1The children of Israel moved on, and camped in the plains of Moab on this side of the Jordan, near Jericho.
2Balak the son of Zippor saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3Moab was very afraid of the people, because there were so many of them. Moab was filled with dread because of the children of Israel.
4So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this crowd will lick up everything around us, the way an ox licks up the grass of the field." Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the river in the land of the children of his people. He called for him and said, "Look, a people has come out from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are camped right in front of me."
6"So come now, please, and curse this people for me, for they are too strong for me. Perhaps then I will win, and we can strike them down, and I can drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed."
7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian set out with the payment for divination in their hands. They came to Balaam and told him Balak's words.
8He said to them, "Stay here tonight, and I will bring you back an answer, whatever the LORD says to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"
11"'Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now and curse them for me. Perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out.'"
12God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed."
13In the morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own land, for the LORD refuses to let me go with you."
15Then Balak sent other princes again, more of them, and more honoured than the first.
16They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak the son of Zippor says: Please do not let anything keep you from coming to me."
17"For I will give you very great honour, and I will do whatever you tell me. So come, please, and curse this people for me."
18Balaam answered Balak's servants, "Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do anything small or great."
19"So now, please stay here tonight as well, so that I may learn what more the LORD will say to me."
20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them. But only do what I tell you."
22But God's anger burned because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. The donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. So Balaam beat the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
24But the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on one side and a wall on the other.
25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he beat her again.
26Then the angel of the LORD went further ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no room to turn either to the right or to the left.
27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger burned, and he beat the donkey with his staff.
28Then the LORD opened the donkey'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 donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. If only there were a sword in my hand! I would kill you now."
30The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, the one you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing this to you?" He said, "No."
31Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
32The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to stand against you, because your way is reckless before me."
33"The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would surely have killed you by now and let her live."
34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road against me. Now then, if this displeases you, I will go back home."
35The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men. But speak only the word that I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab on the border of the Arnon, at the far edge of his land.
37Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send to you again and again to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to give you honour?"
38Balaam said to Balak, "Look, I have come to you. But do I have any power at all to say anything? I must speak the word that God puts in my mouth."
39Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjathhuzoth.
40Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
41The next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, so that from there he could see the far edge of the people.