Study Desk

So he sent messengers to ^(C1)Balaam the son of Beor, at ^(C2)Pethor, which is near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, "Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they have covered the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.

"^(C1)Now, therefore, please come, ^(C2)curse this people for me since they are too ^(F1)mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to ^(F2)defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the fees for ^(C1)divination in their hands; and they came to Balaam and ^(F1)repeated Balak's words to him.

And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you just as the LORD may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

Then ^(C1)God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"

Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me:

'Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"

But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; ^(C1)you shall not curse the people, for they ^(C2)are blessed."

So Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak's representatives, "Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."

And the representatives from Moab got up and went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

Then Balak sent representatives once again, more numerous and more distinguished than ^(F1)the previous.

They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak the son of Zippor says: 'I beg you, let nothing keep you from coming to me;

for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you tell me. ^(C1)Please come then, curse this people for me.'"

But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "^(C1)Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the ^(F1)command of the LORD my God.

"Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will say to me."

And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise and go with them; but you shall do ^(C1)only the thing that I tell you."

^(C1)So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.

But God was angry that he was going, ^(C1)and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road.

Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a stone wall on this side and on that side.

When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall, so he struck her again.