Numbers 22

Balak Sends for Balaam

22Then the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho.H1121H3478H5265H2583H6160H4124H5676H3383H34052Balak son of Zippor, the Moabite king, had seen everything the Israelites did to the Amorites.H1111H1121H6834H7200H3478H6213H5673And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.H4124H3966H1481H6440H5971H7227H4124H6973H6440H1121H34784The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!" So Balak, king of Moab,H4124H559H2205H4080H6951H3897H5439H7794H3897H3418H7704H1111H1121H6834H4428H4124H62565sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor

near the Euphrates River. His message said: "Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me.H7971H4397H1109H1121H1160H6604H5104H776H1121H5971H7121H559H5971H3318H4714H3680H5869H776H3427H41366Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse."H3212H779H5971H6099H3201H5221H1644H776H3045H1288H1288H779H7797Balak's messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel

. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak's message to him.H2205H4124H2205H4080H3212H7081H3027H935H1109H1696H1697H11118"Stay here overnight," Balaam said. "In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say." So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.H559H3885H3915H7725H1697H7725H3068H1696H8269H4124H3427H11099That night God came to Balaam and asked him, "Who are these men visiting you?"H430H935H1109H559H58210Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message.H1109H559H430H1111H1121H6834H4428H4124H797111'Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.'"H5971H3318H4714H3680H5869H776H3212H6895H3201H3898H164412But God told Balaam, "Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!"H430H559H1109H3212H779H5971H128813The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's officials, "Go on home! The LORD will not let me go with you."H1109H6965H1242H559H8269H1111H3212H776H3068H3985H5414H198014So the Moabite officials returned to King Balak and reported, "Balaam refused to come with us."H8269H4124H6965H935H1111H559H1109H3985H198015Then Balak tried again. This time he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials than those he had sent the first time.H1111H7971H3254H8269H7227H351316They went to Balaam and delivered this message to him: "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Please don't let anything stop you from coming to help me.H935H1109H559H559H1111H1121H6834H4513H198017I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!"H3513H3966H3513H3513H6213H559H3212H6895H597118But Balaam responded to Balak's messengers, "Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God.H1109H6030H559H5650H1111H1111H5414H1004H4393H3701H2091H3201H5674H6310H3068H430H6213H6996H141919But stay here one more night, and I will see if the LORD has anything else to say to me."H3427H3915H3045H3068H1696H325420That night God came to Balaam and told him, "Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do."H430H935H1109H3915H559H582H935H7121H6965H3212H389H1697H1696H6213

Balaam and His Donkey

21So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.H1109H6965H1242H2280H860H3212H8269H412422But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along,H430H639H2734H1980H4397H3068H3320H1870H7854H7392H860H8147H528823Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.H860H7200H4397H3068H5324H1870H2719H8025H3027H860H5186H1870H3212H7704H1109H5221H860H5186H187024Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.H4397H3068H5975H4934H3754H1447H144725When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again.H860H7200H4397H3068H3905H7023H3905H1109H7272H7023H5221H325426Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all.H4397H3068H5674H3254H5975H6862H4725H1870H5186H3225H804027This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff.H860H7200H4397H3068H7257H1109H1109H639H2734H5221H860H473128Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. "What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" it asked Balaam.H3068H6605H6310H860H559H1109H6213H5221H7969H727229"You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!"H1109H559H860H5953H3863H3426H2719H3027H202630"But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life," the donkey answered. "Have I ever done anything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted.H860H559H1109H860H7392H3117H5532H5532H6213H55931Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.H3068H1540H5869H1109H7200H4397H3068H5324H1870H2719H8025H3027H6915H7812H63932"Why did you beat your donkey those three times?" the angel of the LORD demanded. "Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.H4397H3068H559H5221H860H7969H7272H3318H7854H1870H339933Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."H860H7200H5186H6440H7969H7272H194H5186H6440H2026H242134Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I didn't realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going."H1109H559H4397H3068H2398H3045H5324H1870H7125H7489H5869H772535But the angel of the LORD told Balaam, "Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say." So Balaam went on with Balak's officials.H4397H3068H559H1109H3212H582H657H1697H1696H1696H1109H3212H8269H111136When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.H1111H8085H1109H935H3318H7125H5892H4124H1366H769H7097H136637"Didn't I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn't you come right away?" Balak asked Balaam. "Didn't you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?"H1111H559H1109H7971H7971H7121H1980H3201H552H351338Balaam replied, "Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth."H1109H559H1111H935H3201H3201H1696H3972H1697H430H7760H6310H169639Then Balaam accompanied Balak to Kiriath-huzoth,H1109H3212H1111H935H2351H715540where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.H1111H2076H1241H6629H7971H1109H826941The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.H1242H1111H3947H1109H5927H1116H1120H7200H7097H5971