Passage Through Edom Refused

14 sNow Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of tEdom. u“Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us, 15 vhow our fathers went down to Egypt, wand we dwelt in Egypt a long time, xand the Egyptians 3afflicted us and our fathers. 16 yWhen we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and zsent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. 17 Please alet us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’ ”

18 Then bEdom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

19 So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, cthen I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”

20 Then he said, d“You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom erefused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel fturned away from him.

Death of Aaron

22 Now the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from gKadesh hand came to Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying: 24 “Aaron shall 4be igathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25 jTake Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.” 27 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 kMoses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and lAaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron mthirty days.

Canaanites Defeated at Hormah

21 The aking of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. 2 bSo Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then cI will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called 1Hormah.

The Bronze Serpent

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to dgo around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very 2discouraged on the way. 5 And the people espoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul 3loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So fthe Lord sent gfiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

7 hTherefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have isinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; jpray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses, k“Make a lfiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So mMoses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

From Mount Hor to Moab

10 Now the children of Israel moved on and ncamped in Oboth. 11 And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at 4Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 oFrom there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for pthe Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord:

5“Waheb in Suphah,

The brooks of the Arnon,

15 And the slope of the brooks

That reaches to the dwelling of qAr,

And lies on the border of Moab.”

16 From there they went rto Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 17 sThen Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, O well!

All of you sing to it—

18 The well the leaders sank,

Dug by the nation’s nobles,

By the tlawgiver, with their staves.”

And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the 6country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks udown on the 7wasteland.

King Sihon Defeated

21 Then vIsrael sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 w“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 xBut Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and 8went out against Israel in the wilderness, yand he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 Then zIsrael defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified. 25 So Israel took all these cities, and Israel adwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore those who speak in 9proverbs say:

“Come to Heshbon, let it be built;

Let the city of Sihon be repaired.

28 “For bfire went out from Heshbon,

A flame from the city of Sihon;

It consumed cAr of Moab,

The lords of the dheights of the Arnon.

29 Woe to you, eMoab!

You have perished, O people of fChemosh!

He has given his gsons as fugitives,

And his hdaughters into captivity,

To Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 “But we have shot at them;

Heshbon has perished ias far as Dibon.

Then we laid waste as far as Nophah,

Which reaches to jMedeba.”

31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32 Then Moses sent to 1spy out kJazer; and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.

King Og Defeated

33 lAnd they turned and went up by the way to mBashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle nat Edrei. 34 Then the Lord said to Moses, o“Do not fear him, for I have 2delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and pyou shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” 35 qSo they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of his land.

Balak Sends for Balaam

22 Then athe children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

2 Now bBalak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And cMoab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. 4 So Moab said to dthe elders of Midian, “Now this company will 1lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 Then ehe sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at fPethor, which is near 2the River in the land of 3the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! 6 gTherefore please come at once, hcurse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with ithe diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. 8 And he said to them, j“Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

9 kThen God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

10 So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”

12 And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for lthey are blessed.”

13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

14 And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more 4honorable than they. 16 And 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 will certainly mhonor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. nTherefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, o“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, pI could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, please, you also qstay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

20 rAnd God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but sonly the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, tand the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now uthe donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 26 Then the Angel of the Lord 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 donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28 Then the Lord vopened 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 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have 5abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, wfor now I would kill you!”

30 xSo the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever 6disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

31 Then the Lord yopened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out 7to stand against you, because your way is zperverse 8before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, a“I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it 9displeases You, I will turn back.”

35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, bbut only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, che went out to meet him at the city of Moab, dwhich is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. 37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able eto honor you?”

38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? fThe word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” 39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. 40 Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

41 So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the ghigh places of Baal, that from there he might observe 1the extent of the people.

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, a“Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

2 And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam boffered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, c“Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come dto meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. 4 eAnd God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

5 Then the Lord fput a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

7 And he gtook up his 1oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

From the mountains of the east.

h‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

And come, idenounce Israel!’

8 “How jshall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him;

There! kA people dwelling alone,

lNot reckoning itself among the nations.

10 “Who mcan count the 2dust of Jacob,

Or number one-fourth of Israel?

Let me die nthe death of the righteous,

And let my end be like his!”

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? oI took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

12 So he answered and said, p“Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” 14 So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, qand built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I 3meet the Lord over there.”

16 Then the Lord met Balaam, and rput a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 17 So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

18 Then he took up his oracle and said:

s“Rise up, Balak, and hear!

Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 “God tis not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He usaid, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;

vHe has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 “He whas not observed iniquity in Jacob,

Nor has He seen 4wickedness in Israel.

The Lord his God is with him,

xAnd the shout of a King is among them.

22 yGod brings them out of Egypt;

He has zstrength like a wild ox.

23 “For there is no 5sorcery against Jacob,

Nor any 6divination against Israel.

It now must be said of Jacob

And of Israel, ‘Oh, awhat God has done!’

24 Look, a people rises blike a lioness,

And lifts itself up like a lion;

cIt shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, d‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

Balaam’s Third Prophecy

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that eoverlooks 7the wasteland. 29 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at aother times, to seek to use 1sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel bencamped according to their tribes; and cthe Spirit of God came upon him.

3 dThen he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

4 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Who efalls down, with eyes wide open:

5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6 Like valleys that stretch out,

Like gardens by the riverside,

fLike aloes gplanted by the Lord,

Like cedars beside the waters.

7 He shall pour water from his buckets,

And his seed shall be hin many waters.

“His king shall be higher than iAgag,

And his jkingdom shall be exalted.

8 “God kbrings him out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox;

He shall lconsume the nations, his enemies;

He shall mbreak their bones

And npierce them with his arrows.

9 ‘He obows down, he lies down as a lion;

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

p“Blessed is he who blesses you,

And cursed is he who curses you.”

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he qstruck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, r“I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. sI said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? 14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, tI will advise you what this people will do to your people in the ulatter days.”

Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy

15 So he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;

16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

And has the knowledge of the Most High,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

17 “I vsee Him, but not now;

I behold Him, but not near;

wA Star shall come out of Jacob;

xA Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

And 2batter the brow of Moab,

And destroy all the sons of 3tumult.

18 “And yEdom shall be a possession;

Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,

While Israel does 4valiantly.

19 zOut of Jacob One 5shall have dominion,

And destroy the remains of the city.”

20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalek was first among the nations,

But shall be last until he perishes.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,

And your nest is set in the rock;

22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.

How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

23 Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?

24 But ships shall come from the coasts of aCyprus, 6

And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict bEber,

And so shall 7Amalek, until he perishes.”

25 So Balaam rose and departed and creturned to his place; Balak also went his way.