AND the children of Yashar'el set forward, and pitched in the plains of Mo'av on this side of the Yardan by Yeriycho.
And Balaq the son of Tsippor saw את all that Yashar'el had done to the Emoriym.
And Mo'av was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Mo'av was distressed because of the children of Yashar'el.
And Mo'av said unto the elders of Midyan, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up את the grass of the field. And Balaq the son of Tsippor was king of the Mo'aviym at that time.
He sent messengers therefore unto Bil'am the son of Be'or 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 Mitsrayim: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
Come now therefore, I pray you, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: perchance I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he את whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.
And the elders of Mo'av and the elders of Midyan departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Bil'am, and spoke unto him the words of Balaq.
And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahuah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Mo'av abode with Bil'am.
And Elohiym came unto Bil'am, and said, What men are these with you?
And Bil'am said unto Elohiym, Balaq the son of Tsippor, king of Mo'av, has sent unto me, saying,
Behold, there is a people come out of Mitsrayim, which covers the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; perchance I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
And Elohiym said unto Bil'am, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people: for they are blessed.
And Bil'am rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balaq, Get you into your land: for Yahuah refuses to give me leave to go with you.
And the princes of Mo'av rose up, and they went unto Balaq, and said, Bil'am refuses to come with us.
And Balaq sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
And they came to Bil'am, and said to him, Thus says Balaq the son of Tsippor, Let nothing, I pray you, hinder you from coming unto me:
For I will promote you unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever you say unto me: come therefore, I pray you, curse me את this people.
And Bil'am answered and said unto the servants of Balaq, If Balaq would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the Word of Yahuah Elohai, to do less or more.
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Yahuah will say unto me more.
And Elohiym came unto Bil'am at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call you, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto you, that shall you do.
And Bil'am rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Mo'av.
And Elohiym's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of Yahuah 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 Yahuah 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 Bil'am smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
But the angel of Yahuah 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 Yahuah, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Bil'am's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
And the angel of Yahuah 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 Yahuah, she fell down under Bil'am: and Bil'am's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
And Yahuah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Bil'am, What have I done unto you, that you have smitten me these three times?
And Bil'am said unto the ass, Because you have mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill you.
And the ass said unto Bil'am, Am not I your ass, upon which you have ridden ever since I was yours unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto you? And he said, Nay.
Then Yahuah opened the eyes of Bil'am, and he saw the angel of Yahuah 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 Yahuah said unto him, Wherefore have you smitten your ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand you, because your 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 you, and saved her alive.
And Bil'am said unto the angel of Yahuah, I have sinned; for I knew not that you stood in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease you, I will get me back again.
And the angel of Yahuah said unto Bil'am, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto you, that you shall speak. So Bil'am went with the princes of Balaq.
And when Balaq heard that Bil'am was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Mo'av, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
And Balaq said unto Bil'am, Did I not earnestly send unto you to call you? wherefore came you not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?
And Bil'am said unto Balaq, Lo, I am come unto you: have I now any power at all to say anything? the word that Elohiym puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
And Bil'am went with Balaq, and they came unto Qiryat Chutsoth.
And Balaq offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Bil'am, and to the princes that were with him.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balaq took Bil`am, and brought him up into the high places of Ba`al, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.