1 And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan from Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was much afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this company lick up all that is round about us, as an ox licks up the green herb of the field. Now Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5 And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is on the river in the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, a people is come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the land, and they abide over against me.
6 And now come, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are mightier than I: perhaps I may be able to smite them, and drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed, having the rewards of divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.
8 And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, according as Jehovah shall speak unto me. And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came to Balaam, and said, Who are these men with thee?
10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me,
11 Behold, a people is come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the land. Now come, curse me them: perhaps I may be able to fight against them, and drive them out.
12 And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go into your land; for Jehovah refuses to give me leave to go with you.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up; and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam has refused to come with us.
15 Then sent Balak yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Suffer not thyself, I pray thee, to be restrained from coming to me;
17 for very highly will I honour thee, and whatever thou shalt say to me will I do; come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.
19 And now, I pray you, abide ye also here this night, and I shall know what Jehovah will say to me further.
20 Then God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men have come to call thee, rise up, {and} go with them; but only what I shall say unto thee shalt thou do.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the Angel of Jehovah set himself in the way to withstand him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two young men were with him.
23 And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field, and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way.
24 And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a hollow of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25 And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and she pressed herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again.
26 Then the Angel of Jehovah went still further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.
28 And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29 And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee!
30 And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, No.
31 Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed and prostrated himself on his face.
32 And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, it was I who came forth to withstand thee, for the way {thou walkest in} is for ruin before me.
33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times; had she not turned from me, I had now certainly slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me; and now, if it be evil in thine eyes, I will get me back again.
35 And the Angel of Jehovah said to Balaam, Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak. And Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam came, he went out to meet him, to the city of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is at the extremity of the border.
37 And Balak said to Balaam, Did I not earnestly send to thee to call thee? why didst thou not come to me? am I not surely able to honour thee?
38 And Balaam said to Balak, Lo, I am come to thee; but shall I now be able at all to say anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath-huzoth.
40 And Balak offered oxen and small cattle, and sent to Balaam and to the princes that were with him.
41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from thence the extremity of the people.
1 Tendo partido os filhos de Israel, acamparam-se nas planícies de Moabe além do Jordão na altura de Jericó.
2 Balaque, filho de Zipor, viu tudo o que Israel fizera aos amorreus.
3 Moabe tinha grande medo do povo, porque era muito; e estava angustiado por causa dos filhos de Israel.
4 Disse aos anciãos de Midiã: Agora esta multidão roerá tudo quanto estiver ao redor de nós, como o boi rói as ervas do campo. Nesse tempo Balaque, filho de Zipor, era rei de Moabe.
5 Enviou mensageiros a Balaão filho, de Beor, a Petor, que está junto ao Rio, à terra dos filhos do seu povo, a chamá-lo, dizendo: Eis que um povo saiu do Egito, cobre a face da terra, e estaciona defronte de mim.
6 Vem agora amaldiçoar-me a este povo; porque é mais forte do que eu: porventura prevalecerei, de modo que eu o fira, e o expulse da terra; pois sei que será abençoado aquele a quem abençoares, e amaldiçoado aquele a quem amaldiçoares.
7 Partiram os anciãos de Moabe e os anciãos de Midiã, levando nas mãos com que pagar os encantamentos; foram a Balaão e referiram-lhe as palavras de Balaque.
8 Ele lhes respondeu: Ficai aqui esta noite, e vos trarei a resposta que Jeová me der; os príncipes de Moabe ficaram com Balaão.
9 Veio Deus a Balaão e perguntou-lhe: Quem são estes homens que estão contigo?
10 Respondeu Balaão a Deus: Balaque, filho de Zipor, rei de Moabe, os enviou, para que me dissessem:
11 Eis que o povo que saiu do Egito, cobre a face da terra; vem agora amaldiçoar-mo; talvez assim poderei pelejar contra ele, e expulsá-lo.
12 Tornou Deus a Balaão: Não irás com eles; não amaldiçoarás o povo, porque é bendito.
13 Levantando-se Balaão pela manhã, disse aos príncipes de Balaque: Ide para a vossa terra, porque Jeová recusa deixar-me ir convosco.
14 Tendo-se levantado os príncipes de Moabe, voltaram a Balaque e disseram: Balaão recusou vir conosco.
15 Tornou Balaque a enviar príncipes em maior número e de maior qualidade do que aqueles.
16 Os quais, chegando a Balaão, lhe disseram: Assim diz Balaque, filho de Zipor: Não te demores em vir a mim,
17 porque grandemente te honrarei, e farei tudo o que me disseres. Vem, pois, amaldiçoar-me este povo.
18 Respondeu Balaão aos servos de Balaque: Se Balaque me desse a sua casa cheia de prata e de ouro, eu não poderia ir além da ordem de Jeová meu Deus, para fazer coisa alguma grande ou pequena.
19 Agora rogo-vos que fiqueis aqui também esta noite, para que eu saiba o que Jeová me falar mais.
20 Veio Deus a Balaão de noite, e disse-lhe: Se os homens te vierem chamar, levanta-te, vai com eles; mas somente aquilo que eu te falar, isso farás.
21 Levantou-se Balaão pela manhã, albardou a sua jumenta, e partiu com os príncipes de Moabe.
22 Acendeu-se a ira de Deus, porque ele ia; e o anjo de Jeová pôs-se-lhe no caminho por adversário. Ora Balaão ia montado na sua jumenta, e tinha dois servos consigo.
23 A jumenta viu o anjo parado no caminho, com a sua espada desembainhada na mão, desviou-se do caminho e ia pelo campo; Balaão fustigou-a para fazê-la tornar ao caminho.
24 Então o anjo de Jeová parou numa azinhaga entre as vinhas, com uma sebe num e noutro lado.
25 Vendo a jumenta o anjo de Jeová, coseu-se com o muro, e comprimiu o pé de Balaão contra o muro; ele a tornou a fustigar.
26 O anjo de Jeová passou mais adiante, e parou num lugar estreito, onde não era possível desviar-se nem para a direita nem para a esquerda.
27 Vendo a jumenta o anjo de Jeová, deitou-se debaixo de Balaão; acendeu-se a ira de Balaão, e fustigou a jumenta com a sua vara.
28 Então Jeová abriu a boca da jumenta, e ela perguntou a Balaão: Que te fiz eu para que me fustigasses estas três vezes?
29 Respondeu Balaão à jumenta: Porque zombaste de mim; oxalá tivesse eu uma espada na mão, pois eu te haveria matado.
30 Tornou a jumenta a Balaão: Acaso não sou a tua jumenta, em que cavalgaste toda a tua vida até hoje? porventura tem sido o meu costume fazer-te coisa semelhante? Ele respondeu: Não.
31 Então abriu Jeová os olhos de Balaão, e ele viu o anjo de Jeová parado no caminho, com a sua espada desembainhada na mão; inclinou a cabeça e prostrou-se com o rosto em terra.
32 Disse-lhe o anjo de Jeová: Porque fustigaste a tua jumenta estas três vezes? eis que eu saí como adversário, porque o teu caminho é perverso diante de mim.
33 A jumenta viu-me, e já três vezes se desviou de diante de mim; se ela não se tivesse desviado de mim, certamente eu te matara, e poupara a vida dela.
34 Respondeu Balaão ao anjo de Jeová: Pequei, porque não sabia que tu paravas no caminho para te opores a mim; agora se não for do teu agrado, voltarei.
35 Tornou o anjo de Jeová a Balaão: Vai com os homens; mas somente aquilo que eu te disser, isso falarás. Assim Balaão se foi com os príncipes de Balaque.
36 Tendo Balaque ouvido que Balaão era chegado, saiu-lhe ao encontro até Ir-Moabe, que está nos confins formados pelo Arnom, e na fronteira extrema.
37 Perguntou Balaque a Balaão: Porventura não te enviei mensageiros a chamar-te? Por que não vieste a mim? não posso eu, na verdade, honrar-te?
38 Respondeu Balaão a Balaque: Eis-me diante de ti, posso eu, acaso, falar alguma coisa? A palavra que Deus puser na minha boca, essa falarei.
39 Balaão foi com Balaque, e chegaram a Quiriate-Huzote.
40 Balaque sacrificou bois e ovelhas, e enviaram deles a Balaão e aos príncipes que com ele estavam.
41 Pela manhã tomou Balaque a Balaão, levou-o aos altos de Baal, e dali viu a parte extrema do povo.