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And the children of
Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of
Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
02 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that
Israel had done to the Amorites
03 And Moab was sore afraid of the people,
because they were many: and Moab was distressed
because of the children of Israel.
04 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 Balak the son of Zippor was king of
the Moabites at that time.
05 He sent messengers therefore unto 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 is a people come
out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of
the earth, and they abide over against me:
06 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.
07 And the elders of Moab and the elders of
Midian departed with the rewards of divination in
their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake
unto him the words of Balak.
08 And he said unto them, Lodge here this
night, and I will bring you word again, as the
Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab
abode with Balaam.
09 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What
men are these with thee?
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son
of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me,
saying,
11 Behold, there is a people come out of
Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come
now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able
to overcome them, and drive them out
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not
go with them; thou shalt not curse the people:
for they are blessed
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and
said unto the princes of Balak, Get you 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 unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth
to come with us.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more,
and more honourable 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
unto me:
17 For I will promote thee unto very great
honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto
me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this
people.
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the
servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his
house full of silver and gold, I cannot 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 unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam 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.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and
saddled his ass, and went with the princes of
Moab.
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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 unto 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 unto Balaam, What have I done
unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three
times?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because
thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword
in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I
thine ass, 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.
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 unto him,
Wherefore hast thou smitten thine 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 unto the angel of the
Lord, 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.
35 And the angel of the Lord said unto
Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I
shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So
Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam 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.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, 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 honour?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am
come unto 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 unto Kirjathhuzoth.
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 brought him up into the
high places of Baal, that thence he might see the
utmost part of the people.
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