Numbers 22

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The Israelites then set out and pitched their camp in the Plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan oppositeJericho.	1 And they set out and made camp in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan, where Jericho is situated.
2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,	2 Then Balak, the son of Zippor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorite,
3 and Moab was terrified of the people, because there were so many of them. Moab was afraid of theIsraelites;	3 and that the Moabites had great fear of him, and that they were not able to bear his assault,
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 said to those greater by birth of Midian: “So will this people wipe away all those who are dwelling within our borders, in the same way that the ox is accustomed to tear out grass, all the way to the roots.” At that time, he was king of Moab.
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 Therefore, he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a seer who lived above the river of the land of the sons of Ammon, to call him, and to say: “Behold, a people has gone forth from Egypt, which has covered the face of the earth. They are encamped opposite 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 Therefore, come and curse this people, for they are stronger than I am. If only, in some way, I might be able to strike them and to drive them from my land. For I know that he whom you bless shall be blessed, and he whom you curse shall be 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 those greater by birth of Midian, continued on, holding the price of divination in their hands. And when they had come to Balaam, and had explained to him all 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 he responded, “Remain for this night, and I will answer with whatever the Lord will say to me.” And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him,
9 God came to Balaam and said, 'Who are these men staying with you?'	9 “What do these men want with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, 'Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message,	10 He responded, “Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites has sent to me,
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 saying: ‘Behold, a people, which has gone forth from Egypt, has covered the face of the earth. Come and curse them, so that, in some way, I may be able to fight them and drive them away.’ ”
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 to Balaam, “Do not go with them, and do 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 he, rising up in the morning, said to the leaders, “Go into your own land, for the Lord has prohibited me from going with you.”
14 So the chiefs of Moab got up, went back to Balak and said, 'Balaam refuses to come with us.'	14 Returning, the leaders said to Balak, “Balaam was not willing to come with us.”
15 And again Balak sent chiefs, more numerous and more renowned than the first.	15 Again, he sent many more persons, and these were more noble than those he had sent before.
16 They came to Balaam and said, 'A message from Balak son of Zippor, "Now do not refuse to cometo me.	16 And when these had come to Balaam, they said: “So says Balak, the son of Zippor. Do not hesitate to come to 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 am ready to honor you, and whatever you would want, I shall give to you. Come and curse 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 Balaam responded: “Even if Balak were to give to me his own house, filled with silver and gold, I still would not be able to change the word of the Lord my God, neither to say more, nor to say less.
19 Now please stay the night here yourselves, and I wil learn what else Yahweh has to tel me.'	19 I beg you to remain for this night also, so that I may know what the Lord will answer me again.”
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 Therefore, God came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: “If these men have arrived to call you, then rise up and go with them; yet only in so far as you shall do what I will command you.”
21 Balaam got up and saddled his donkey and set out with the chiefs of Moab.	21 Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddling his donkey, he set out with them.
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 was angry. And an Angel of the Lord stood in the way opposite Balaam, who was sitting on the donkey, and he had two servants 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 The donkey, discerning that the Angel was standing in the way with a drawn sword, turned herself from the road and went through a field. And when Balaam beat her and intended to return her to the path,
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 the Angel stood in a narrow place between the two walls, with which the vineyards were enclosed.
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 the donkey, seeing this, drew herself close to the wall and scraped the foot of the rider. So he beat 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, nevertheless, the Angel passing on to a narrow place, where one would not be able to deviate either to the right or to the left, stood to meet him.
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 donkey had seen the Angel standing there, she fell under the feet of the rider, who, being angry, struck her sides more vehemently with a club.
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 donkey, and she said: “What have I done to you? Why do strike you me, behold now, for the third time?”
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 Balaam responded, “Because you have deserved it, and you have mistreated me. If only I had a sword, so that I might pierce you.”
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 The donkey said: “Am not I your animal, on which you have always been accustomed to sit, even until this present day? Tell me, when did I ever do the same thing to you.” But he said, “Never.”
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 Immediately, the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he reverenced him prone on the ground.
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 said to him: “Why did you beat your donkey three times? I have come to be an adversary to you, because your way is perverse and contrary to 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 unless the donkey had turned aside from the way, allowing a place for my opposition, I would have killed you, and she would have lived.”
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 Balaam said: “I have sinned, not knowing that you stood against me. And now, if it displeases you for me to continue on, I will return.”
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 The Angel said, “Go with them, but be careful not to speak anything other than what I shall instruct you.” And so, he went with the leaders.
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 had heard it, he went out to meet him in a town of the Moabites, which is situated at the furthest borders of Arnon.
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 he said to Balaam: “I sent messengers to call you. Why did you not come to me immediately? Was it because I am not able to pay the cost for your arrival?”
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 He answered him: “Behold, here I am. Am I able to speak anything other than what God will put into my mouth?”
39 Balaam set out with Balak. They came to Kiriath-Huzoth.	39 Therefore, they continued on together, and they arrived at a city, which was at the furthest borders of his kingdom.
40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and offered portions to Balaam and the chiefs who were with him.	40 And after Balak had killed oxen and sheep, he sent the gifts to Balaam, and to the leaders who 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 Then, when morning arrived, he led him to the heights of Baal, and he gazed upon the most distant portions of the population.