22:1 And the children of Israel departed,
and encamped on the west of Moab by Jordan toward Jericho.
22:2 And when Balac son of Sepphor saw all that Israel did to the Amorite,
22:3 then Moab feared the people exceedingly because they were many; and
Moab was grieved before the face of the children of Israel.
22:4 And Moab said to the elders of Madiam, Now shall this assembly lick up
all that are round about us, as a calf would lick up the green [herbs] of
the field:-- and Balac son of Sepphor was king of Moab at that time.
22:5 And he sent ambassadors to Balaam the son of Beor, to Phathura, which
is on a river of the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying,
Behold, a people is come out of Egypt, and behold it has covered the face of
the earth, and it has encamped close to me.
22:6 And now come, curse me this people, for it is stronger than we; if we
may be able to smite some of them, and I will cast them out of the land: for
I know that whomsoever thou dost bless, they are blessed, and whomsoever
thou dost curse, they are cursed.
22:7 And the elders of Moab went, and the elders of Madiam, and their
divining [instruments were] in their hands; and they came to Balaam, and
spoke to him the words of Balac.
22:8 And he said to them, Tarry here the night, and I will answer you the
things which Yehovah shall say to me; and the princes of Moab stayed with
Balaam.
22:9 And Elohim came to Balaam, and said to him, Who are these men with thee?
22:10 And Balaam said to Elohim, Balac son of Sepphor, king of Moab, sent them
to me, saying,
22:11 Behold, a people has come forth out of Egypt, and has covered the face
of the land, and it has encamped near to me; and now come, curse it for me,
if indeed I shall be able to smite it, and cast it out of the land.
22:12 And Elohim said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, neither shalt
thou curse the people; for they are blessed.
22:13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balac,
Depart quickly to your lord; Elohim does not permit me to go with you.
22:14 And the princes of Moab rose, and came to Balac, and said, Balaam will
not come with us.
22:15 And Balac yet again sent more princes and more honourable than they.
22:16 And they came to Balaam, and they say to him, Thus says Balac the son
of Sepphor: I beseech thee, delay not to come to me.
22:17 For I will greatly honour thee, and will do for thee whatsoever thou
shalt say; come then, curse me this people.
22:18 And Balaam answered and said to the princes of Balac, If Balac would
give me his house full of silver and gold, I shall not be able to go beyond
the word of Yehovah Elohim, to make it little or great in my mind.
22:19 And now do ye also tarry here this night, and I shall know what the
Lord will yet say to me.
22:20 And Elohim came to Balaam by night, and said to him, If these men are
come to call thee, rise and follow them; nevertheless the word which I shall
speak to thee, it shalt thou do.
22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with
the princes of Moab.
22:22 And Elohim was very angry because he went; and the Messenger of Yehovah rose
up to withstand him. Now he had mounted his ass, and his two servants were
with him.
22:23 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Elohim standing opposite in the way,
and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way,
and went into the field; and [Balaam] smote the ass with his staff to direct
her in the way.
22:24 And the Messenger of Yehovah stood in the avenues of the vines, a fence
[being] on this side and a fence on that.
22:25 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Elohim, she thrust herself against the
wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall, and he smote her again.
22:26 And the Messenger of Yehovah went farther, and came and stood in a narrow
place where it was impossible to turn to the right or the left.
22:27 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Elohim, she lay down under Balaam; and
Balaam was angry, and struck the ass with his staff.
22:28 And Elohim opened the mouth of the ass, and she says to Balaam, What have
I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me this third time?
22:29 And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; and if I
[had] had a sword in my hand, I would now have killed thee.
22:30 And the ass says to Balaam, [Am] not I thine ass on which thou hast
ridden since thy youth till this day? did I ever do thus to thee, utterly
disregarding [thee]? and he said, No.
22:31 And Elohim opened the eyes of Balaam, and he sees the Messenger of Yehovah
withstanding [him] in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, and he
stooped down and worshiped on his face.
22:32 And the Messenger of Elohim said to him, Why hast thou smitten thine ass this
third time? and, behold, I came out to withstand thee, for thy way was not
seemly before me; and when the ass saw me, she turned away from me this
third time.
22:33 And if she had not turned out of the way, surely now, I should have
slain thee, and should have saved her alive.
22:34 And Balaam said to the Messenger of Yehovah, I have sinned, for I did not
know that thou wert standing opposite in the way to meet [me]; and now if it
shall not be pleasing to thee [for me to go on], I will return.
22:35 And the Messenger of Yehovah said to Balaam, Go with the men:
nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt take heed
to speak. And Balaam went with the princes of Balac.
22:36 And when Balac heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him, to
a city of Moab, which is on the borders of Arnon, which is on the [extreme]
part of the borders.
22:37 And Balac said to Balaam, Did I not send to thee to call thee? why
hast thou not come to me? shall I not indeed be able to honour thee?
22:38 And Balaam said to Balac, Behold, I am now come to thee: shall I be
able to say anything? the word which Elohim shall put into my mouth, that I
shall speak.
22:39 And Balaam went with Balac, and they came to the cities of streets.
22:40 And Balac offered sheep and calves, and sent to Balaam and to his
princes who were with him.
22:41 And it was morning; and Balac took Balaam, and brought him up to the
pillar of Baal, and shewed him thence a part of the people. |
22:1 And the children of Israel set forward,
and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
22:2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the
Amorites.
22:3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and
Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
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.
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:
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.
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.
22:8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word
again, as Yehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with
Balaam.
22:9 And Elohim came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
22:10 And Balaam said unto Elohim, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath
sent unto me, saying,
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.
22:12 And Elohim said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not
curse the people: for they are blessed.
22:13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak,
Get you into your land: for Yehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with
you.
22:14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said,
Balaam refuseth to come with us.
22:15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
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:
22:17 For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do
whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this
people.
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 Yehovah my Elohim, to do less or more.
22:19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may
know what Yehovah will say unto me more.
22:20 And Elohim 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.
22:21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with
the princes of Moab.
22:22 And Elohim's anger was kindled because he went: and the Messenger of Yehovah
stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his
ass, and his two servants were with him.
22:23 And the ass saw the Messenger of Yehovah 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.
22:24 But the Messenger of Yehovah stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall
being on this side, and a wall on that side.
22:25 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Yehovah, she thrust herself unto
the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her
again.
22:26 And the Messenger of Yehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place,
where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
22:27 And when the ass saw the Messenger of Yehovah, she fell down under
Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
22:28 And Yehovah 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?
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.
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.
22:31 Then Yehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Messenger of the
Yehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down
his head, and fell flat on his face.
22:32 And the Messenger of Yehovah 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:
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.
22:34 And Balaam said unto the Messenger of Yehovah, 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.
22:35 And the Messenger of Yehovah 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.
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.
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 honor?
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 Elohim putteth in my mouth, that
shall I speak.
22:39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.
22:40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the
princes that were with him.
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. |