Balak's first message for Balaam is refused.

1 ¶ And the childrenº of Israelº set forward,ºª and pitchedºª in the plainsº of Moabº on this sideº² Jordanº [by] Jericho.º

2 ¶ And Balakº the sonº of Zipporº sawºª² all² that² Israelº had doneºª to the Amorites.º 3 And Moabº was sore¹ afraidºª² ofº² the people,º because² they² [were] many:º and Moabº was distressedºª because²² of¹ the childrenº of Israel.º 4 And Moabº saidºª unto² the eldersº of Midian,º Now² shall this companyº lick upºª² all² [that are] round aboutº us, as the oxº licketh upºª² the grassº of the field.º And Balakº the sonº of Zipporº [was] kingº of the Moabitesº at that² time.º 5 He sentºª messengersº therefore unto² Balaamº the sonº of Beorº to Pethor,º which² [is] by² the riverº of the landº of the childrenº of his people,º to callºª him, saying,ºª Behold,² there is a peopleº come outºª from Egypt:º² behold,² they coverºª² the faceº of the earth,º and they² abideºª over againstº² me: 6 Come¹ª² now² therefore, I pray thee,² curseºª me² this² people;º for² they² [are] too mighty¹ for²² me: peradventure² I shall prevail,ºª [that] we may smiteºª them, and [that] I may drive them outºª of² the land:º for² I wotºª² that he whom² thou blessestºª [is] blessed,ºª and he whom² thou cursestºª is cursed.ºª 7 And the eldersº of Moabº and the eldersº of Midianº departed¹ª² with the rewards of divinationº in their hand;º and they cameºª unto² Balaam,º and spakeºª unto² him the wordsº of Balak.º 8 And he saidºª unto² them, Lodgeºª here² this night,º and I will bringºª you wordº again,¹ª as² the LORDº shall speakºª unto² me: and the princesº of Moabº abodeºª with² Balaam.º 9 And Godº cameºª unto² Balaam,º and said,ºª What² men¹² [are] these² with² thee? 10 And Balaamº saidºª unto² God,º Balakº the sonº of Zippor,º kingº of Moab,º hath sentºª unto² me, [saying], 11 Behold,² [there is] a peopleº come outºª of Egypt,º² which coverethºª² the faceº of the earth:º come¹ª² now,² curseºª me them; peradventure² I shall be ableºª to overcomeºª them, and drive them out.ºª 12 And Godº saidºª unto² Balaam,º Thou shalt not² go¹ª² with² them; thou shalt not² curseºª² the people:º for² they² [are] blessed.ºª 13 And Balaamº rose upºª in the morning,º and saidºª unto² the princesº of Balak,º Get¹ª² you into² your land:º for² the LORDº refusethºª to give me leaveºª to goºª with² you. 14 And the princesº of Moabº rose up,ºª and they wentºª unto² Balak,º and said,ºª Balaamº refusethºª to comeºª with² us.

His second message obtaineth him.

15 ¶ And Balakº sentºª yet² againºª princes,º more,º and more honourableºª than they.²² 16 And they cameºª to² Balaam,º and saidºª to him, Thus² saithºª Balakº the sonº of Zippor,º Let nothing,² I pray thee,² hinderºª thee from comingºª² unto² me: 17 For² I will promote¹ª thee unto very¹ great¹ª honour,ºª² and I will doºª whatsoever²² thou sayestºª unto² me: come¹ª² therefore, I pray thee,² curseºª me² this² people.º 18 And Balaamº answeredºª and saidºª unto² the servantsº of Balak,º If² Balakº would giveºª me his houseº fullº of silverº and gold,º I cannotºª² go beyondºª² the wordº of the LORDº my God,º to doºª lessº or² more.º 19 Now² therefore, I pray you,² tarryºª ye² also² here² this night,º that I may knowºª what² the LORDº will sayºª unto² me more.ºª 20 And Godº cameºª unto² Balaamº at night,º and saidºª unto him, If² the men¹² comeºª to callºª thee, rise up,ºª [and] go¹ª² with² them; but yetº² the wordº which² I shall sayºª unto² thee, that shalt thou do.ºª 21 And Balaamº rose upºª in the morning,º and saddledºª² his ass,º and went¹ª² with² the princesº of Moab.º

An angel would have slain him, if his ass had not saved him.

22 ¶ And God'sº angerº was kindledºª because² he² went:ºª and the angelº of the LORDº stoodºª in the wayº for an adversaryº against him. Now he² was ridingºª upon² his ass,º and his twoº servantsº [were] with² him. 23 And the assº sawºª² the angelº of the LORDº standingºª in the way,º and his swordº drawnºª in his hand:º and the assº turned asideºª out of² the way,º and went¹ª² into the field:º and Balaamº smoteºª² the ass,º to turnºª her into the way.º 24 But the angelº of the LORDº stoodºª in a pathº of the vineyards,º a wallº [being] on this side,²² and a wallº on that side.²² 25 And when the assº sawºª² the angelº of the LORD,º she thrust¹ª herself² unto² the wall,º and crushedºª² Balaam'sº footº against² the wall:º and he smoteºª her again.ºª 26 And the angelº of the LORDº wentºª further,ºª and stoodºª in a narrowº place,º where² [was] no² wayº to turnºª either to the right handº or to the left.º 27 And when the assº sawºª² the angelº of the LORD,º she fell downºª under² Balaam:º and Balaam'sº angerº was kindled,ºª and he smoteºª² the assº with a staff.º 28 And the LORDº openedºª² the mouthº of the ass,º and she saidºª unto Balaam,º What² have I doneºª unto thee, that² thou hast smittenºª me these² threeº times?º 29 And Balaamº saidºª unto the ass,º Because² thou hast mockedºª me: I wouldº there wereº a swordº in mine hand,º for² now² would I killºª thee. 30 And the assº saidºª unto² Balaam,º [Am] not² I² thine ass,º upon² which² thou hast riddenºª ever since²² [I was] thine unto² this² day?º was I ever¹ª wontºª to do² so¹ª² unto thee? And he said,ºª Nay.² 31 Then the LORDº openedºª² the eyesº of Balaam,º and he sawºª² the angelº of the LORDº standingºª in the way,º and his swordº drawnºª in his hand:º and he bowed down¹ª his head,² and fell flatºª on his face.º 32 And the angelº of the LORDº saidºª unto² him, Wherefore²² hast thou smittenºª² thine assº these² threeº times?º behold,² I² went outºª to withstandº thee, because² [thy] wayº is perverseºª before² me: 33 And the assº sawºª me, and turnedºª from² me¹ these² threeº times:º unlessº she had turnedºª from²² me,¹ surely² now² also² I had slainºª thee, and saved her alive.ºª² 34 And Balaamº saidºª unto² the angelº of the LORD,º I have sinned;ºª for² I knewºª not² that² thou² stoodestºª in the wayº againstºª me: now² therefore, if² it displease²² thee,¹ª¹ I will get me back again.ºª 35 And the angelº of the LORDº saidºª unto² Balaam,º Go¹ª² with² the men:¹² but onlyº² the wordº that² I shall speakºª unto² thee, that thou shalt speak.ºª So Balaamº went¹ª² with² the princesº of Balak.º

Balak entertaineth him.

36 ¶ And when Balakº heardºª that² Balaamº was come,ºª he went outºª to meetºª him unto² a cityº of Moab,º which² [is] in² the borderº of Arnon,º which² [is] in the utmostº coast.º 37 And Balakº saidºª unto² Balaam,º Did I not² earnestly¹ª sendºª unto² thee to callºª thee? wherefore² camestºª thou not² unto² me? am I not ableºª² indeedº to promote thee to honour?ºª 38 And Balaamº saidºª unto² Balak,º Lo,² I am comeºª unto² thee: have I now² any power¹ª at allºª to sayºª any thing?º the wordº that² Godº puttethºª in my mouth,º that shall I speak.ºª 39 And Balaamº went¹ª² with² Balak,º and they cameºª unto Kirjathhuzoth.º¹ 40 And Balakº offeredºª oxenº and sheep,º and sentºª to Balaam,º and to the princesº that² [were] with² him. 41 And it came to pass² on the morrow,º that Balakº tookºª² Balaam,º and brought him upºª into the high placesº of Baal,¹² that thence²² he might seeºª the utmostº [part] of the people.º