NumbersChapter 22

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¹Then the Israelites traveled on. They camped on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River, across from Jericho. ²Balak son of Zippor saw everything Israel had done to the Amorites. ³And the people of Moab were terrified of Israel, because there were so many of them. Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites. ⁴So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This huge crowd will eat up everything around us. It will be like an ox licking up the grass of the field." Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵He sent messengers to call for Balaam son of Beor. Balaam lived at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in the land of his people. Balak said, "Look, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the whole land. And they have settled right next to me. ⁶So please come now and put a curse on these people. They are too strong for me. Then maybe I can defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that the people you bless are blessed. And the people you curse are cursed. ⁷The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took with them the payment for reading omens. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said. ⁸Balaam said to them, "Stay here tonight. Then I'll give you the answer the LORD gives me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "Who are these men with you?" ¹⁰Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: ¹¹'Look, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the whole land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Then maybe I can fight them and drive them away.'" ¹²But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not curse these people, because they are blessed." ¹³So Balaam got up the next morning. He said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country. The LORD has refused to let me go with you." ¹⁴So the princes of Moab got up and went back to Balak. They said, "Balaam refused to come with us." ¹⁵Then Balak sent other princes. There were more of them this time, and they were more important than the first ones. ¹⁶They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor says this: 'Please don't let anything stop you from coming to me. ¹⁷I will reward you very well. I will do anything you say. So please come and put a curse on these people for me!'" ¹⁸But Balaam answered Balak's servants, "Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the command of the LORD my God. I could not do anything, small or great. ¹⁹Now please stay here tonight, as the others did. Then I can find out what else the LORD will tell me." ²⁰That night God came to Balaam. He said, "These men have come to call for you. So get up and go with them. But you must do only what I tell you." ²¹So Balaam got up in the morning and put a saddle on his donkey. He went with the princes of Moab. ²²But God became angry because Balaam was going. The angel of the LORD stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road. He held a drawn sword in his hand. So the donkey turned off the road and went into a field. Balaam beat her to make her go back to the road. ²⁴Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards. There were walls on both sides. ²⁵The donkey saw the angel of the LORD. She pressed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. ²⁶Then the angel of the LORD went on ahead. He stood in a narrow place. There was no room to turn to the right or the left. ²⁷The donkey saw the angel of the LORD, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam was furious. He beat her with his staff. ²⁸Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth. She said to Balaam, "What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?" ²⁹Balaam answered the donkey, "You've made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you right now!" ³⁰But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey? You've ridden me all your life, up to this day. Have I ever acted this way with you before?" "No," he answered. ³¹Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes. He saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road. The angel held a drawn sword in his hand. So Balaam bowed low with his face to the ground. ³²The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I have come out to stand against you. The path you are on is evil in my sight. ³³The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would have killed you by now. But I would have let her live." ³⁴Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I didn't know you were standing in the road to stop me. Now, if you don't like what I'm doing, I'll go back home." ³⁵But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men. But you must say only what I tell you." So Balaam went with Balak's princes. ³⁶Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border. It was at the edge of his land. ³⁷Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send for you and tell you to hurry? Why didn't you come to me? Do you think I can't reward you well?" ³⁸Balaam answered, "Well, I've come to you now. But can I say just anything I want? I must speak only the words God puts in my mouth." ³⁹So Balaam went with Balak. They came to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep. He gave some of the meat to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. ⁴¹The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there Balaam could see the edge of the people's camp.