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Balak Summons Balaam
And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan from Jericho.
And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan from Jericho.
Balak Sends for Balaam
Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.
And Moab was much afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.
And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this company lick up all that is round about us, as an ox licks up the green herb of the field. Now Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!”
So Balak, king of Moab,
So Balak, king of Moab,
And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is on the river in the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, a people is come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the land, and they abide over against me.
And now come, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are mightier than I: perhaps I may be able to smite them, and drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed, having the rewards of divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, according as Jehovah shall speak unto me. And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
“Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.
And God came to Balaam, and said, Who are these men with thee?
That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?”
And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me,
Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message:
Behold, a people is come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the land. Now come, curse me them: perhaps I may be able to fight against them, and drive them out.
‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’”
And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.
But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go into your land; for Jehovah refuses to give me leave to go with you.
The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s officials, “Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you.”
And the princes of Moab rose up; and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam has refused to come with us.
So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
Then sent Balak yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.
And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Suffer not thyself, I pray thee, to be restrained from coming to me;
They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him:
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me.
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me.
for very highly will I honour thee, and whatever thou shalt say to me will I do; come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!”
And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.
But Balaam responded to Balak’s messengers, “Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God.
And now, I pray you, abide ye also here this night, and I shall know what Jehovah will say to me further.
But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me.”
Then God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men have come to call thee, rise up, [and] go with them; but only what I shall say unto thee shalt thou do.
That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam and His Donkey
So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.
The Angel and Balaam's Donkey
And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the Angel of Jehovah set himself in the way to withstand him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two young men were with him.
And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the Angel of Jehovah set himself in the way to withstand him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two young men were with him.
But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,
And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah 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.
Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.
And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a hollow of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.
And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and she pressed herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again.
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again.
Then the Angel of Jehovah went still further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.
And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.
This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.
And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee!
“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, No.
“But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.
“No,” Balaam admitted.
Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed and prostrated himself on his face.
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, it was I who came forth to withstand thee, for the way [thou walkest in] is for ruin before me.
“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the LORD demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times; had she not turned from me, I had now certainly slain thee, and saved her alive.
Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”
And Balaam said to the Angel of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me; and now, if it be evil in thine eyes, I will get me back again.
Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”
And the Angel of Jehovah said to Balaam, Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak. And Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
But the angel of the LORD told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials.
And when Balak heard that Balaam came, he went out to meet him, to the city of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is at the extremity of the border.
When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.
And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? why didst thou not come to me? am I not surely able to honour thee?
“Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”
And Balaam said to Balak, Lo, I am come to thee; but shall I now be able at all to say anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.”
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth.
Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth,
And Balak offered oxen and small cattle, and sent to Balaam and to the princes that were with him.
where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.