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¹ And the children of Israel moved forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side of Jordan [by] Jericho.² And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.³ And Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.⁴ And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all [that are] around us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor [was] king of the Moabites at that time.⁵ He sent messengers therefore to Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which [is] by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there has a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:⁶ Come now therefore, I pray thee, Curse for me this people; for they [are] too mighty for me: it may be I shall prevail, [that] we may smite them, and [that] I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.⁷ And 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 And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.⁹ And God came to Balaam, and said, What men [are] these with thee?¹⁰ And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent to me, [saying],¹¹ Behold, [there has] a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse them for me: it may be I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.¹² And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed.¹³ And Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Depart into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

¹⁵ And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.¹⁶ And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming to me:¹⁷ For I will promote thee to very great honor, and I will do whatever thou sayest to me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse this people for me.¹⁸ And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.¹⁹ Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say to me more.²⁰ And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call thee, rise [and] go with them; but yet the word which I shall say to thee, that shalt thou perform.²¹ And Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

²² And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants [were] with him.²³ And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.²⁴ But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall [being] on this side, and a wall on that side.²⁵ And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.²⁶ And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where [was] no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.²⁷ And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.²⁸ And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?²⁹ And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee.³⁰ And the ass said to Balaam, [Am] not I thy ass, upon which thou hast rid ever since [I was] thine to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, Nay.³¹ Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.³² And the angel of the LORD said to him, Why hast thou smitten thy ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because [thy] way is perverse before me:³³ And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.³⁴ And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displeaseth thee, I will return again.³⁵ And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt speak: So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶ And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to a city of Moab, which [is] in the border of Arnon, which [is] in the utmost limit.³⁷ And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? why camest thou not to me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak, Lo, I have come to thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.³⁹ And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth.⁴⁰ And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that [were] with him.⁴¹ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and conducted him to the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost [part] of the people.