Numbers 22

 

Numbers 22

 

1 The children of God Prevails (Israel) set forward and pitched in the plains of Of His Father (Moab) on this side Descender (Jordan) by Jericho.

 

2 Devastator (Balak) the son of Sparrow (Zippor) saw all that God Prevails (Israel) had done to The Talkers, Sayers (Amorite).

 

3 Of His Father (Moab) was terrified of the people, because they were many: and Of His Father (Moab) was distressed because of the children of God Prevails (Israel).

 

4 Of His Father (Moab) said to the elders of Strife (Midian): Now this company shall lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Now Devastator (Balak) the son of Sparrow (Zippor) was king of the Of His Father (Moabites) at that time.

 

5 He sent messengers therefore to Not of the People (Balaam) the son of Burning (Beor) at Soothsayer (Pethor), which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Double Straights (Egypt): behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they are staying on my border:

 

6 Come now, therefore, I pray you, curse these people for me; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.

 

7 Then the elders of Of His Father (Moab) and the elders of Strife (Midian) departed with the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came to Not of the People (Balaam), and spoke to him the words of Devastator (Balak).

 

8 He said to them: Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) shall speak to me. So, the princes of Of His Father (Moab) stayed with Not of the People (Balaam).

 

9 God ('Elohiym) came to Not of the People (Balaam), and said: Who are men these with you?

 

10 Not of the People (Balaam) said to God ('Elohiym), Devastator (Balak) the son of Sparrow (Zippor), king of Of His Father (Moab), has sent to me, saying:

 

11 Behold, there is a people come out of Double Straights (Egypt), who cover the face of the earth: come now, curse them for me; so that I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

 

12 God ('Elohiym) said to Not of the People (Balaam): You shall not go with them; You shall not curse the people: for they are blessed.

 

13 So Not of the People (Balaam) rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Devastator (Balak): Go back to your land: for I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) refuses to give me leave to go with you.

 

14 Then the princes of Of His Father (Moab) rose up, and they went to Devastator (Balak), and said: Not of the People (Balaam) refuses to come with us.

 

15 Then Devastator (Balak) sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

 

16 They came to Not of the People (Balaam), and said to him: Devastator (Balak) the son of Sparrow (Zippor) says: Let nothing, I pray you, hinder you from coming to me:

 

17 For I will promote you to very great honor, and I will do whatever you say to me: come, therefore, please, curse these people for me.

 

18 But Not of the People (Balaam) answered and said to the servants of Devastator (Balak): If Devastator (Balak) would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) my God, to do less or more.

 

19 Now, therefore, please, tarry also here this night, that I may know what I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) will say to me more.

 

20 Then God ('Elohiym) came to Not of the People (Balaam) at night and said to him: If the men come to call you, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say to you, that you shall do.

 

21 Not of the People (Balaam) rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Of His Father (Moab).

 

22 But God’s ('Elohiym) anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his ass, and his two servants were with him.

 

23 The ass saw the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field. Not of the People (Balaam) whipped the ass, to turn her into the way.

 

24 But the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

 

25 When the ass saw the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Not of the People (Balaam)'s foot against the wall: and he whipped her again.

 

26 Now the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) went further and stood in a narrow place, there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

 

27 When the ass saw the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), she fell down under Not of the People (Balaam). Not of the People's (Balaam) anger was kindled, and he hit the ass with a staff.

 

28 Then I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Not of the People (Balaam): What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?

 

29 Not of the People (Balaam) said to the ass: Because you have mocked me: I wish there was a sword in mine hand, for now, would I kill you.

 

30 The ass said to Not of the People (Balaam): Am  I not your ass, upon whom you have ridden ever since I was yours to this day? Have I ever done this to you? and he said: Nay.

 

31 Then I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) opened the eyes of Not of the People (Balaam), and he saw the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

 

32 The angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) said to him: Why have you beaten your ass these three times? Look, I went out to withstand you because your way is perverse before me.

 

33 The ass saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, surely I would have had slain you, and saved her alive.

 

34 Not of the People (Balaam) said to the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah), I have sinned; for I knew not that you stood in the way against me: now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back.

 

35 But the angel of I AM (the LORD, Yehovah) said to Not of the People (Balaam), Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak. So Not of the People (Balaam) went with the princes of Devastator (Balak).

 

36 When Devastator (Balak) heard that Not of the People (Balaam) was coming, he went out to meet him at a city of Of His Father (Moab), which is on the border of Rushing Stream (Arnon), which is on the furthest border.

 

37 Devastator (Balak) said to Not of the People (Balaam): Did I not earnestly send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? am I not able to promote you to honor?

 

38 Not of the People (Balaam) said to Devastator (Balak): I have come to you: have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.

 

39 Not of the People (Balaam) went with Devastator (Balak), and they came to City of Streets (Kirjathhuzoth).

 

40 There Devastator (Balak) offered oxen and sheep and sent for Not of the People (Balaam), and to the princes that were with him.

 

41 The next day, Devastator (Balak) took Not of the People (Balaam) and brought him up into the high places of Great High Place (Baal), that from there he might see the utmost part of the people.