Numbers 22 Then the sons of Israel journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab along the Jordan across from Jericho.

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Then the sons of Israel journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab along the Jordan across from Jericho. ² Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab was overcome with dread because of the children of Israel. ⁴ And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this assembly is licking up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵ And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor which is beside the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, Behold! A people has come out of Egypt. Behold! it has covered the face of the earth, and it is setting next to me. ⁶ Now, please go, curse this people for me because they are stronger than me; perhaps I will be able to strike them and drive them out from the land because I know whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you cursed is cursed." ⁷ The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took money with them to pay for Balaam's services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said. ⁸ "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I will report to you what the LORD tells me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹ God came to Balaam and asked: "Who are these men with you?" ¹⁰ And Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them to me, saying, ¹¹ 'Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt covers the surface of the earth. Now, come curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.'” ¹² God said to Balaam, "You will not go with them; you will not curse the people, because they are blessed." ¹³ When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak's princes: "Go back to your own country. the LORD has refused to let me go with you." ¹⁴ The Moabite princes went back to Balak and said: "Balaam refused to come with us." ¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. ¹⁶ When they came to Balaam they said to him: "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: 'Do not let anything keep you from coming to me. ¹⁷ because I will surely honor you greatly, and all that you say to me I will do. Please, come; curse this people for me.'" ¹⁸ Balaam answered Balak's servants: "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not disobey the command of the LORD my God no matter whether the request was important or not. ¹⁹ "Now, please stay here tonight, as the others did, and I will find out what else the LORD may have to tell me." ²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and said: "If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you." ²¹ Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. ²² But God became angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road as an adversary to him; he was riding on his donkey, and two servants were with him. ²³ The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. The donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get it back on the road. ²⁴ The angel of the LORD stood in the narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on either side. ²⁵ And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he struck her again. ²⁶ And again the Angel of the LORD passed on and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn, either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, so Balaam became angry, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸ And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you have beaten me these three times? ²⁹ Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you made a mockery of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!" ³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" He said, "No." ³¹ And the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the road with His sword drawn in His hand. And he bowed and fell on his face. ³² The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me: ³³ The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from my face, then I would have killed you and kept her alive." ³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned because I did not know that you were standing to meet me in the road. Now, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back." ³⁵ The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only the word that I will speak to you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. ³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went forth to meet him at Ar of Moab on the boundary of Arnon which was at the end of the territory. ³⁷ And Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not urgently send to meet with you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?" ³⁸ Balaam said to Balak, "Look, I came to you now. Am I really able to speak anything at all? I speak the word that God puts in my mouth." ³⁹ And Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰ Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. ⁴¹ The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, from where Balaam could see a part of the people of Israel.