Numbers:22-24

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* And the children of Israel set forward , and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho . * And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites . * And Moab was sore afraid of the people , because they were many : and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel . * And Moab said unto the elders of Midian , Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us , as the ox licketh up the grass of the field . And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time . * He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor , which is by the river of the land of the children of his people , to call him , saying , Behold , there is a people come out from Egypt : behold , they cover the face of the earth , and they abide over against me : * Come now therefore , I pray thee , curse me this people ; for they are too mighty for me : peradventure I shall prevail , that we may smite them , and that I may drive them out of the land : for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed , and he whom thou cursest is cursed . * And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand ; and they came unto Balaam , and spake unto him the words of Balak . * And he said unto them , Lodge here this night , and I will bring you word again , as the LORD shall speak unto me : and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam . * And God came unto Balaam , and said , What men are these with thee ? * And Balaam said unto God , Balak the son of Zippor , king of Moab , hath sent unto me , saying , * Behold , there is a people come out of Egypt , which covereth the face of the earth : come now , curse me them ; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them , and drive them out . * And God said unto Balaam , Thou shalt not go with them ; thou shalt not curse the people : for they are blessed . * And Balaam rose up in the morning , and said unto the princes of Balak , Get you into your land : for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you . * And the princes of Moab rose up , and they went unto Balak , and said , Balaam refuseth to come with us . * And Balak sent yet again princes , more , and more honourable than they . * And they came to Balaam , and said to him , Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor , Let nothing , I pray thee , hinder thee from coming unto me : * For I will promote thee unto very great honour , and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me : come therefore , I pray thee , curse me this people . * And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak , If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold , I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God , to do less or more . * Now therefore , I pray you , tarry ye also here this night , that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more . * And God came unto Balaam at night , and said unto him , If the men come to call thee , rise up , and go with them ; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee , that shalt thou do . * And Balaam rose up in the morning , and saddled his ass , and went with the princes of Moab . * And God 's anger was kindled because he went : and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him . Now he was riding upon his ass , and his two servants were with him . * And the ass saw the angel of the LORD 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 . * But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards , a wall being on this side , and a wall on that side . * And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD , she thrust herself unto the wall , and crushed Balaam 's foot against the wall : and he smote her again . * And the angel of the LORD went further , and stood in a narrow place , where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left . * And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD , she fell down under Balaam : and Balaam 's anger was kindled , and he smote the ass with a staff . * And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass , and she said unto Balaam , What have I done unto thee , that thou hast smitten me these three times ? * And Balaam said unto the ass , Because thou hast mocked me : I would there were a sword in mine hand , for now would I kill thee . * And the ass said unto Balaam , Am not I thine ass , upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day ? was I ever wont to do so unto thee ? And he said , Nay . * Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam , and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way , and his sword drawn in his hand : and he bowed down his head , and fell flat on his face . * And the angel of the LORD said unto him , Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times ? behold , I went out to withstand thee , because thy way is perverse before me : * And the ass saw me , and turned from me these three times : unless she had turned from me , surely now also I had slain thee , and saved her alive . * And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD , I have sinned ; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me : now therefore , if it displease thee , I will get me back again . * And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam , Go with the men : but only the word that I shall speak unto thee , that thou shalt speak . So Balaam went with the princes of Balak . * And when Balak heard that Balaam was come , he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab , which is in the border of Arnon , which is in the utmost coast . * And Balak said unto Balaam , Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee ? wherefore camest thou not unto me ? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour ? * And Balaam said unto Balak , Lo , I am come unto thee : have I now any power at all to say any thing ? the word that God putteth in my mouth , that shall I speak . * And Balaam went with Balak , and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth . * And Balak offered oxen and sheep , and sent to Balaam , and to the princes that were with him . * And it came to pass on the morrow , that Balak took Balaam , and brought him up into the high places of Baal , that thence he might see the utmost part of the people . * And Balaam said unto Balak , Build me here seven altars , and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams . * And Balak did as Balaam had spoken ; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram . * And Balaam said unto Balak , Stand by thy burnt offering , and I will go : peradventure the LORD will come to meet me : and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee . And he went to an high place . * And God met Balaam : and he said unto him , I have prepared seven altars , and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram . * And the LORD put a word in Balaam 's mouth , and said , Return unto Balak , and thus thou shalt speak . * And he returned unto him , and , lo , he stood by his burnt sacrifice , he , and all the princes of Moab . * And he took up his parable , and said , Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram , out of the mountains of the east , saying , Come , curse me Jacob , and come , defy Israel . * How shall I curse , whom God hath not cursed ? or how shall I defy , whom the LORD hath not defied ? * For from the top of the rocks I see him , and from the hills I behold him : lo , the people shall dwell alone , and shall not be reckoned among the nations . * Who can count the dust of Jacob , and the number of the fourth part of Israel ? Let me die the death of the righteous , and let my last end be like his ! * And Balak said unto Balaam , What hast thou done unto me ? I took thee to curse mine enemies , and , behold , thou hast blessed them altogether . * And he answered and said , Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth ? * And Balak said unto him , Come , I pray thee , with me unto another place , from whence thou mayest see them : thou shalt see but the utmost part of them , and shalt not see them all : and curse me them from thence . * And he brought him into the field of Zophim , to the top of Pisgah , and built seven altars , and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar . * And he said unto Balak , Stand here by thy burnt offering , while I meet the LORD yonder . * And the LORD met Balaam , and put a word in his mouth , and said , Go again unto Balak , and say thus . * And when he came to him , behold , he stood by his burnt offering , and the princes of Moab with him . And Balak said unto him , What hath the LORD spoken ? * And he took up his parable , and said , Rise up , Balak , and hear ; hearken unto me , thou son of Zippor : * God is not a man , that he should lie ; neither the son of man , that he should repent : hath he said , and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken , and shall he not make it good ? * Behold , I have received commandment to bless : and he hath blessed ; and I cannot reverse it . * He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob , neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel : the LORD his God is with him , and the shout of a king is among them . * God brought them out of Egypt ; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn . * Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob , neither is there any divination against Israel : according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel , What hath God wrought ! * Behold , the people shall rise up as a great lion , and lift up himself as a young lion : he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey , and drink the blood of the slain . * And Balak said unto Balaam , Neither curse them at all , nor bless them at all . * But Balaam answered and said unto Balak , Told not I thee , saying , All that the LORD speaketh , that I must do ? * And Balak said unto Balaam , Come , I pray thee , I will bring thee unto another place ; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence . * And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor , that looketh toward Jeshimon . * And Balaam said unto Balak , Build me here seven altars , and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams . * And Balak did as Balaam had said , and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar . * And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel , he went not , as at other times , to seek for enchantments , but he set his face toward the wilderness . * And Balaam lifted up his eyes , and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes ; and the spirit of God came upon him . * And he took up his parable , and said , Balaam the son of Beor hath said , and the man whose eyes are open hath said : * He hath said , which heard the words of God , which saw the vision of the Almighty , falling into a trance , but having his eyes open : * How goodly are thy tents , O Jacob , and thy tabernacles , O Israel ! * As the valleys are they spread forth , as gardens by the river 's side , as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted , and as cedar trees beside the waters . * He shall pour the water out of his buckets , and his seed shall be in many waters , and his king shall be higher than Agag , and his kingdom shall be exalted . * God brought him forth out of Egypt ; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn : he shall eat up the nations his enemies , and shall break their bones , and pierce them through with his arrows . * He couched , he lay down as a lion , and as a great lion : who shall stir him up ? Blessed is he that blesseth thee , and cursed is he that curseth thee . * And Balak 's anger was kindled against Balaam , and he smote his hands together : and Balak said unto Balaam , I called thee to curse mine enemies , and , behold , thou hast altogether blessed them these three times . * Therefore now flee thou to thy place : I thought to promote thee unto great honour ; but , lo , the LORD hath kept thee back from honour . * And Balaam said unto Balak , Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me , saying , * If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold , I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD , to do either good or bad of mine own mind ; but what the LORD saith , that will I speak ? * And now , behold , I go unto my people : come therefore , and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days . * And he took up his parable , and said , Balaam the son of Beor hath said , and the man whose eyes are open hath said : * He hath said , which heard the words of God , and knew the knowledge of the most High , which saw the vision of the Almighty , falling into a trance , but having his eyes open : * I shall see him , but not now : I shall behold him , but not nigh : there shall come a Star out of Jacob , and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel , and shall smite the corners of Moab , and destroy all the children of Sheth . * And Edom shall be a possession , Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies ; and Israel shall do valiantly . * Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion , and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city . * And when he looked on Amalek , he took up his parable , and said , Amalek was the first of the nations ; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever . * And he looked on the Kenites , and took up his parable , and said , Strong is thy dwellingplace , and thou puttest thy nest in a rock . * Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted , until Asshur shall carry thee away captive . * And he took up his parable , and said , Alas , who shall live when God doeth this ! * And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim , and shall afflict Asshur , and shall afflict Eber , and he also shall perish for ever . * And Balaam rose up , and went and returned to his place : and Balak also went his way . * And Israel abode in Shittim , and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab .

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