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.
1 The Israelites moved and set up camp across from Jericho. They were on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River.2 Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.3 The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Also, the Moabites did not like these people.4 So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian: »All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way cattle eat up the grass in a field. At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab.«5 He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balaks message was: »A nation has just come here from Egypt. They have spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me.6 »They outnumber us, so please come and put a curse on them for me. Then maybe we will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. I know that when you pronounce a blessing, people are blessed, and when you pronounce a curse, they are placed under a curse.«7 The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took money with them to pay for Balaams services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.8 »Spend the night here,« Balaam said to them, »and I will report to you what Jehovah tells me.« So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.9 God came to Balaam and asked: »Who are these men with you?«10 Balaam answered: »Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, sent them with this message:11 »Some people came from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I will be able to fight them and force them out.«12 God said to Balaam: »Do not go with them! Do not curse these people. They are blessed!«13 When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balaks princes: »Go back to your own country. Jehovah has refused to let me go with you.«14 The Moabite princes went back to Balak and said: »Balaam refused to come with us.«15 Balak sent a larger group of more highly respected princes.16 When they came to Balaam they said to him: »This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me.17 »I will make sure you are richly rewarded. I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse execrate these people for me.«18 Balaam answered Balaks servants: »Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not disobey the command of Jehovah my God no matter whether the request was important or not.19 »Now, please stay here tonight, as the others did, and I will find out what else Jehovah may have to tell me.«20 That night God came to Balaam and said: »If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.«21 Balaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey and left with the Moabite princes.22 God became angry that he was going. So the angel of Jehovah stood in the road to stop him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants.23 The donkey saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the road with his sword drawn. The donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get it back on the road.24 Where the road went through the vineyards, it was narrow, with stonewalls on both sides. Now the angel of Jehovah stood there.25 The donkey saw the angel and it moved over against the wall and crushed Balaams foot against it. Again Balaam beat the donkey.26 Once more the angel moved ahead. He stood in a narrow place where there was no room at all to pass on either side.27 This time, when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down. Balaam lost his temper and began to beat the donkey with his stick.28 Jehovah gave the donkey the power of speech. The donkey said to Balaam: »What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me these three times?«29 Balaam answered: »It is because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you.«30 The donkey replied: »Am I not the same donkey on which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever treated you like this before?« »No,« he answered.31 Then Jehovah let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword. Balaam threw himself face down on the ground.32 The angel demanded: »Why have you beaten your donkey three times like this? I have come to bar your way, because you should not be making this journey.33 »But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it had not, I would have killed you and spared the donkey.«34 Balaam replied: »I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you think it is wrong for me to go on I will return home.«35 But the angel said: »Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.« Thus Balaam went on with them.36 Balak heard that Balaam was coming. He went to meet him at Ar, a city on the Arnon River at the border of Moab.37 Balak said to him: »Why did you not come when I sent for you the first time? Did you think I was not able to reward you enough?«38 Balaam answered: »I am here now. But now, what power do I have? I can say only what God tells me to say.«39 Balaam went with Balak to the town of Huzoth.40 Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, from where Balaam could see a part of the people of Israel.