards—a wall on this side and a wall on that— ²⁵and 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; ²⁶and 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— ²⁷and 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. ²⁸And 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?’ ²⁹and 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;’ ³⁰and 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.’ ³¹And 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; ³²and 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, ³³and 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.’ ³⁴And 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.’ ³⁵And 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.

³⁶And 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; ³⁷and 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?’ ³⁸And 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.’ ³⁹And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth, ⁴⁰and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who are with him; ⁴¹and 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.

Chapter 23

¹And Balaam saith unto Balak, ‘Build for me in this place seven altars, and make ready for me in this place seven bullocks and seven rams.’ ²And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak—Balaam also—offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar, ³and Balaam saith to Balak, ‘Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me—I have declared to thee;’ and he goeth to a high place. ⁴And God cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, ‘The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;’ ⁵and Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, ‘Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.’ ⁶And he turneth back unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the princes of Moab. ⁷And he taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘From Aram he doth lead me—Balak king of Moab; From mountains of the east: Come—curse for me Jacob, And come—be indignant with Israel. ⁸What—do I pierce?—God hath not pierced! And what—am I indignant?—Jehovah hath not been indignant! ⁹For from the top of rocks I see it, And from heights I behold it; Lo a people! alone it doth tabernacle, And among nations doth not reckon itself. ¹⁰Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, And let my last end be like his!’ ¹¹And Balak saith unto Balaam, ‘What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee—and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;’ ¹²and he answereth and saith, ‘That which Jehovah doth put in my mouth—it do I not take heed to speak?’

¹³And Balak saith unto him, ‘Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou dost see it, only its extremity thou dost see, and all of it thou dost not see, and pierce it for me thence;’ ¹⁴and he taketh him to the field of Zophim, unto the top of Pisgah, and buildeth seven altars, and offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar. ¹⁵And he saith unto Balak, ‘Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I—I meet Him there;’ ¹⁶and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, ‘Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.’ ¹⁷And he cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: ‘What hath Jehovah spoken?’ ¹⁸And he taketh up his simile, and saith: ‘Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor! ¹⁹God is not a man—and lieth, And a son of man—and repenteth! Hath He said—and doth He not do it? And spoken—and doth He not confirm it? ²⁰Lo, to bless I have received: Yea, He blesseth, and I cannot reverse it. ²¹He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor hath He seen perverseness in Israel; Jehovah his God is with him, And a shout of a king is in him. ²²God is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him; ²³For no enchantment is against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought! ²⁴Lo, the people as a lioness riseth, And as a lion he lifteth himself up, He lieth not down till he eateth prey, And blood of pierced ones doth drink.’ ²⁵And Balak saith unto Balaam, ‘Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;’ ²⁶and Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, ‘Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh—it I do?’ ²⁷And Balak saith unto Balaam, ‘Come, I pray thee, I take thee unto another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God—to pierce it for me from thence.’ ²⁸And Balak taketh Balaam to the top of Peor, which is looking on the front of the wilderness, ²⁹and Balaam saith unto Balak, ‘Build for me in this place seven altars, and make ready for me in this place seven bullocks and seven rams;’ ³⁰and Balak doth as Balaam said, and he offereth a bullock and a ram on an altar.

Chapter 24

¹And Balaam seeth…