Study Desk

So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are settled opposite me.

And Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, to trespass the command of Yahweh my God.

So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

But God was angry because he was going, so the angel of Yahweh took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two young men were with him.

Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; so Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back into the way.

Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh and lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.

Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head down and prostrated himself to the ground.

So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.

Then he took up his discourse and said,"From Aram Balak has brought me,Moab's king from the mountains of the East,‘Come curse Jacob for me,And come, denounce Israel!'

Who can number the dust of Jacob,Or count the fourth part of Israel?Let me die the death of the upright,And let my end be like his!"

Then Yahweh met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

So he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has Yahweh spoken?"

Then he took up his discourse and said,"Arise, O Balak, and hear;Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!

He has not observed misfortune in Jacob;Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;Yahweh his God is with him,And the shout of a king is among them.

And Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, so he did not go as at other times to encounter omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Then he took up his discourse and said,"The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,And the oracle of the man whose eye is uncovered;

The oracle of him who hears the words of God,Who beholds the vision of the Almighty,Falling down, yet having his eyes opened,

Water will flow from his buckets,And his seed will be by many waters,And his king shall be lifted up higher than Agag,And his kingdom shall be exalted.

God brings him out of Egypt,He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,And will gnaw their bones in pieces,And shatter them with his arrows.