Numbers 22
1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21 22 23
24 25 26
27 28 29
30 31 32
33 34 35
36
1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the
plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak the
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
distressed because of the children of Israel. 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 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 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 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 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 And God came unto Balaam,
and said, What men are these with thee? 10 And Balaam said unto
God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, 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 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go
with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. 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 And
the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth
to come with us.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than
they. 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 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 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 therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here
this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more. 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 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled
his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And Gods 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 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 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 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust
herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaams foot against the wall: and he
smote her again. 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 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell
down under Balaam: and Balaams anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a
staff. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And
Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth. 40 And Balak
offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were
with him. 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.
Return to Bible Index Page
|