Numbers 22

1The Israelites travelled to Moab. They lived in tents at the side of the River Jordan. On the other side of the river was the city called Jericho. 2Balak was the son of Zippor. He saw what the Israelites did to the Amorites. 3So the people in Moab were afraid because there were very many Israelites. And all the people in Moab became very afraid of the Israelites. 4So the Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, ‘This very large group of people will destroy everything round us. They will be like a bull that eats all the grass in a field!’ Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5He sent men to get Balaam who was the son of Beor. Balaam was near the river at Pethor. Pethor was his home. Balak told them that they should say to Balaam, ‘Many people have come from Egypt. And they cover the ground, everywhere. They want to take our land. 6They are more powerful than I am. Put a curse on them. Then maybe I will be more powerful than I already am. Then I can send them away from our land. When you bless people, it is good for them. When you curse people, they fail. I know that.’

7The leaders of Moab and Midian went to find Balaam. They took the money for the curse with them. They found him. And they told him what Balak had said. 8Balaam said to them, ‘Stay here tonight. I will talk to the LORD. Tomorrow I will tell you what he says.’ The leaders of Moab and Midian stayed with Balaam. 9Then God came to Balaam and he said, ‘Who are these men who are with you?’

10And Balaam said to God, ‘Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me. 11He said, “Many people have come from Egypt. And they cover the ground, everywhere. So come and curse them for me. Then perhaps I will be able to fight them. And perhaps I will be able to send them away.”’

12God said to Balaam, ‘Do not curse these people. They are special people. I have blessed them.’ 13The next day, Balaam said to the men from Moab, ‘Go back to Moab. The LORD told me that I should not go with you.’ 14The men went back to Moab. They told Balak that Balaam would not come with them.

15Then Balak sent more leaders to Balaam. These leaders were even more important than the first group of leaders. 16They said to him, ‘Balak says, “Do not let anything stop you coming to me. 17I will certainly make you rich and famous. And I will do for you anything that you want. So please come and curse these people for me.”’ 18Balaam said to them, ‘No, not even if Balak gives me his house, all his gold and all his silver. I will only do what the LORD says.’ 19Balaam said, ‘Stay here tonight as the other men did. I will talk to the LORD.’ 20That night, God spoke to Balaam. God said to him, ‘Go with these men. But only do what I say.’

Balaam and his donkey

21In the morning, Balaam put a blanket on his donkey. He went with the men to Moab. 22The LORD was angry because Balaam went with the men. He put an angel on the road to stop Balaam. Balaam was riding on his donkey and two servants were with him. 23The angel of the LORD was holding a sword. The donkey saw the angel. So it tried to leave the road and it tried to go into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to make it go back to the road.

24Then the angel of the LORD stood on a narrow road. There were walls on each side of the road. 25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pushed towards the wall. Balaam had his foot fixed between the donkey and the wall. Balaam hit the donkey again.

26The angel of the LORD moved and he stood in another narrow place. There was no space to turn round. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD it lay down on the road. Balaam was angry. He hit the donkey with his stick. 28The LORD made the donkey speak. It said, ‘What have I done? Why have you hit me 3 times?’

29Balaam said to the donkey, ‘You have made me look silly. If I had a sword, I would kill you.’ 30The donkey said to Balaam, ‘I am your own donkey. Do I usually do things like this to you?’ Balaam said, ‘No.’ 31Then the LORD let Balaam see the angel who was standing in the road. Balaam lay down with his face on the road.

32The angel of the LORD said to him, ‘You have hit your donkey 3 times! I have come here to stop you. What you are doing is against me. 33If the donkey had not turned from me 3 times, I would have killed you. I would not have killed the donkey.’

34Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, ‘I have sinned. But I did not know that you were standing in the road to stop me. So, if this is making you angry, I will return to my home.’ 35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, ‘Go with the men. But you must say only the words that I will tell you.’ So Balaam went with Balak’s important men.

36People told Balak that Balaam was coming. Balak went out to meet him at the town in Moab on the river Arnon that is on the border. 37Balak said to Balaam, ‘I will not give anything to you because you did not come to me quickly.’

38So Balaam said to Balak, ‘I have come to you now! But I cannot choose to say the things that I want to say. I can only say the words that God puts into my mouth.’

39Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth. 40And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep. And he sent some to Balaam and to the important men who were with him. 41The next day Balak and Balaam went to Bamoth-Baal. Balaam saw some of the Israelites.