Beginning
21 When King Arad the Canaanite (who dwelt toward the south) heard that Israel came by the way of the spies, then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.
2 So Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will deliver and give this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
3 And the LORD heard the voice of Israel and delivered the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities and called the name of the place, Hormah.
4 Afterward, they departed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to surround the land of Edom. And the soul of the people became very discouraged along the way.
5 And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, “Why have You brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
6 Therefore the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, which bit the people, so that many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned. For we have spoken against the LORD and against You. Pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said to Moses, “Make yourself a fiery serpent; and set it up for a sign, so that as many as are bitten may look upon it and live.”
9 So Moses made a serpent of brass and set it up for a sign. And when a serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the serpent of brass and lived.
10 And the children of Israel departed from there and pitched in Oboth.
11 And they departed from Oboth and pitched in Ije Abarim, in the wilderness (which is before Moab, on the east side).
12 They moved from there and pitched upon the river of Zared.
13 They departed from there and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness and comes out of the borders of the Amorites (for Arnon is the border of Moab, between the Moabites and the Amorites).
14 Therefore it shall be spoken in the Book of the Battles of the LORD what thing He did in the Red Sea, and in the rivers of Arnon,
15 and at the stream of the rivers that go down to the dwelling of Ar and lie upon the border of Moab.
16 And from there they turned to Beer, where the well is that the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people and I will give them water.”
17 Then Israel sang this song, “Rise up, well! All of you sing it!
18 “The Princes dug this well! The captains of the people dug it, even the lawgiver with their sticks!” And from the wilderness they came to Mattanah,
19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 and from Bamoth in the valley that is in the plain of Moab to the top of Pisgah that looks toward Jeshimon.
21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
22 “Let me go through your land. We will not turn aside into the fields, nor into the vineyards, nor drink of the waters of the wells. We will go by the king’s way until we are past your country.”
23 But Sihon gave Israel no license to pass through his country. Rather, Sihon assembled all his people and went out against Israel into the wilderness. And he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.
24 But Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and conquered his land, from Arnon to the Jabbok, up to the children of Ammon (for the border of the children of Ammon was strong).
25 And Israel took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites in Heshbon and in all its villages.
26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who had previously fought against the king of the Moabites and had taken all his land out of his hand, up to Arnon.
27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs, say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and repaired.
28 “For a fire has gone out of Heshbon—a flame from the city of Sihon—and has consumed Ar of the Moabites and the lords of Bamoth in Arnon.
29 “Woe be to you, Moab! O people of Chemosh, you are undone! He has allowed his sons to be pursued and his daughters to be in captivity to Sihon the king of the Amorites.
30 “Also, their empire is lost from Heshbon to Dibon. And we have destroyed them to Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32 And Moses sent to search out Jazer. And they took the towns belonging to it and rooted out the Amorites who were there.
33 And they turned and went up toward Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, came out against them—he and all his people—to fight at Edrei.
34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him. For I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.”
35 Therefore they struck him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was no one left him. So they conquered his land.
22 Afterward, the children of Israel departed and pitched on the plain of Moab, on the other side of Jordan from Jericho.
2 Now Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And the Moabites were very afraid of the people, because they were many. And Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 Therefore, Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now shall this multitude lick up all who are around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak, the son of Zippor, was King of the Moabites at that time.
5 Therefore, he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, to Pethor (which is by the river of the land of the children of his folk), to call him, saying, “Behold, a people have come out of Egypt, which covers the face of the Earth and lies next to me.
6 “Please come now, therefore, and curse this people for me (for they are stronger than me) so it may be that I shall be able to strike them and to drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom You bless is blessed; and he whom You curse shall be cursed.”
7 And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian departed, having the rewards of the soothsaying in their hand. And they came to Balaam and told him the words of Balak,
8 who answered them, “Stay here tonight, and I will give you an answer as the LORD shall say to me.” So, the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 Then God came to Balaam, and said, “What men are these with you?”
10 And Baalam said to God, “Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, saying,
11 “‘Behold, a people comes out of Egypt and covers the face of the Earth. Come now, curse them for my sake, so it may be that I shall be able to overcome them in battle and to drive them out.’”
12 And God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them or curse the people, for they are blessed.”
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Return to your land. For the LORD has refused to allow me to go with you.”
14 So the princes of Moab rose up and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam has refused to come with us.”
15 Still, Balak sent more Princes, even more honorable than they,
16 who came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak, the son of Zippor, ‘Please do not be deterred from coming to me.
17 “‘For I will promote you to great honor and will do whatever you say to me. Please come, therefore, and curse this people for me.’”
18 And Balaam answered, and said to the servants of Balak, “Even 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 “But now, please stay here tonight, so that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.”
20 And God came to Balaam by night, and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise up. Go with them. But you shall only do that thing which I shall say to you.”
21 So Balaam rose up early and saddled his donkey and went with the Princes of Moab.
22 And the wrath of God was kindled, because he went and the Angel of the LORD stood against him in the way as he rode upon his donkey. And his two servants were with him.
23 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD stand in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off the road and went into the field. But Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back on the road.
24 Again, the Angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall on one side and a wall on the other.
25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she thrust herself into the wall and hit Balaam’s foot against the wall. Therefore, he struck her again.
26 Then the Angel of the LORD went further and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn, to the right or the left.
27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. Therefore, Balaam was very angry and struck the donkey with a staff.
28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me now three times?”
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me! I wish there were a sword in my hand, for would I kill you now!”
30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey which you have ridden upon since your first time to this day? Have I ever done this to you?” Who said, “No.”
31 And the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam. And he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand. Then he bowed himself and fell flat on his face.
32 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you now struck your donkey three times? Behold, I came out to oppose you because your way is not straight before me.
33 “But the donkey saw me and has turned from me now three times. Otherwise, if she had not turned from me, I would surely have killed you already and saved her life.”
34 Then Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. For I wish that you did not stand in the way against me. Now, therefore, if it displeases you, I will turn home again.”
35 But the Angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But what I say to you, that shall you speak.” So, Balaam went with the Princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam came, he went out to meet him, to a city of Moab which is on the border of Arnon, on the outermost coast.
37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send for you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not indeed able to promote you to honor?”
38 And Balaam answered Balak, “Lo, I have come to you. And can I now say anything? The Word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.”
39 So Balaam went with Balak. And they came to the city of Huzoth.
40 Then Balak offered bullocks and sheep and sent some of them to Balaam and to the Princes who were with him.
41 And the next day, Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal, so that from there he might see the furthermost part of the people.
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