Numbers 22

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 The Israelites then set out and pitched their camp in the Plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan oppositeJericho.	1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,	2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 and Moab was terrified of the people, because there were so many of them. Moab was afraid of theIsraelites;	3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 he said to the elders of Midian, 'This horde wil soon have cropped everything round us as closely asan ox crops grass in the countryside.' Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at the time.	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.
5 He sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, at Pethor on the River, in the territory of theAmawites, saying, 'Look, a people coming from Egypt has overrun the whole countryside; they have halted at myvery door.	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:
6 I beg you come and curse this people for me, for they are stronger than I am. We may then be able todefeat them and drive them out of the country. For this I know: anyone you bless is blessed, anyone you curse isaccursed.'	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.
7 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian set out, taking the fee for the divination with them. Theyfound Balaam and gave him Balak's message.	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.
8 He said to them, 'Stay the night here, and I wil answer as Yahweh directs me.' So the chiefs of Moabstayed with Balaam.	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.
9 God came to Balaam and said, 'Who are these men staying with you?'	9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10 Balaam said to God, 'Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message,	10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 "Look, a people coming from Egypt has overrun the whole countryside. Come now and curse themfor me; I may then be able to defeat them and drive them out." '	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.
12 God said to Balaam, 'You are not to go with them. You are not to curse the people, for they areblessed.'	12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 In the morning Balaam got up and said to the chiefs sent by Balak, 'Go back to your country, forYahweh wil not let me go with you.'	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.
14 So the chiefs of Moab got up, went back to Balak and said, 'Balaam refuses to come with us.'	14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
15 And again Balak sent chiefs, more numerous and more renowned than the first.	15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16 They came to Balaam and said, 'A message from Balak son of Zippor, "Now do not refuse to cometo me.	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:
17 I wil load you with honours and do whatever you say. I beg you come and curse this people for me."'	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.
18 In reply, Balaam said to Balak's envoys, 'Even if Balak gave me his house ful of silver and gold, Icould not go against the order of Yahweh my God in anything, great or smal .	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.
19 Now please stay the night here yourselves, and I wil learn what else Yahweh has to tel me.'	19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
20 God came to Balaam during the night and said to him, 'Have not these men come to summon you?Get up, go with them, but do only what I tel you to do.'	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.
21 Balaam got up and saddled his donkey and set out with the chiefs of Moab.	21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 His going kindled Yahweh's anger, and the angel of Yahweh took his stand on the road to bar hisway. Balaam was riding his donkey and his two servants were with him.	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.
23 Now the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, andshe turned off the road into the open country. Balaam then struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.	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.
24 The angel of Yahweh then went and stood on a narrow path among the vineyards, with a wall to theright and a wal to the left.	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.
25 The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh and scraped against the wal , scraping Balaam's foot againstit, so he struck her again.	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.
26 The angel of Yahweh then moved and stood in a place so narrow that there was no room to passeither to right or left.	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.
27 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam flew into a rageand struck the donkey with his stick.	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.
28 Yahweh then gave the donkey the power to talk, and she said to Balaam, 'What harm have I doneyou, for you to strike me three times like this?'	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?
29 Balaam answered the donkey, 'Because you have been making a fool of me! If I had been carryinga sword, I should have killed you by now.'	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.
30 The donkey said to Balaam, 'Am I not your donkey, and have I not been your mount all your life?Have I ever behaved like this with you before?' 'No,' he replied.	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.
31 Yahweh then opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with adrawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head and threw himself on his face.	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.
32 And the angel of Yahweh said to him, 'Why did you strike your donkey three times like that? I myselfhad come to bar your way; while I am here your road is blocked.	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:
33 The donkey saw me and turned aside because of me three times. You are lucky she did turn aside,or I should have kil ed you by now, though I would have spared her.'	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.
34 Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, 'I have sinned. I did not know you were standing in the road tostop me. But if what I am doing displeases you, I wil go home again.'	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.
35 The angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, 'Go with these men, but say only what I tel you to say.' SoBalaam went on with the chiefs sent by Balak.	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.
36 Balak learned that Balaam was coming and went out to meet him, in the direction of Ar in Moab, atthe Arnon frontier on the country's furthest boundary.	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.
37 Balak said to Balaam, 'Did I not send messengers to summon you? Why did you not come to me?Did you think, perhaps, I could confer no honours on you?'	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?
38 Balaam said to Balak, 'I have come to you after al . I suppose you know I cannot say anything on myown? The words God puts into my mouth are what I shall say.'	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.
39 Balaam set out with Balak. They came to Kiriath-Huzoth.	39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath-huzoth.
40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and offered portions to Balaam and the chiefs who were with him.	40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41 Next morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-Baal, from where he could see theedge of the camp.	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.