Study Desk

He sent some men to Balaam son of Beor. Balaam was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River. This was where Balaam's people lived. This was Balak's message: "A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover all the land. They have camped next to me.

Come and help me. These people are too powerful for me. I know that you have great power. If you bless people, good things happen to them. And if you curse people, bad things happen to them. So come and curse these people. Maybe then I will be able to defeat them and force them to leave my country."

Balaam said to them, "Stay here for the night. I will talk to the Lord and tell you the answer he gives me." So the leaders of Moab stayed there with Balaam that night.

This is the message: A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover the land. So come and curse these people. Then maybe I will be able to fight them and force them to leave my land."

So the leaders of Moab went back to Balak and told him this. They said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

So Balak sent other leaders to Balaam. This time he sent many more than the first time. And these leaders were much more important than the first ones he sent.

That night, God came to Balaam. God said, "These men have come again to ask you to go with them. So you can go with them. But do only what I tell you to do."

Balaam was riding on his donkey. Two of his servants were with him. While Balaam was traveling, God became angry. So the Lord 's angel stood in the road in front of Balaam to stop him.

When Balaam's donkey saw the Lord 's angel standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam could not see the angel, so he was very angry at the donkey. He hit the donkey and forced it to go back on the road.

Again the donkey saw the Lord 's angel. So the donkey walked very close to one wall. This crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam hit his donkey again.

The donkey saw the Lord 's angel. So the donkey lay down with Balaam sitting on top of it. Balaam was very angry at the donkey. So he hit it with his walking stick.

But the donkey said to Balaam, "Look, I am your donkey. You have ridden me for so many years. And you know that I have never done this to you before!" "That is true," Balaam said.

Then the Lord 's angel said to Balaam, "No, you can go with these men. But be careful. Speak only the words that I will tell you to say." So Balaam went with the leaders that Balak had sent.

Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So Balak went out to meet him at the Moabite town near the Arnon River. This was at the northern border of his country.

So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak was still standing near the altar, and all the leaders of Moab were standing there with them.

But God is not against them, so I cannot speak against them either! The Lord has not asked for bad things to happen to these people. So I cannot do that either.

Then Balak said to him, "So come with me to another place. At that place you can see more of these people. You cannot see all of them—you can only see part of them. Maybe from that place you can curse them for me."

So Balak led Balaam to Watchmen Hills. This was on top of Mount Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars and killed a bull and a ram on each altar as a sacrifice.

So the Lord came to Balaam and told Balaam what to say. Then he told Balaam to go back to Balak and say these things.

So Balaam went to Balak. Balak was still standing near the altar. The leaders of Moab were there with him. Balak saw Balaam coming and said, "What did the Lord say?"