NU-22:1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in
the plains of
Moab on this side Jordan [by] Jericho.
NU-22:2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had
done to the
Amorites.
NU-22:3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they
[were] many: and
Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
NU-22:4 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.
NU-22:5 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:
NU-22:6 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.
NU-22:7 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.
NU-22:8 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.
NU-22:9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men [are]
these with thee?
NU-22:10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab,
hath sent unto me, [saying],
NU-22:11 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.
NU-22:12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them;
thou shalt
not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.
NU-22:13 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.
NU-22:14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto
Balak, and said,
Balaam refuseth to come with us.
NU-22:15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more
honourable than
they.
NU-22:16 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:
NU-22:17 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.
NU-22:18 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.
NU-22:19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this
night, that I may
know what the LORD will say unto me more.
NU-22:20 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.
NU-22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass,
and went
with the princes of Moab.
NU-22:22 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.
NU-22:23 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.
NU-22:24 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.
NU-22:25 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.
NU-22:26 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.
NU-22:27 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.
NU-22:28 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?
NU-22:29 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.
NU-22:30 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.
NU-22:31 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.
NU-22:32 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:
NU-22:33 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.
NU-22:34 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.
NU-22:35 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.
NU-22:36 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.
NU-22:37 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?
NU-22:38 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.
NU-22:39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto
Kirjathhuzoth.
NU-22:40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam,
and to the
princes that [were] with him.
NU-22:41 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.
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