Numbers 22 · Parashot Chukat–Balak

And the children of Yisra᾽el set forward, and pitched in the plains of Mo᾽av on the far side of the Yarden by Yereĥo.

And Balaq the son of Żippor saw all that Yisra᾽el had done to the Emori.

And Mo᾽av was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Mo᾽av was seized with dread because of the children of Yisra᾽el.

And Mo᾽av said to the elders of Midyan, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balaq the son of Żippor was king of Mo᾽av at that time.

So he sent messengers to Bil῾am the son of Be῾or to Petor, which is by the river, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Miżrayim: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

And the elders of Mo᾽av and the elders of Midyan departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Bil῾am, and spoke to him the words of Balaq.

And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you back word, as the Lord shall speak to me: and the princes of Mo᾽av abode with Bil῾am.

And God came to Bil῾am, and said, What men are these with thee?

And Bil῾am said to God, Balaq the son of Żippor, king of Mo᾽av, has sent to me, saying,

Behold, the people that is come out of Miżrayim, covers the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; perhaps I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

And God said to Bil῾am, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

And Bil῾am rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balaq, Go back to your land: for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you.

And the princes of Mo᾽av rose up, and they went to Balaq, and said, Bil῾am refuses to come with us.

And Balaq sent again princes, greater, and more honourable than they.

And they came to Bil῾am, and said to him, Thus says Balaq the son of Żippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming to me:

for I will promote thee to very great honour, and I will do whatever thou sayst to me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

And Bil῾am answered and said to the servants of Balaq, If Balaq 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.

Now therefore, I pray you, tarry you also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say further to me.

And God came to Bil῾am at night, and said to him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but only that word which I shall say to thee, shalt thou do.

And Bil῾am rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Mo᾽av.

And God’s anger burned because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

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 Bil῾am smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

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.

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Bil῾am’s foot against the wall: and he struck her again.

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.

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Bil῾am: and Bil῾am’s anger burned, and he struck the ass with a staff.

And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Bil῾am, What have I done to thee, that thou hast struck me these three times?

And Bil῾am said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill thee.

And the ass said to Bil῾am, Am not I thy ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, No,

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Bil῾am, 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 on his face.

And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why hast thou struck thy ass these three times? behold, I went out to waylay thee, because thy path is perverse before me:

and the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, I would now have slain thee, and saved her alive.

And Bil῾am said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou didst stand in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

And the angel of the Lord said to Bil῾am, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt speak. So Bil῾am went with the princes of Balaq.

And when Balaq heard that Bil῾am was come, he went out to meet him to a city of Mo᾽av, which is in the border of Arnon, in the utmost border.

And Balaq said to Bil῾am, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? Why camest thou not to me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?

And Bil῾am said to Balaq, Lo, I am come to thee: have I now any power at all to say anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.

And Bil῾am went with Balaq, and they came to Qiryat-ĥużot.

And Balaq offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil῾am and to the princes that were with him.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balaq took Bil῾am, and brought him up into Bamot-ba῾al, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.