1 profectique castrametati sunt in campestribus Moab
ubi trans Iordanem Hierichus sita est
2 videns autem Balac filius Sepphor
omnia quae fecerat Israhel Amorreo
3 et quod pertimuissent eum Moabitae
et impetum eius ferre non possent
4 dixit ad maiores natu Madian
ita delebit hic populus omnes qui in nostris finibus commorantur
quomodo solet bos herbas usque ad radices carpere
ipse erat eo tempore rex in Moab
5 misit ergo nuntios ad Balaam filium Beor ariolum
qui habitabat super flumen terrae filiorum Ammon
ut vocarent eum et dicerent ecce egressus est populus ex Aegypto
qui operuit superficiem terrae sedens contra me
6 veni igitur et maledic populo huic
quia fortior me est
si quo modo possim percutere et eicere eum de terra mea
novi enim quod benedictus sit cui benedixeris
et maledictus in quem maledicta congesseris
7 perrexerunt seniores Moab et maiores natu Madian
habentes divinationis pretium in manibus
cumque venissent ad Balaam et narrassent ei omnia verba Balac
8 ille respondit manete hic nocte
et respondebo quicquid mihi dixerit Dominus
manentibus illis apud Balaam venit Deus et ait ad eum
9 quid sibi volunt homines isti apud te
10 respondit Balac filius Sepphor rex Moabitarum misit ad me
11 dicens
ecce populus qui egressus est de Aegypto operuit superficiem terrae
veni et maledic ei
si quo modo possim pugnans abicere eum
12 dixitque Deus ad Balaam
noli ire cum eis neque maledicas populo quia benedictus est
13 qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes ite in terram vestram
quia prohibuit me Deus venire vobiscum
14 reversi principes dixerunt ad Balac noluit Balaam venire nobiscum
15 rursum ille multo plures et nobiliores quam ante miserat misit
16 qui cum venissent ad Balaam dixerunt
sic dicit Balac filius Sepphor ne cuncteris venire ad me
17 paratum honorare te
et quicquid volueris dare
veni et maledic populo isti
18 respondit Balaam
si dederit mihi Balac plenam domum suam argenti et auri
non potero inmutare verbum Domini Dei mei
ut vel plus vel minus loquar
19 obsecro ut hic maneatis etiam hac nocte
et scire queam quid mihi rursum respondeat Dominus
20 venit ergo Deus ad Balaam nocte et ait ei
si vocare te venerunt homines isti surge et vade cum eis
ita dumtaxat ut quod tibi praecepero facias
21 surrexit Balaam mane et strata asina profectus est cum
eis
22 et iratus est Deus stetitque angelus Domini in via contra Balaam
qui sedebat asinae
et duos pueros habebat secum
23 cernens asina angelum stantem in via evaginato gladio
avertit se de itinere et ibat per agrum
quam cum verberaret Balaam et vellet ad semitam reducere
24 stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum
quibus vineae cingebantur
25 quem videns asina iunxit se parieti et adtrivit sedentis pedem
at ille iterum verberabat
26 et nihilominus angelus ad locum angustum transiens
ubi nec ad dextram nec ad sinistram poterat deviari
obvius stetit
27 cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum
concidit sub pedibus sedentis
qui iratus vehementius caedebat fuste latera
28 aperuitque Dominus os asinae et locuta est
quid feci tibi cur percutis me ecce iam tertio
29 respondit Balaam
quia commeruisti et
inlusisti mihi
utinam haberem gladium ut te percuterem
30 dixit asina nonne animal tuum sum
cui semper sedere consuesti usque in praesentem diem
dic quid simile umquam fecerim tibi
at ille ait numquam
31 protinus aperuit Dominus oculos Balaam
et vidit angelum stantem in via evaginato gladio
adoravitque eum pronus in terram
32 cui angelus cur inquit tertio verberas asinam tuam
ego veni ut adversarer tibi
quia perversa est via tua mihique contraria
33 et nisi asina declinasset de via dans locum resistenti
te occidissem et illa viveret
34 dixit Balaam peccavi nesciens quod tu stares contra me
et nunc si displicet tibi ut vadam revertar
35 ait angelus vade cum istis
et cave ne aliud quam praecepero tibi loquaris
ivit igitur cum principibus
36 quod cum audisset Balac egressus est in occursum eius
in oppido Moabitarum quod situm est in extremis finibus Arnon
37 dixitque ad Balaam misi nuntios ut vocarent te
cur non statim venisti ad me
an quia mercedem adventui tuo reddere nequeo
38 cui ille respondit ecce adsum
numquid loqui potero aliud nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo
39 perrexerunt ergo simul et venerunt in urbem quae in extremis regni eius finibus erat
40 cumque occidisset Balac boves et oves
misit ad Balaam et principes qui cum eo erant munera
41 mane autem facto duxit eum ad excelsa Baal
et intuitus est extremam partem populi
1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 ¶ And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 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. 5 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: 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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.
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 Kirjath-huzoth. 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.