Numbers

Prophesies of Balaam

Balac Calls Balaam

Then the Israelites journeyed on and camped in the plains of Moab along the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Now Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites.

And the Moabites were afraid of Israel because they were numerous. They were terrified.

So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian:

“Look, this horde is destroying everything around us as easily as the ox eats the grass of the field.”

So Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab at the time,

sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, at Pethor near the river in the land of the Ammonites. Balak said:

“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the earth and are settling opposite me.

Come and put a curse on these people because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are indeed blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”

The elders of Moab and Midian set out, taking with them the fee for divination. They went to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.

Balaam said to them:

“Stay here tonight, and I will give you whatever answer the Lord will have given me.”

So, the Moabite elders stayed in Balaam’s house.

Balaam Refuses to Go

God came to Balaam and asked him:

“Who are these men with you?”

Balaam said to God:

“Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them to me with this message:

A people has come out of Egypt and covers the face of the earth. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I shall then be able to fight and drive them away.”

But God said to Balaam:

“Do not go with them; you must not put a curse on them because they are blessed.”

The following day, Balaam got up and said to the elders of Balak:

“Return to your country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

So the Moabite elders returned to Balak and said:

“Balaam refused to come with us.”

Balak sent other leaders, more numerous and distinguished than the first.

They went to Balaam and said:

“This is what Balak, son of Zippor, says: Do not refuse to come to me;

I will greatly honor you; whatever you ask of me, I will do for you. Please come and lay a curse on these people for me.”

Balaam answered the servants of Balak:

“Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small beyond the command of the Lord, my God.

Now you, too, stay here tonight as the others did till I wait for what else the Lord may tell me.”

Balaam’s Donkey

God came to Balaam at night and said:

“If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but you may only do what I tell you.”

Balaam got up the next morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moabite leaders.

But the anger of God was aroused at him for going, and the Lord’s angel posted himself on the road, a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam was riding on the donkey, and his two boys were with him.

When the donkey saw the angel, she turned off the road and entered the field. Then Balaam hit the donkey to get her back onto the road.

But the angel of the Lord stood on a narrow lane between vineyards with a stone wall on either side.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she shrank against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it, so he beat her again.

Then the Lord’s angel stopped at a narrow place with no room to go either to the right or left.

When the donkey saw the Lord’s angel there, she lay down under Balaam; he was angry and beat her with a stick.

But now the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam:

“What have I done to you to make you beat me three times?”

Balaam answered:

“You have made a fool of me. If I had a sword just now, I would kill you.”

And the donkey said to Balaam:

“Am I not your donkey that you have ridden to this day? Have I ever dared to do this to you?”

He said:

“No!”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Lord’s angel standing on the road with a drawn sword. He bowed and fell downward, his face to the ground.

The Lord’s angel asked him:

“Why did you strike your donkey thrice? I have come here to oppose you because you are going the wrong way.

The donkey saw me and turned away three times. Otherwise, I would have killed you, but not her.”

And Balaam told the Lord’s angel:

“I did not want to sin. I did not know you were posted against me on the road. But if this journey displeases you, I will go back.”

The Lord’s angel told Balaam:

“Go with these men, but you may say only what I tell you.”

So Balaam went on with Balak’s men.

Balaam and Balak

When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he met him at the boundary city of Moab on the Arnon border.

Then Balak told Balaam:

“I sent an urgent summons to you; why didn’t you come? Did you think I would not pay you well enough?”

Balaam then said to Balak:

“Now I have come to you, but what can I say? Only what the Lord puts on my lips.”

So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

There, Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some to Balaam and the leaders with him.

The following day, Balak took Balaam up to the high places of Baal, and from there, he saw some of the people of Israel.