¹And the children of Israel set out and encamped in the desert plains of Moab, on the far side of the Jordan at Jericho.

²And Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorite.

³Moab was exceedingly afraid before the face of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab felt dread before the face of the children of Israel.

⁴Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this company will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the greenery of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

⁵He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river in the land of the sons of his people, to summon him, saying, Look, a people has come out of Egypt; look, it has covered the eye of the land, and it is dwelling in front of me.

⁶So now, go, please, curse for me this people, for it is too mighty for me. Perhaps I will be able, and we will strike it, and I will drive it out of the land; for I know that the one you bless is blessed, and the one you curse is cursed.

⁷The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went, with divinations in their hand, and they came to Balaam and they spoke to him the words of Balak.

⁸He said to them, Lodge here for the night, and I will bring back you word, just as Yahweh will speak to me. And the officials of Moab dwelled with Balaam.

⁹God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you?

¹⁰Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, has sent to me:

¹¹Look, the people who came out of Egypt has covered the eye of the land. Now come, curse it for me; perhaps I will be able to fight against it, and I will drive it out.

¹²God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.

¹³Balaam rose in the morning and said to the officials of Balak, Go to your land, for Yahweh has refused to give me leave to go with you.

¹⁴The officials of Moab rose and went to Balak, and they said, Balaam has refused to go with us.

¹⁵Once more Balak sent officials, more numerous and more honored than these.

¹⁶They came to Balaam and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Please do not let yourself be held back from coming to me;

¹⁷for I will surely honor you exceedingly, and all that you say to me I will do; so come, please, curse this people for me.

¹⁸Balaam answered and said to the slaves of Balak, If Balak were to give me the fullness of his house, silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the mouth of Yahweh my God, to do something small or great.

¹⁹And now, please dwell here tonight, you also, so that I may know what more Yahweh will speak with me.

²⁰God came to Balaam by night and said to him, If the men have come to summon you, rise, go with them; but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall do.

²¹Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his female donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.

²²The anger of God burned because he was going, and the messenger of Yahweh took his stand in the road as an adversary to him; and he was riding on his female donkey, and his two boys were with him.

²³The female donkey saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and the female donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the female donkey to turn her back onto the road.

²⁴The messenger of Yahweh stood in the narrow way of the vineyards, a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

²⁵The female donkey saw the messenger of Yahweh and squeezed herself against the wall, and squeezed the foot of Balaam against the wall; so he struck her again.

²⁶The messenger of Yahweh went on again, passing ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside to the right or to the left.

²⁷The female donkey saw the messenger of Yahweh and crouched under Balaam; and the anger of Balaam burned, and he struck the female donkey with the stick.

²⁸Yahweh opened the mouth of the female donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?

²⁹Balaam said to the female donkey, Because you have dealt wantonly with me! If only there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.

³⁰The female donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your female donkey, on which you have ridden me all your life until this day? Have I really been in the habit of doing so to you? And he said, No.

³¹Yahweh uncovered the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed low and bowed down on his face.

³²The messenger of Yahweh said to him, Why have you struck your female donkey these three times? Look, I came out as an adversary, for the road rushes headlong before me.

³³The female donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times; unless she had turned aside from before me, by now I would also have killed you and let her live.

³⁴Balaam said to the messenger of Yahweh, I sinned, for I did not know that you were stationed in the way to meet me. And now, if it is displeasing in your eyes, I will turn back.

³⁵The messenger of Yahweh said to Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak. And Balaam went with the officials of Balak.

³⁶Balak heard that Balaam had come, and he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the boundary of the Arnon, which is at the end of the boundary.

³⁷Balak said to Balaam, Did I not urgently send to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?

³⁸Balaam said to Balak, Look, I have come to you; now, am I really able to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I will speak.

³⁹Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.

⁴⁰Balak sacrificed cattle and flock, and he sent to Balaam and to the officials who were with him.

⁴¹In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth Baal, and he saw from there the farthest part of the people.