Numbers 22–24

22The Israelites then marched on and encamped in the steppes of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho.

2Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3Moab was alarmed because that people was so numerous. Moab dreaded the Israelites, 4and Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick clean all that is about us as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”

Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor in Pethor, which is by the Euphrates, in the land of his kinsfolk, to invite him, saying, “There is a people that came out of Egypt; it hides the earth from view, and it is settled next to me. 6Come then, put a curse upon this people for me, since they are too numerous for me; perhaps I can thus defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed indeed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian, versed in divina- tion, set out. They came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message. 8He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as the Lord may instruct me.” So the Moabite dignitaries stayed with Balaam.

9God came to Balaam and said, “What do these people want of you?” 10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message- 11Here is a people that came out from Egypt and hides the earth from view. Come now and curse them for me; perhaps I can engage them in battle and drive them off.” 12But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.”

13Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s dignitaries, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord will not let me go with you.” 14The Moabite dignitaries left, and they came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15Then Balak sent other dignitaries, more numerous and distinguished than the first. 16They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor- Please do not refuse to come to me. 17I will reward you richly and I will do anything you ask of me. Only come and damn this people for me.” 18Balaam replied to Balak’s officials, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, big or little, contrary to the command of the Lord my God. 19So you, too, stay here overnight, and let me find out what else the Lord may say to me.” 20That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If these men have come to invite you, you may go with them. But whatever I command you, that you shall do.”

21When he arose in the morning, Balaam saddled his ass and departed with the Moabite dignitaries. 22But God was incensed at his going; so an angel of the Lord placed himself in his way as an adversary.

He was riding on his she-ass, with his two servants alongside, 23when the ass caught sight of the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. The ass swerved from the road and went into the fields; and Balaam beat the ass to turn her back onto the road. 24The angel of the Lord then stationed himself in a lane between the vineyards, with a fence on either side. 25The ass, seeing the angel of the Lord, pressed herself against the wall and squeezed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he beat her again. 26Once more the angel of the Lord moved forward and stationed himself on a spot so narrow that there was no room to swerve right or left. 27When the ass now saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was furious and beat the ass with his stick.

28Then the Lord opened the ass’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29Balaam said to the ass, “You have made a mockery of me! If I had a sword with me, I’d kill you.” 30The ass said to Balaam, “Look, I am the ass that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you?” And he answered, “No.”

31Then the Lord uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, his drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground. 32The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your ass these three times? It is I who came out as an adversary, for the errand is obnoxious to me. 33And when the ass saw me, she shied away because of me those three times. If she had not shied away from me, you are the one I should have killed, while sparing her.” 34Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I erred because I did not know that you were standing in my way. If you still disapprove, I will turn back.” 35But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But you must say nothing except what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s dignitaries.

36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, which is on the Arnon border, at its farthest point. 37Balak said to Balaam, “When I first sent to invite you, why didn’t you come to me? Am I really unable to reward you?” 38But Balaam said to Balak, “And now that I have come to you, have I the power to speak freely? I can utter only the word that God puts into my mouth.

39Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and had them served to Balaam and the dignitaries with him. 41In the morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see a portion of the people.

23Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and have seven bulls and seven rams ready here for me.” 2Balak did as Balaam directed; and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings while I am gone. Perhaps the Lord will grant me a manifestation, and whatever He reveals to me I will tell you.” And he went off alone.

4God manifested Himself to Balaam, who said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”

6So he returned to him and found him standing beside his offerings, and all the Moabite dignitaries with him. 7He took up his theme, and said-

From Aram has Balak brought me,

Moab’s king from the hills of the East-

Come, curse me Jacob,

Come, tell Israel’s doom!

8How can I damn whom God has not damned,

How doom when the Lord has not doomed?

9As I see them from the mountain tops,

Gaze on them from the heights,

There is a people that dwells apart,

Not reckoned among the nations,

10Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Number the dust-cloud of Israel?

May I die the death of the upright,

May my fate be like theirs!

11Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? Here I brought you to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them!” 12He replied, “I can only repeat faithfully what the Lord puts in my mouth.” 13Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you can see them—you will see only a portion of them; you will not see all of them—and damn them for me from there.” 14With that, he took him to Sedehzophim, on the summit of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15And [Balaam] said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings, while I seek a manifestation yonder.”

16The Lord manifested Himself to Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak thus.” 17He went to him and found him standing beside his offerings, and the Moabite dignitaries with him. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?” 18And he took up his theme, and said-

Up, Balak, attend,

Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!

19God is not man to be capricious,

Or mortal to change His mind.

Would He speak and not act,

Promise and not fulfill?

20My message was to bless-

When He blesses, I cannot reverse it.

21No harm is in sight for Jacob,

No woe in view for Israel.

The Lord their God is with them,

And their King’s acclaim in their midst.

22God who freed them from Egypt

Is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

23Lo, there is no augury in Jacob,

No divining in Israel-

Jacob is told at once,

Yea Israel, what God has planned.

24Lo, a people that rises like a lion,

Leaps up like the king of beasts,

Rests not till it has feasted on prey

And drunk the blood of the slain.

25Thereupon Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!” 26In reply, Balaam said to Balak, “But I told you- Whatever the Lord says, that I must do.” 27Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will deem it right that you damn them for me there.” 28Balak took Balaam to the peak of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. 29Balaam said to Balak, “Build me here seven altars, and have seven bulls and seven rams ready for me here.” 30Balak did as Balaam said- he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

24Now Balaam, seeing that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, did not, as on previous occasions, go in search of omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness. 2As Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him. 3Taking up his theme, he said-

Word of Balaam son of Beor,

Word of the man whose eye is true,

4Word of him who hears God’s speech,

Who beholds visions from the Almighty,

Prostrate, but with eyes unveiled-

5How fair are your tents, O Jacob,

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6Like palm-groves that stretch out,

Like gardens beside a river,

Like aloes planted by the Lord,

Like cedars beside the water;

7Their boughs drip with moisture,

Their roots have abundant water.

Their king shall rise above Agag,

Their kingdom shall be exalted.

8God who freed them from Egypt

Is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

They shall devour enemy nations,

Crush their bones,

And smash their arrows.

9They crouch, they lie down like a lion,

Like the king of beasts; who dare rouse them?

Blessed are they who bless you,

Accursed they who curse you!

10Enraged at Balaam, Balak struck his hands together. “I called you,” Balak said to Balaam, “to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them these three times! 11Back with you at once to your own place! I was going to reward you richly, but the Lord has denied you the reward.” 12Balaam replied to Balak, “But I even told the messengers you sent to me, 13‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord do anything good or bad contrary to the Lord’s command. What the Lord says, that I must say.’ 14And now, as I go back to my people, let me inform you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.” 15He took up his theme, and said-

Word of Balaam son of Beor,

Word of the man whose eye is true,

16Word of him who hears God’s speech,

Who obtains knowledge from the Most High,

And beholds visions from the Almighty,

Prostrate, but with eyes unveiled-

17What I see for them is not yet,

What I behold will not be soon-

A star rises from Jacob,

A scepter comes forth from Israel;

It smashes the brow of Moab,

The foundation of all children of Seth.

18Edom becomes a possession,

Yea, Seir a possession of its enemies;

But Israel is triumphant.

19A victor issues from Jacob

To wipe out what is left of Ir.

20He saw Amalek and, taking up his theme, he said-

A leading nation is Amalek;

But its fate is to perish forever.

21He saw the Kenites and, taking up his theme, he said-

Though your abode be secure,

And your nest be set among cliffs,

22Yet shall Kain be consumed,

When Asshur takes you captive.

23He took up his theme and said-

Alas, who can survive except God has willed it!

24Ships come from the quarter of Kittim;

They subject Asshur, subject Eber.

They, too, shall perish forever.

25Then Balaam set out on his journey back home; and Balak also went his way.

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem- Jewish Publication Society) 1985.