Balak sends for Balaam; the donkey and the angel
Then the Israelites travelled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites. The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed. The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said. Spend the night here, Balaam said to them, and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me. So the Moabite officials stayed with him. God came to Balaam and asked, Who are these men with you? Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away. But God said to Balaam, Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed. The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's officials, Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you. So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, Balaam refused to come with us. Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. They came to Balaam and said, This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me. But Balaam answered them, Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me. That night God came to Balaam and said, Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you. Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and it said to Balaam, What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times? Balaam answered the donkey, You have made a fool of me. If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now. The donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you? No, he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. The angel of the Lord asked him, Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it. Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned. I did not realise you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back. The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you. So Balaam went with Balak's officials. When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. Balak said to Balaam, Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you? I have come to you now, Balaam replied. But I can't say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth. Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see a portion of the people.
Then the Israelites travelled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,
And Moab said unto the 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.
sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, 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:
Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse 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.
The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
Spend the night here, Balaam said to them, and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me. So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
And he said unto them, Lodge 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.
God came to Balaam and asked, Who are these men with you?
And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.
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.
But God said to Balaam, Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's officials, Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.
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.
So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, Balaam refused to come with us.
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first.
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
They came to Balaam and said, This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me,
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:
because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.
For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
But Balaam answered them, Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
That night God came to Balaam and said, Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.
And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and 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.
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
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.
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides.
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.
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
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.
Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.
And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and it said to Balaam, What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Balaam answered the donkey, You have made a fool of me. If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
The donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you? No, he said.
And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
The angel of the Lord asked him, Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned. I did not realise you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you. So Balaam went with Balak's officials.
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.
And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
Balak said to Balaam, Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?
And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
I have come to you now, Balaam replied. But I can't say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.
And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him.
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see a portion of the people.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.