Numbers 22-23

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

22 The Israelites journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan [River] at Jericho.

² And Balak [the king of Moab] son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

³ And Moab was terrified at the people and full of dread, because they were many. Moab was distressed and overcome with fear because of the Israelites.

⁴ And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites at that time,

⁵ Sent messengers to Balaam [a foreteller of events] son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the [Euphrates] River, even to the land of the children of his people, to say to him, There is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth and they have settled down and dwell opposite me.

⁶ Now come, I beg of you, curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.

⁷ And the elders of Moab and of Midian departed with the rewards of foretelling in their hands; and they came to Balaam and told him the words of Balak.

⁸ And he said to them, Lodge here tonight and I will bring you word as the Lord may speak to me. And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam [that night].

⁹ And God came to Balaam, and said, What men are these with you?

¹⁰ And Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

¹¹ Behold, the people who came out of Egypt cover the face of the earth; come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.

¹² And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.

¹³ And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your own land, for the Lord refuses to permit me to go with you.

¹⁴ So the princes of Moab rose up and went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.

¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more of them and more honorable than the first ones.

¹⁶ And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak son of Zippor, I beg of you, let nothing hinder you from coming to me.

¹⁷ For I will promote you to very great honor and I will do whatever you tell me; so come, I beg of you, curse this people for me.

¹⁸ And Balaam answered 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 here again tonight that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.

²⁰ And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise up and go with them, but still only what I tell you may you do.

²¹ And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

²² And God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the ^[a]Angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

²³ And the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way and His sword drawn in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the way.

²⁴ But the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

²⁵ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she thrust herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against it, and he struck her again.

²⁶ And the Angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right hand or to the left.

²⁷ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam, and Balaam’s anger was kindled and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you should strike me these three times?

²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have ridiculed and provoked me! I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!

³⁰ And the donkey said to Balaam, Am not I your donkey, upon which you have ridden all your life long until this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so to you? And he said, No.

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell on his face.

³² And the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? See, I came out to stand against and resist you, for your behavior is willfully obstinate and contrary before Me.

³³ And the ass saw Me and turned from Me these three times. If she had not turned from Me, surely I would have slain you and saved her alive.

³⁴ Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. But now, if my going displeases You, I will return.

³⁵ The Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men, but you shall speak only what I tell you. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab on the border formed by the Arnon [River], at the farthest end of the boundary.

³⁷ Balak said to Balaam, Did I not [earnestly] send to you to ask you [to come] to me? Why did you not come? Am not I able to promote you to honor?

³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak, Indeed I have come to you, but do I now have any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.

³⁹ And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

⁴⁰ And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent [portions] to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

⁴¹ And on the following day Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Bamoth-baal; from there he saw the nearest of the Israelites.

23 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

² And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

³ And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me; and whatever He shows me I will tell you. And he went to a bare height.

⁴ God met Balaam, who said to Him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

⁵ And the Lord put a speech in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak and thus shall you speak.

⁶ Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.

⁷ Balaam took up his [figurative] speech and said: Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me; and come, violently denounce Israel.

⁸ How can I curse those God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced?

⁹ For from the top of the rocks I see Israel, and from the hills I behold him. Behold, the people [of Israel] shall ^[b]dwell alone and shall not be reckoned and esteemed among the nations.

¹⁰ Who can count the dust (the descendants) of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God], and let my last end be like theirs!^(A)

¹¹ And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and here you have [thoroughly] blessed them instead!

¹² And Balaam answered, Must I not be obedient and speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?

¹³ Balak said to him, Come with me, I implore you, to another place from which you can see them, though you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there.

¹⁴ So he took Balaam into the field of Zophim to the top of [Mount] Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt offering while I go to meet the Lord yonder.

¹⁶ And the Lord met Balaam and put a speech in his mouth, and said, Go again to Balak and speak thus.

¹⁷ And when he returned to Balak, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said?

¹⁸ Balaam took up his [figurative] discourse and said: Rise up, Balak, and hear; listen [closely] to me, son of Zippor.

¹⁹ God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?

²⁰ You see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse or qualify it.

²¹ [God] has not beheld iniquity in Jacob [for he is forgiven], neither has He seen mischief or perverseness in Israel [for the same reason]. The Lord their God is with Israel, and the shout of praise to their King is among the people.^(B)

²² God brought them forth out of Egypt; they have as it were the strength of a wild ox.

²³ Surely there is no enchantment with or against Jacob, neither is there any divination with or against Israel. [In due season and even] now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

²⁴ Behold, a people! They rise up as a lioness and lift themselves up as a lion; he shall not lie down until he devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain.

²⁵ And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all.

²⁶ But Balaam answered Balak, Did I not say to you, All the Lord speaks, that I must do?

²⁷ And Balak said to Balaam, Come, I implore you; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.

²⁸ So Balak brought Balaam to the top of [Mount] Peor, that overlooks [the wilderness or desert] Jeshimon.

²⁹ And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams.

³⁰ And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.