Bamidbar (Numbers) — 22

Balak Sends for Balaam

1 Then the children of Yashar'AL moved, and camped in the plains of Muab on the side of the Yurdan across from Yarichu.

2 Now Balak the son of Zippur saw all that Yashar'AL had done to the Amurites. 

3 And Muab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Muab was sick with dread because of the children of Yashar'AL. 

4 So Muab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippur was king of the Muabites at that time. 

5 Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Baur at Pathur, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Mitzraym. See, they cover the face of the Arath, and are settling next to me! 

6 Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you Barak is Baraked, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Muab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. 

8 And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH speaks to me.” So the princes of Muab stayed with Balaam.

9 Then 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

10 So Balaam said to 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, “Balak the son of Zippur, king of Muab, has sent to me, saying, 

11 Look, a people has come out of Mitzraym, and they cover the face of the Arath (earth). Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.

12 And 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are Baraked.”

13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

14 And the princes of Muab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they. 

16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippur: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 

17 for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH my  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, to do less or more. 

19 Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will say to me.”

20 And 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” 

21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Muab.

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Malak 

22 Then 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Malak of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 

23 Now the donkey saw the Malak of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 

24 Then the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 

25 And when the donkey saw the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. 

26 Then the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 

27 And when the donkey saw the Malak of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you? And he said, “No.”

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

32 And the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 

33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

34 And Balaam said to the Malak of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

35 Then the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Muab, which is on the border at the Arnun, the boundary of the territory. 

37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”

38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH  puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” 

39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiryath Huzuth. 

40 Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who  were with him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

41 So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.