Bamidbar, starting at chapter 22
{22:1} The children of Yisra'el journeyed, and encamped in the
plains of Mo'av beyond the Yarden at Yericho. {22:2} Balak the son of
Tzippor saw all that Yisra'el had done to the Amori. {22:3} Mo'av was
sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Mo'av was
distressed because of the children of Yisra'el. {22:4} Mo'av said to
the Zakenim of Midyan, Now will this multitude lick up all that is
round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Balak the
son of Tzippor was king of Mo'av at that time. {22:5} He sent
messengers to Bil`am the son of Be'or, to Petor, which is by the
River, to 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 surface of the [1>]eretz[<1], and they abide over against me.
{22:6} Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are
too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may strike
them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he
whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. {22:7} The
Zakenim of Mo'av and the Zakenim of Midyan departed with the rewards
of divination in their hand; and they came to Bil`am, and spoke to him
the words of Balak. {22:8} 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 Mo'av abode with Bil`am. {22:9} God came to Bil`am, and
said, What men are these with you? {22:10} Bil`am said to God, Balak
the son of Tzippor, king of Mo'av, has sent to me, [saying], {22:11}
Behold, the people that is come out of Mitzrayim, it covers the
surface of the [2>]eretz[<2]: now, come curse me them; peradventure I
shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out. {22:12}
God said to Bil`am, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse
the people; for they are blessed. {22:13} Bil`am rose up in the
morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for
the LORD refuses to give me leave to go with you. {22:14} The princes
of Mo'av rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Bil`am refuses to
come with us. {22:15} Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more
honorable than they. {22:16} They came to Bil`am, and said to him,
Thus says Balak the son of Tzippor, Please let nothing hinder you from
coming to me: {22:17} for I will promote you to very great honor, and
whatever you say to me I will do. Please come therefore, and curse
this people for me. {22:18} Bil`am answered the servants of Balak, If
Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go
beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. {22:19} Now
therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what the
LORD will speak to me more. {22:20} God came to Bil`am at night, and
said to him, If the men are come to call you, rise up, go with them;
but only the word which I speak to you, that shall you do. {22:21}
Bil`am rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with
the princes of Mo'av. {22:22} God's anger was kindled because he went;
and the angel of the LORD placed himself in the way for an adversary
against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants
were with him. {22:23} The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing
in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned
aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Bil`am struck the
donkey, to turn her into the way. {22:24} Then the angel of the LORD
stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this
side, and a wall on that side. {22:25} The donkey saw the angel of the
LORD, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Bil`am's foot
against the wall: and he struck her again. {22:26} 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. {22:27} The donkey saw
the angel of the LORD, and she lay down under Bil`am: and Bil`am's
anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. {22:28}
The LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Bil`am, What
have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? {22:29}
Bil`am said to the donkey, Because you have mocked me, I would there
were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed you. {22:30} The donkey
said to Bil`am, Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all
your life long to this day? was I ever wont to do so to you? and he
said, No. {22:31} Then the LORD opened the eyes of Bil`am, and he saw
the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his
hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. {22:32} The angel
of the LORD said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three
times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because your way is
perverse before me: {22:33} and the donkey saw me, and turned aside
before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me,
surely now I had even slain you, and saved her alive. {22:34} Bil`am
said to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I didn't know that
you stood in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease you, I
will get me back again. {22:35} The angel of the LORD said to Bil`am,
Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you
shall speak. So Bil`am went with the princes of Balak. {22:36} When
Balak heard that Bil`am was come, he went out to meet him to the City
of Mo'av, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost
part of the border. {22:37} Balak said to Bil`am, Didn't I earnestly
send to you to call you? why didn't you come to me? am I not able
indeed to promote you to honor? {22:38} Bil`am said to Balak, Behold,
I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the
word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak. {22:39} Bil`am
went with Balak, and they came to Kiryat-Hutzot. {22:40} Balak
sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil`am, and to the princes who
were with him. {22:41} It happened in the morning, that Balak took
Bil`am, and brought him up into the high places of Ba`al; and he saw
from there the utmost part of the people.
{23:1} Bil`am said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare
me here seven bulls and seven rams. {23:2} Balak did as Bil`am had
spoken; and Balak and Bil`am offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
{23:3} Bil`am said to Balak, Stand by your burnt offering, and I will
go: perhaps the LORD will come to meet me; and whatever he shows me I
will tell you. He went to a bare height. {23:4} God met Bil`am: and he
said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a
bull and a ram on every altar. {23:5} The LORD put a word in Bil`am's
mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak. {23:6} He
returned to him, and, behold, he was standing by his burnt- offering,
he, and all the princes of Mo'av. {23:7} He took up his parable, and
said, From Aram has Balak brought me, The king of Mo'av from the
mountains of the East: Come, curse me Ya`akov, Come, defy Yisra'el.
{23:8} How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy,
whom the LORD has not defied? {23:9} For from the top of the rocks I
see him, From the hills I see him: behold, it is a people that dwells
alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations. {23:10} Who can
count the dust of Ya`akov, Or number the fourth part of Yisra'el? Let
me die the death of the righteous, Let my last end be like his!
{23:11} Balak said to Bil`am, What have you done to me? I took you to
curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.
{23:12} He answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which
the LORD puts in my mouth? {23:13} Balak said to him, Please come with
me to another place, from whence you may see them; you shall see but
the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all: and curse me them
from there. {23:14} He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top
of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on
every altar. {23:15} He said to Balak, Stand here by your burnt
offering, while I meet [the LORD] yonder. {23:16} The LORD met Bil`am,
and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shall
you speak. {23:17} He came to him, and, behold, he was standing by his
burnt offering, and the princes of Mo'av with him. Balak said to him,
What has the LORD spoken? {23:18} He took up his parable, and said,
Rise up, Balak, and hear;
Listen to me, you son of Tzippor:
{23:19} God is not a man, that he should lie,
Neither the son of man, that he should repent:
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
{23:20} Behold, I have received [[1>]mitzvah[<1]] to bless:
He has blessed, and I can't reverse it.
{23:21} He has not saw iniquity in Ya`akov;
Neither has he seen perverseness in Yisra'el:
The LORD his God is with him,
The shout of a king is among them.
{23:22} God brings them forth out of Mitzrayim;
He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
{23:23} Surely there is no enchantment with Ya`akov;
Neither is there any divination with Yisra'el:
Now shall it be said of Ya`akov and of Yisra'el,
What has God done!
{23:24} Behold, the people rises up as a lioness,
As a lion does he lift himself up:
He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,
Drink the blood of the slain.
{23:25} Balak said to Bil`am, Neither curse them at all, nor bless
them at all. {23:26} But Bil`am answered Balak, Didn't I tell you,
saying, All that the LORD speaks, that I must do? {23:27} Balak said
to Bil`am, Come now, I will take you to another place; peradventure it
will please God that you may curse me them from there. {23:28} Balak
took Bil`am to the top of Pe`or, that looks down on the desert.
{23:29} Bil`am said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare
me here seven bulls and seven rams. {23:30} Balak did as Bil`am had
said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
{24:1} When Bil`am saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Yisra'el,
he didn't go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he
set his face toward the wilderness. {24:2} Bil`am lifted up his eyes,
and he saw Yisra'el dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit
of God came on him. {24:3} He took up his parable, and said,
Bil`am the son of Be'or says,
The man whose eye was closed says;
{24:4} He says, who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of [1>]Shaddai[<1],
Falling down, and having his eyes open:
{24:5} How goodly are your tents, Ya`akov,
Your tents, Yisra'el!
{24:6} As valleys are they spread forth,
As gardens by the river-side,
As lign-aloes which the LORD has planted,
As cedar trees beside the waters.
{24:7} Water shall flow from his buckets,
His seed shall be in many waters,
His king shall be higher than Agag,
His kingdom shall be exalted.
{24:8} God brings him forth out of Mitzrayim;
He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox:
He shall eat up the nations his adversaries,
Shall break their bones in pieces,
Smite [them] through with his arrows.
{24:9} He couched, he lay down as a lion,
As a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
Blessed be everyone who blesses you,
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
{24:10} Balak's anger was kindled against Bil`am, and he struck his
hands together; and Balak said to Bil`am, I called you to curse my
enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three
times. {24:11} Therefore now flee you to your place: I thought to
promote you to great honor; but, behold, the LORD has kept you back
from honor. {24:12} Bil`am said to Balak, Didn't I also tell your
messengers who you sent to me, saying, {24:13} If Balak would give me
his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of the
LORD, to do either good or bad of my own mind; what the LORD speaks,
that will I speak? {24:14} Now, behold, I go to my people: come, [and]
I will advertise you what this people shall do to your people in the
latter days. {24:15} He took up his parable, and said,
Bil`am the son of Be'or says,
The man whose eye was closed says;
{24:16} He says, who hears the words of God,
Knows the knowledge of [2>]Ha`Elyon[<2],
Who sees the vision of [3>]Shaddai[<3],
Falling down, and having his eyes open:
{24:17} I see him, but not now;
I see him, but not near:
There shall come forth a star out of Ya`akov,
A scepter shall rise out of Yisra'el,
Shall strike through the corners of Mo'av,
Break down all the sons of tumult.
{24:18} Edom shall be a possession,
Se`ir also shall be a possession, [who were] his enemies;
While Yisra'el does valiantly.
{24:19} Out of Ya`akov shall one have dominion,
Shall destroy the remnant from the city.
{24:20} He looked at `Amalek, and took up his parable, and said,
`Amalek was the first of the nations;
But his latter end shall come to destruction.
{24:21} He looked at the Keni, and took up his parable, and said,
Strong is your dwelling-place,
Your nest is set in the rock.
{24:22} Nevertheless Kayin shall be wasted,
Until Ashshur shall carry you away captive.
{24:23} He took up his parable, and said,
Alas, who shall live when God does this?
{24:24} But ships [shall come] from the coast of Kittim,
They shall afflict Ashshur, and shall afflict `Ever;
He also shall come to destruction.
{24:25} Bil`am rose up, and went and returned to his place; and
Balak also went his way.
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Footnotes:
[1] {22:5} earth
[2] {22:11} earth
[1] {23:20} commandment
[1] {24:4} the Almighty
[2] {24:16} the Most High
[3] {24:16} the Almighty
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