Numbers 22

vayyisu bene yisra'el vayyakhanu be'arvot mo'av me'ever leyarden yerekho

The Israelites then marched on and encamped in the steppes of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho.

vayyar balaq ben-tsippor et kol-asher-asah yisra'el la'emori

Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

vayyagor mo'av mippene ha'am me'od ki rav-hu vayyaqots mo'av mippene bene yisra'el

Moab was alarmed because that people was so numerous. Moab dreaded the Israelites,

vayyomer mo'av el-ziqne midyan attah yelakhakhu haqqahal et-kol-sevivotenu kilkhokh hashor et yereq hassadeh uvalaq ben-tsippor melekh lemo'av ba'et hahiv

and Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick clean all that is about us as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,

vayyishlakh malakhim el-bilam ben-be'or petorah asher al-hannahar erets bene-ammo liqro-lo lemor hinneh am yatsa mimmitsrayim hinneh khissah et-en ha'arets vehu yoshev mimmuli

sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor in Pethor, which is by the Euphrates, in the land of his kinsfolk, to invite him, saying, “There is a people that came out of Egypt; it hides the earth from view, and it is settled next to me.

ve'attah lekhah-nna arah-lli et-ha'am hazzeh ki-atsum hu mimmenni ulay ukhal nakkeh-bbo va'agareshennu min-ha'arets ki yadati et asher-tevarekh mevorakh va'asher ta'or yu'ar

Come then, put a curse upon this people for me, since they are too numerous for me; perhaps I can thus defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whomever you bless is blessed indeed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”

vayyelekhu ziqne mo'av veziqne midyan uqesamim beyadam vayyavo'u el-bilam vayedabberu elayw divre valaq

The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian, versed in divination, set out. They came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.

vayyomer alehem linu foh hallaylah vahashivoti etkhem davar ka'asher yedabber Adonai elay vayyeshevu sare-mo'av im-bilam

He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as GOD may instruct me.” So the Moabite dignitaries stayed with Balaam.

vayyavo elohim el-bilam vayyomer mi ha'anashim ha'elleh immakh

God came to Balaam and said, “What do these men want of you?”

vayyomer bilam el-ha'elohim balaq ben-tsippor melekh mo'av shalakh elay

Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:

hinneh ha'am hayyotse mimmitsrayim vayekhas et-en ha'arets attah lekhah qavah-lli oto ulay ukhal lehillakhem bo vegerashtiv

Here is a people that came out from Egypt and hides the earth from view. Come now and curse them for me; perhaps I can engage them in battle and drive them off.”

vayyomer elohim el-bilam lo telekh immahem lo ta'or et-ha'am ki varukh hu

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.”

vayyaqom bilam babboqer vayyomer el-sare valaq lekhu el-artsekhem ki me'en Adonai letitti lahalokh immakhem

Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s dignitaries, “Go back to your own country, for GOD will not let me go with you.”

vayyaqumu sare mo'av vayyavo'u el-balaq vayyomeru me'en bilam halokh immanu

The Moabite dignitaries left, and they came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

vayyosef od balaq sheloakh sarim rabbim venikhbadim me'elleh

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

vayyavo'u el-bilam vayyomeru lo koh amar balaq ben-tsippor al-na timmana mehalokh elay

They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Please do not refuse to come to me.

ki-khabbed akhabbedkha me'od vekhol asher-tomar elay e'eseh ulekhah-nna qavah-lli et ha'am hazzeh

I will reward you richly and I will do anything you ask of me. Only come and damn this people for me.”

vayya'an bilam vayyomer el-avde valaq im-yitten-li valaq melo veto kesef vezahav lo ukhal la'avor et-pi Adonai elohay la'asot qetannah o gedolah

Balaam replied to Balak’s officials, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, big or little, contrary to the command of the ETERNAL my God.

ve'attah shevu na vazeh gam-attem hallayelah ve'ede'ah mah-yyosef Adonai dabber immi

So you, too, stay here overnight, and let me find out what else GOD may say to me.”

vayyavo elohim el-bilam laylah vayyomer lo im-liqro lekha ba'u ha'anashim qum lekh ittam ve'akh et-haddavar asher-adabber elekha oto ta'aseh

That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If the men have come to invite you, you may go with them. But whatever I command you, that you shall do.”

vayyaqom bilam babboqer vayyakhavosh et-atono vayyelekh im-sare mo'av

When he arose in the morning, Balaam saddled his jenny and departed with the Moabite dignitaries.

vayyikhar-af elohim ki-holekh hu vayyityatsev malakh Adonai badderekh lesatan lo vehu rokhev al-atono ushene ne'arayw immo

But God was incensed at his going; so an angel of GOD took a position in his way as an adversary. He was riding on his jenny, with his two servants alongside,

vattere ha'aton et-malakh Adonai nitsav badderekh vekharbo shelufah beyado vattet ha'aton min-hadderekh vattelekh bassadeh vayyakh bilam et-ha'aton lehattotah haddarekh

when the jenny caught sight of the angel of GOD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. The jenny swerved from the road and went into the fields; and Balaam beat the jenny to turn her back onto the road.

vayya'amod malakh Adonai bemishol hakkeramim gader mizzeh vegader mizzeh

The angel of GOD then stationed himself in a lane between the vineyards, with a fence on either side.

vattere ha'aton et-malakh Adonai vattillakhets el-haqqir vattilkhats et-regel bilam el-haqqir vayyosef lehakkotah

The jenny, seeing the angel of GOD, pressed herself against the wall and squeezed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he beat her again.

vayyosef malakh-Adonai avor vayya'amod bemaqom tsar asher en-derekh lintot yamin usemovl

Once more the angel of GOD moved forward and stationed himself on a spot so narrow that there was no room to swerve right or left.

vattere ha'aton et-malakh Adonai vattirbats takhat bilam vayyikhar-af bilam vayyakh et-ha'aton bammaqqel

When the jenny now saw the angel of GOD, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was furious and beat the jenny with his stick.

vayyiftakh Adonai et-pi ha'aton vattomer levilam meh-asiti lekha ki hikkitani zeh shalosh regalim

Then GOD opened the jenny’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”

vayyomer bilam la'aton ki hitallalt bi lu yesh-kherev beyadi ki attah haragtikh

Balaam said to the jenny, “You have made a mockery of me! If I had a sword with me, I’d kill you.”

vattomer ha'aton el-bilam halo anokhi atonekha asher-rakhavta alay me'odekha ad-hayyom hazzeh hahasken hiskanti la'asot lekha koh vayyomer lo

The jenny said to Balaam, “Look, I am the jenny that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you?” And he answered, “No.”

vayegal Adonai et-ene vilam vayyar et-malakh Adonai nitsav badderekh vekharbo shelufah beyado vayyiqqod vayyishtakhu le'appayw

Then GOD uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of GOD standing in the way, his drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground.

vayyomer elayw malakh Adonai al-mah hikkita et-atonekha zeh shalosh regalim hinneh anokhi yatsati lesatan ki-yarat hadderekh lenegdi

The angel of GOD said to him, “Why have you beaten your jenny these three times? It is I who came out as an adversary, for the errand is obnoxious to me.

vattirani ha'aton vattet lefanay zeh shalosh regalim ulay natetah mippanay ki attah gam-otekhah haragti ve'otah hekheyeti

And when the jenny saw me, she shied away because of me those three times. If she had not shied away from me, you are the one I should have killed, while sparing her.”

vayyomer bilam el-malakh Adonai khatati ki lo yadati ki attah nitsav liqrati baddarekh ve'attah im-ra be'enekha ashuvah li

Balaam said to the angel of GOD, “I erred because I did not know that you were standing in my way. If you still disapprove, I will turn back.”

vayyomer malakh Adonai el-bilam lekh im-ha'anashim ve'efes et-haddavar asher-adabber elekha oto tedabber vayyelekh bilam im-sare valaq

But the angel of GOD said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But you must say nothing except what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s dignitaries.

vayyishma balaq ki va vilam vayyetse liqrato el-ir mo'av asher al-gevul arnon asher biqtseh haggevul

When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, which is on the Arnon border, at its farthest point.

vayyomer balaq el-bilam halo shaloakh shalakhti elekha liqro-lakh lammah lo-halakhta elay ha'umnam lo ukhal kabbedekha

Balak said to Balaam, “When I first sent to invite you, why didn’t you come to me? Am I really unable to reward you?”

vayyomer bilam el-balaq hinneh-vati elekha attah hayakhol ukhal dabber me'umah haddavar asher yasim elohim befi oto adabber

But Balaam said to Balak, “And now that I have come to you, have I the power to speak freely? I can utter only the word that God puts into my mouth.”

vayyelekh bilam im-balaq vayyavo'u qiryat khutsot

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

vayyizbakh balaq baqar vatson vayeshallakh levilam velassarim asher itto

Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and had them served to Balaam and the dignitaries with him.

vayehi vabboqer vayyiqqakh balaq et-bilam vayya'alehu bamot ba'al vayyar misham qetseh ha'am

In the morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see a portion of the people.