22:1 And the children of Israel moved forward, and pitched in
the plains of Moab on this side of 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 greatly afraid of the people, because they
[were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of
Israel.
22:4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this
company lick up all [that are] around 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 to 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 has 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 for me this people;
for they [are] too mighty for me: it may be I shall prevail,
[that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of
the land: for I know 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 to
Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
22:8 And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will
bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the
princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
22:9 And God came to Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with
thee?
22:10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab, hath sent to me, [saying],
22:11 Behold, [there has] a people come out of Egypt, which
covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse them for me: it
may be I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
22:12 And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou
shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.
22:13 And Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes of
Balak, Depart into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me
leave to go with you.
22:14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went to 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 to me:
22:17 For I will promote thee to very great honor, and I will do
whatever thou sayest to me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse
this people for me.
22:18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If
Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could
not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
22:19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night,
that I may know what the LORD will say to me more.
22:20 And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the
men come to call thee, rise [and] go with them; but yet the
word which I shall say to thee, that shalt thou perform.
22:21 And Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and
went with the princes of Moab.
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.
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.
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.
22:25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust
herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the
wall: and he smote her again.
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.
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.
22:28 And the LORD 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?
22:29 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.
22:30 And the ass said to Balaam, [Am] not I thy ass, upon which
thou hast rid ever since [I was] thine to this day? was I ever
wont to do so to thee? And he said, Nay.
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.
22:32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why hast thou
smitten thy 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 to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned;
for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now
therefore, if it displeaseth thee, I will return again.
22:35 And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, Go with the men:
but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt
speak: So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
22:36 And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to
meet him to a city of Moab, which [is] in the border of Arnon,
which [is] in the utmost limit.
22:37 And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to thee
to call thee? why camest thou not to me? am I not able indeed
to promote thee to honor?
22:38 And Balaam said to Balak, Lo, I have come to thee: have I
now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God
putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
22:39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to
Kirjath-huzoth.
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 conducted him to the high places of Baal, that thence he
might see the utmost [part] of the people.
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