Study Desk

Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River [fn] in the land of the sons of his people, [fn] to call him, saying: "Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!

Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam's anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

And he took up his oracle and said: "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. "Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!'

"Who can count the dust [fn] of Jacob,Or number one-fourth of Israel?Let me die the death of the righteous,And let my end be like his!"

Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?"

Then he took up his oracle and said: "Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

"He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them.

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Then he took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

He shall pour water from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters. "His king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

"God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones And pierce them with his arrows.

Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!