1 以色列人起行， 在摩押平原安营， 就是在约旦河东边， 耶利哥的对面。 2 以色列人向亚摩利人所行的一切事， 西拨的儿子巴勒都看见了。 3 摩押人十分惧怕这民， 因为他们众多； 摩押人因以色列人的缘故， 十分恐慌。 4 摩押人对米甸的长老说： "现在这群人要吞并我们四周的一切， 好像牛吞吃田间的草一样。"那时西拨的儿子巴勒， 作摩押王； 5 他就派使者到比珥的儿子巴兰那里去， 就是到大河的毗夺， 亚扪人的地那里， 去叫巴兰来， 说： "你看， 有一个民族从埃及出来， 遮满了全地， 如今住在我的对面。 6 现在请你来， 替我咒诅这民， 因为他们比我强盛， 或者我能够击败他们， 把他们从这地赶出去； 因为我知道你给谁祝福， 谁就得福； 你咒诅谁， 谁就受咒诅。" 7 摩押的长老和米甸的长老， 手里带着礼金去了； 他们到了巴兰那里， 把巴勒的话告诉他。 8 巴兰对他们说： "今夜你们留在这里， 我必照着耶和华吩咐我的话答复你们。"于是， 摩押的领袖就与巴兰同住。 9 神来到巴兰那里， 说： "与你在一起的这些人是谁？" 10 巴兰对 神说： "是摩押王西拨的儿子巴勒派到我这里来的人， 他们说： 11 ‘你看， 从埃及出来的民族， 遮满了全地； 现在请你来， 替我咒诅他们， 或者我能够战胜他们， 把他们赶走。’" 12 神对巴兰说： "你不可与他们同去， 也不可咒诅那民， 因为他们是蒙福的。" 13 巴兰早晨起来， 对巴勒的领袖说： "你们回本地去吧， 因为耶和华不准我与你们同去。" 14 摩押的领袖起来， 回到巴勒那里， 说： "巴兰不肯与我们同来。" 15 于是， 巴勒又派比先前更多、更尊贵的领袖去， 16 他们来到巴兰那里， 对他说： "西拨的儿子巴勒这样说： ‘求你不要推辞不到我这里来， 17 因为我必使你大得尊荣； 你向我说什么， 我都照办； 只求你替我咒诅这民。’" 18 巴兰回答巴勒的臣仆说： "巴勒就算把他满屋的金银给我， 但我不论作大事小事， 也不能越过耶和华我 神的命令。 19 现在请你们今夜也住在这里， 等我得知耶和华还要向我说什么。" 20 当夜， 神来到巴兰那里， 对他说： "这些人既然来请你， 你就起程与他们同去， 但是你只要遵行我吩咐你的事。" 21 巴兰早晨起来， 备上驴， 与摩押的领袖一同去了。 22 神因为巴兰去就发怒； 耶和华的使者站在路上敌挡他。那时他骑着驴， 有两个仆人同行。 23 驴看见了耶和华的使者站在路上， 手里拿着拔出来的刀， 就转离正路， 走入田中去； 巴兰就打驴， 要叫它转回路上。 24 耶和华的使者站在葡萄园间的窄路上， 两边都有围墙。 25 驴看见了耶和华的使者， 就紧挤在墙上， 把巴兰的脚挤伤了， 巴兰又打驴。 26 耶和华的使者又往前行， 站在狭窄之处， 左右都没有转身的地方。 27 驴看见了耶和华的使者， 就卧在巴兰身下； 巴兰大怒， 就用自己的杖打驴。 28 耶和华开了驴的口， 驴就对巴兰说： "我向你作了什么， 你竟打我这三次呢？" 29 巴兰对驴说： "因为你作弄我。但愿我手中有刀， 现在就把你杀死。" 30 驴对巴兰说： "我不是你从起初一直所骑的驴吗？我以前曾向你这样行过吗？"巴兰说： "没有。" 31 那时， 耶和华开了巴兰的眼睛， 他就看见耶和华的使者站在路上， 手里拿着拔出来的刀， 巴兰就低头俯伏在地。 32 耶和华的使者对他说： "你为什么这三次打你的驴呢？看哪， 是我来敌挡你， 因为你走的路在我面前邪僻。 33 驴看见了我， 就三次从我面前转开； 驴若是没有从我面前转开， 我早已把你杀了， 而留它活着。" 34 巴兰对耶和华的使者说： "我有罪了， 我不知道是你站在路上阻挡我； 现在你若是不喜欢我去， 我就回去。" 35 耶和华的使者对巴兰说： "你与这些人同去吧， 但是你只要说我吩咐你的话。"于是巴兰与巴勒的领袖一同去了。 36 巴勒听见巴兰来了， 就出去到摩押的京城迎接他； 这城是在亚嫩河旁， 在边界的尽头。 37 巴勒对巴兰说： "我不是急切地派人到你那里去请你吗？你为什么不到我这里来呢？难道我不能使你得尊荣吗？" 38 巴兰对巴勒说： "看哪， 我已经来到你这里， 现在我怎能说什么呢？ 神把什么话放在我口里， 我就说什么。" 39 巴兰与巴勒同行， 来到基列．胡琐。 40 巴勒宰了牛羊， 送给巴兰和与他在一起的领袖。 41 到了早晨， 巴勒带着巴兰上了巴力的高冈； 巴兰就从那里观看以色列民的边界。

1 And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho.2 And Balak son of Zippor seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,3 and Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it [is] numerous; and Moab is vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel,4 and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, `Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.` And Balak son of Zippor [is] king of Moab at that time,5 and he sendeth messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which [is] by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, `Lo, a people hath come out of Egypt; lo, it hath covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding over-against me;6 and now, come, I pray thee, curse for me this people, for it [is] mightier than I; it may be I prevail -- we smite it -- and I cast it out from the land; for I have known -- that which thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.`7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian go, and divinations in their hand, and they come in unto Balaam, and speak unto him the words of Balak,8 and he saith unto them, `Lodge here to-night, and I have brought you back word, as Jehovah speaketh unto me;` and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam.9 And God cometh in unto Balaam, and saith, `Who [are] these men with thee?`10 And Balaam saith unto God, `Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:11 Lo, the people that is coming out from Egypt and covereth the eye of the land, -- now come, pierce it for me; it may be I am able to fight against it, and have cast it out;`12 and God saith unto Balaam, `Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it [is] blessed.`13 And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saith unto the princes of Balak, `Go unto your land, for Jehovah is refusing to suffer me to go with you;`14 and the princes of Moab rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, `Balaam is refusing to come with us.`15 And Balak addeth yet to send princes, more numerous and honoured than these,16 and they come in unto Balaam, and say to him, `Thus said Balak son of Zippor, Be not, I pray thee, withheld from coming unto me,17 for very greatly I honour thee, and all that thou sayest unto me I do; and come, I pray thee, pierce for me this people.`18 And Balaam answereth and saith unto the servants of Balak, `If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah my God, to do a little or a great thing;19 and, now, abide, I pray you, in this [place], you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with me.`20 And God cometh in unto Balaam, by night, and saith to him, `If to call for thee the men have come, rise, go with them, and only the thing which I speak unto thee -- it thou dost do.`21 And Balaam riseth in the morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab,22 and the anger of God burneth because he is going, and a messenger of Jehovah stationeth himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his ass, and two of his servants [are] with him,23 and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.24 And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards -- a wall on this [side] and a wall on that --25 and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and is pressed unto the wall, and presseth Balaam`s foot unto the wall, and he addeth to smite her;26 and the messenger of Jehovah addeth to pass over, and standeth in a strait place where there is no way to turn aside -- right or left --27 and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah, and croucheth under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam burneth, and he smiteth the ass with a staff.28 And Jehovah openeth the mouth of the ass, and she saith to Balaam, `What have I done to thee that thou hast smitten me these three times?`29 and Balaam saith to the ass, `Because thou hast rolled thyself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain thee;`30 and the ass saith unto Balaam, `Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden since [I was] thine unto this day? have I at all been accustomed to do to thee thus?` and he saith, `No.`31 And Jehovah uncovereth the eyes of Balaam, and he seeeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and he boweth and doth obeisance, to his face;32 and the messenger of Jehovah saith unto him, `Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? lo, I -- I have come out for an adversary, for [thy] way hath been perverse before me,33 and the ass seeth me, and turneth aside at my presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from my presence, surely now also, thee I had slain, and her kept alive.`34 And Balaam saith unto the messenger of Jehovah, `I have sinned, for I did not know that thou [art] standing to meet me in the way; and now, if evil in thine eyes -- I turn back by myself.`35 And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Balaam, `Go with the men; and only the word which I speak unto thee -- it thou dost speak;` and Balaam goeth with the princes of Balak.36 And Balak heareth that Balaam hath come, and goeth out to meet him, unto a city of Moab, which [is] on the border of Arnon, which [is] in the extremity of the border;37 and Balak saith unto Balaam, `Did I not diligently sent unto thee to call for thee? why didst thou not come unto me? am I not truly able to honour thee?`38 And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Lo, I have come unto thee; now -- am I at all able to speak anything? the word which God setteth in my mouth -- it I do speak.`39 And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,40 and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who [are] with him;41 and it cometh to pass in the morning, that Balak taketh Balaam, and causeth him to go up the high places of Baal, and he seeth from thence the extremity of the people.