2. Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3. Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

4. Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of Moab at that time.

5. He sent messengers to Balaam , the son of Beor , to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: and they cover the surface of the earth, and they abide over against me.

6. Please come now therefore and curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike 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. The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam , and spoke to him the words of Balak.

8. He said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as יהוה shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam .

9. God came to Balaam , and said, Who are these men with you?

10. Balaam said to God, Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

11. Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, they cover the surface of the earth: come now and curse them; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.

12. God said to Balaam , You shall not go with them; you shall not curse this people; for they are blessed.

13. Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your land; for יהוה refuses to give me leave to go with you.

14. The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.

15. Balak sent more princes, more honorable than the first.

16. They came to Balaam , and said to him, Thus says Balak, the son of Zippor, Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me:

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

18. Balaam answered the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of יהוה my God, to do less or more.

19. Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what יהוה will speak to me.

20. God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men are come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that shall you do.

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

22. God’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of יהוה placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23. The donkey saw the angel of יהוה standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.

24. Then the angel of יהוה stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

25. The donkey saw the angel of יהוה, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam ’s foot against the wall: and he struck her again.

26. The angel of  יהוה 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. The donkey saw the angel of יהוה, and she lay down under Balaam : and Balaam ’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28. יהוה 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. Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you."

30. The donkey said to Balaam , "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Have I ever done this to you before?" and he said, "No."

31. Then יהוה opened the eyes of Balaam , and he saw the angel of יהוה standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.

32. The angel of יהוה said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? behold, I have come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me:"

33. And the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain you, and saved her alive.

34. Balaam said to the angel of יהוה, "I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease you, I will go back again."

35. The angel of יהוה said to Balaam , "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36. When Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.

37. Balak said to Balaam , "Didn’t I earnestly send to you to call you? why didn’t you come to me? am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?"

38. Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak."

39. Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.

40. Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam , and to the princes who were with him.

41. It happened in the morning, that Balak took Balaam , and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there the utmost part of the people.

Chapter 23

2. Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.

3. Balaam said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go: perhaps יהוה will come to meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you." He went to a bare height.

4. God met Balaam : and he said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar."

5. יהוה put a word in Balaam ’s mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

6. He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7. He took up his parable, and said, "From Aram has Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob , Come, and defy Israel.

8. How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy, whom יהוה has not defied?

9. For from the top of the rocks I see him, From the hills I see him: behold, it is a people that dwells alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10. Who can count the dust of Jacob , Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, Let my last end be like his!"

11. Balak said to Balaam , "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether."

12. He answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which יהוה puts in my mouth?"

13. Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, from where you may see them; you shall but see the small part of them, and shall not see them all: and curse them from there."

14. He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

15. He said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet יהוה yonder." 

16. יהוה met Balaam , and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."

17. He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What has יהוה spoken?"

18. He took up his parable, and said,  "Rise up, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, you son of Zippor:

19. God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

20. Behold, I have received commandment to bless: He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.

21. He has not saw iniquity in Jacob ; Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel: יהוה his God is with him, The shout of a king is among them.

22. God brings them forth out of Egypt; He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

23. Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob ; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God done!

24. Behold, the people rises up as a lioness, As a lion does he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain."

25. Balak said to Balaam , "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

26. But Balaam answered Balak, "Didn’t I tell you, saying, All that יהוה speaks, that I must do?"

27. Balak said to Balaam , "Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them from there."

28. Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.

29. Balaam said to Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams."

30. Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

Chapter 24

1. When Balaam saw that it pleased יהוה to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

2. Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.

3. He took up his parable, and said, " Balaam , the son of Beor says, The man whose eye was closed says;

4. He says, who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

5. How goodly are your tents, Jacob , Your tents, O Israel!

6. As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the riverside, As aloes which יהוה has planted, As cedar trees beside the waters.

7. Water shall flow from his buckets, His seed shall be in many waters, His king shall be higher than Agag, His kingdom shall be exalted.

8. God brings him forth out of Egypt; He has as it were the strength of the wild ox: He shall eat up the nations as his adversaries,  he shall break their bones in pieces, and smite them through with his arrows.

9. He couched, he lay down as a lion, As a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be everyone who blesses you, Cursed be everyone who curses you."

10. Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam , and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam , "I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.

11. Therefore now flee you to your place: I thought to promote you to great honor; but behold, יהוה has kept you back from honor."

12. Balaam said to Balak, "Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,

13. 'If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of יהוה, to do either good or bad of my own mind; what יהוה speaks, that will I speak?'

14. Now, behold, I go to my people: come, and I will show you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days."

15. He took up his parable, and said, " Balaam ,  the son of Beor says, 'The man whose eye was closed says;

16. He says, who hears the words of God, Knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

17. I see him, but not now; I see him, but not near: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob , A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, Break down all the sons of tumult.

18. Edom shall be a possession, and Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; While Israel does valiantly.

19. Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, he shall destroy the remnant from the city.

20. He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.

21. He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is your dwelling place, Your nest is set in the rock.

22. Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry you away captive.

23. He took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God does this?

24. But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, They shall afflict Asshur , and shall afflict Eber; He also shall come to destruction.'"

25. Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

Chapter 25

1. Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab :

2. For they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.

3. Israel joined himself to Baal Peor: and the anger of יהוה was kindled against Israel.

4. יהוה said to Moses , "Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to יהוה before the sun, that the fierce anger of יהוה may turn away from Israel."

5. Moses turned to the judges of Israel, "Kill everyone his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor."

6. Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses , and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.

7. When Phinehas , the son of Eleazar , the son of Aaron . the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;

8. And he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

9. Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

6. They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,   and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.

7. The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of  many peoples,   like dew from יהוה,  like showers on the grass  that don’t wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men.

8. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,  in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

9. Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries,  and let all of your enemies be cut off.

10. “It will happen in that day”, says יהוה,  “that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, and will destroy your chariots.

11. I will cut off the cities of your land,  and will tear down all your strongholds.

12. I will destroy witchcraft from your hand;  and you shall have no soothsayers.

13. I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out of your midst;   and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

14. I will uproot your Asherah poles out of your midst;   and I will destroy your cities.

15. I will execute vengeance in anger,  and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”

Chapter 6 

1. Listen now to what יהוה says:  “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.

2. Hear, you mountains, יהוה’s controversy,  and you enduring foundations of the earth;  for יהוה has a controversy with his people,  and he will contend with Israel.

3. My people, what have I done to you?  How have I burdened you? Answer me!

4. For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt,  and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron , and Miriam.

5. My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised,  and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal,  that you may know the righteous acts of יהוה.”