Bamidbar 22

And the children of Yashar'al set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Yardan by Yaricho.

And Balaq the son of Zippor saw all that Yashar'al had done to the Emorites.

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Yashar'al.

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, "Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field." And Balaq the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

He sent messengers therefore unto Bil'am 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 is a people come out from Mitzrayim: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; 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 wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."

And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Bil'am, and spake unto him the words of Balaq.

And he said unto them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 shall speak unto me": and the princes of Moab abode with Bil'am.

And Alahiym came unto Bil'am, and said, "What men are these with thee?"

And Bil'am said unto Alahiym, "Balaq the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

Behold, there is a people come out of Mitzrayim, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out."

And Alahiym said unto Bil'am, "Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

And Bil'am rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balaq, "Get you into your land: for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 refuseth to give me leave to go with you."

And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balaq, and said, "Bil'am refuseth to come with us."

And Balaq sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

And they came to Bil'am, and said to him, "Thus saith Balaq the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people."

And Bil'am answered and said unto the servants of Balaq, "If Balaq would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 my Alahiym, to do less or more.

Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will say unto me more."

And Alahiym came unto Bil'am at night, and said unto him, "If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do."

And Bil'am rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

And Alahiym's anger was kindled because he went: and the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

And the donkey saw the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Bil'am smote the donkey, to turn her into the way.

But the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

And when the donkey saw the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Bil'am's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

And the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

And when the donkey saw the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, she fell down under Bil'am: and Bil'am's anger was kindled, and he smote the donkey with a staff.

And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said unto Bil'am, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?"

And Bil'am said unto the donkey, "Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee."

And the donkey said unto Bil'am, "Am not I thine donkey, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee?" And he said, "Nay."

Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 opened the eyes of Bil'am, and he saw the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

And the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said unto him, "Wherefore hast thou smitten thine donkey these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

And the donkey 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."

And Bil'am said unto the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, "I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again."

And the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said unto Bil'am, "Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak." So Bil'am went with the princes of Balaq.

And when Balaq heard that Bil'am was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.

And Balaq said unto Bil'am, "Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?"

And Bil'am said unto Balaq, "Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that Alahiym putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak."

And Bil'am went with Balaq, and they came unto Qiryath-huzoth.

And Balaq offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil'am, and to the princes that were with him.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balaq took Bil'am, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.