Numbers 22

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Then the Israelites moved on and encamped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jericho stretch of the Jordan.	1 And they went forward and encamped in the plains of Moab, over against where Jericho is situate beyond the Jordan.
2 Now Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel did to the Amorites.	2 And Balac the son of Sephor, seeing all that Israel had done to the Amorrhite,
3 Indeed, Moab feared the Israelites greatly because of their numbers, and detested them.	3 And that the Moabites were in great fear of him, and were not able to sustain his assault,
4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Soon this horde will devour all the country around us as an ox devours the grass of the field." And Balak, Zippor's son, who was king of Moab at that time,	4 He said to the elders of Madian: So will this people destroy all that dwell in our borders, as the ox is wont to eat the grass to the very roots. Now he was at that time king in Moab.
5 sent messengers to Balaam, son of Beor, at Pethor on the Euphrates, in the land of the Amawites, summoning him with these words, "A people has come here from Egypt who now cover the face of the earth and are settling down opposite us!	5 He sent therefore messengers to Balaam the son of Beer, a soothsayer, who dwelt by the river of the land of the children of Ammon, to call him, and to say: Behold a people is come out of Egypt, that hath covered the face of the earth, sitting over against me.
6 Please come and curse this people for us; they are stronger than we are. We may then be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed."	6 Come therefore, and curse this people, because it is mightier than I: if by any means I may beat them and drive them out of my land: for I know that he whom thou shalt bless is blessed, and he whom thou shalt curse is cursed.
7 Then the elders of Moab and of Midian left with the divination fee in hand and went to Balaam. When they had given him Balak's message,	7 And the ancients of Moab, and the elders of Madian, went with the price of divination in their hands. And when they were come to Balaam, and had told him all the words of Balac:
8 he said to them in reply, "Stay here overnight, and I will give you whatever answer the LORD gives me." So the princes of Moab lodged with Balaam.	8 He answered: Tarry here this night, and I will answer whatsoever the Lord shall say to me. And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him:
9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men visiting you?"	9 What mean these men that are with thee?
10 Balaam answered God, "Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me the message:	10 He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,
11 'This people that came here from Egypt now cover the face of the earth. Please come and lay a curse on them for us; we may then be able to give them battle and drive them out.'"	11 Saying: Behold a people that is come out of Egypt, hath covered the face of the land: come and curse them, if by any means I may fight with them and drive them away.
12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them and do not curse this people, for they are blessed."	12 And God said to Balaam : Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.
13 The next morning Balaam arose and told the princes of Balak, "Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."	13 And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.
14 So the princes of Moab went back to Balak with the report, "Balaam refused to come with us."	14 The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.
15 Balak again sent princes, who were more numerous and more distinguished than the others.	15 Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:
16 On coming to Balaam they told him, "This is what Balak, son of Zippor, has to say: Please do not refuse to come to me.	16 Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:
17 I will reward you very handsomely and will do anything you ask of me. Please come and lay a curse on this people for me."	17 For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.
18 But Balaam replied to Balak's officials, "Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD, my God.	18 Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either more or less.
19 But, you too shall stay here overnight, till I learn what else the LORD may tell me."	19 I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.
20 That night God came to Balaam and said to him, "If these men have come to summon you, you may go with them; yet only on the condition that you do exactly as I tell you."	20 God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: It these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.
21 So the next morning when Balaam arose, he saddled his ass, and went off with the princes of Moab.	21 Balaam arose in the morning, and saddling his ass went with them.
22 But now the anger of God flared up at him for going, and the angel of the LORD stationed himself on the road to hinder him as he was riding along on his ass, accompanied by two of his servants.	22 And God was angry. And an angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who sat on the ass, and had two servants with him.
23 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing on the road with sword drawn, she turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam had to beat her to bring her back on the road.	23 The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,
24 Then the angel of the LORD took his stand in a narrow lane between vineyards with a stone wall on each side.	24 The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.
25 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD there, she shrank against the wall; and since she squeezed Balaam's leg against it, he beat her again.	25 And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:
26 The angel of the LORD then went ahead, and stopped next in a passage so narrow that there was no room to move either to the right or to the left.	26 And nevertheless the angel going on to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, stood to meet him.
27 When the ass saw the angel of the LORD there, she cowered under Balaam. So, in anger, he again beat the ass with his stick.	27 And when the ass saw the angel standing, she fell under the feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a staff.
28 But now the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that you should beat me these three times?"	28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said: What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time?
29 "You have acted so willfully against me," said Balaam to the ass, "that if I but had a sword at hand, I would kill you here and now."	29 Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.
30 But the ass said to Balaam, "Am I not your own beast, and have you not always ridden upon me until now? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way before?" "No," replied Balaam.	30 The ass said: Am not I thy beast, on which thou hast been always accustomed to ride until this present day? tell me if I ever did the like thing to thee. But he said: Never.
31 Then the LORD removed the veil from Balaam's eyes, so that he too saw the angel of the LORD standing on the road with sword drawn; and he fell on his knees and bowed to the ground.	31 Forthwith the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he worshipped him falling flat on the ground.
32 But the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you beaten your ass these three times? It is I who have come armed to hinder you because this rash journey of yours is directly opposed to me.	32 And the angel said to him: Why beatest thou thy ass these three times? I am come to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse, and contrary to me:
33 When the ass saw me, she turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you; her I would have spared."	33 And unless the ass had turned out of the way, giving place to me who stood against thee, I had slain thee, and she should have lived.
34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. Yet I did not know that you stood against me to oppose my journey. Since it has displeased you, I will go back home."	34 Balaam said: I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me: and now if it displease thee that I go, I will return.
35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but you may say only what I tell you." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.	35 The angel said: Go with these men, and see thou speak no other thing than what I shall command thee. He went therefore with the princes.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the boundary city Ir-Moab on the Arnon at the end of the Moabite territory.	36 And when Balac heard it he came forth to meet him in a town of the Moabites, that is situate in the uttermost borders of Arnon.
37 And he said to Balaam, "I sent an urgent summons to you! Why did you not come to me? Did you think I could not reward you?"	37 And he said to Balaam: I sent messengers to call thee, why didst thou not come immediately to me? was it because I am not able to reward thy coming?
38 Balaam answered him, "Well, I have come to you after all. But what power have I to say anything? I can speak only what God puts in my mouth."	38 He answered him: Lo, here I am: shall I have power to speak any other thing but that which God shall put in my mouth?
39 Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.	39 So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.
40 Here Balak slaughtered oxen and sheep, and sent portions to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.	40 And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up on Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw some of the clans.	41 And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people.