Balak Summons Balaam
1Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.
2Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.
4The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
7The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
8“Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’ ”
12But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
13The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
14So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16They came to Balaam and said:
“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”
18But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. 19Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.”
20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Balaam’s Donkey
21Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
24Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.
26Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
32The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.22:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain. 33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
34Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
35The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?”
38“Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.”
39Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him. 41The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
摩押王召巴蘭
1以色列人繼續前行，抵達約旦河東岸的摩押平原，在耶利哥對面安營。 2西撥的兒子摩押王巴勒及其人民得知以色列人殺敗了亞摩利人， 3又見他們人多勢眾，都驚恐萬狀， 4對米甸的長老說：「這群人將吞掉我們周圍的一切，如同牛吃光田間的草一樣。」那時，西撥的兒子巴勒做摩押王。 5他差遣使者到幼發拉底河附近的毗奪——比珥的兒子巴蘭的家鄉，去召巴蘭。他讓使者帶去的信息是：「有一個民族從埃及鋪天蓋地而來，就住在我對面。 6他們比我強大，求你為我咒詛他們。這樣，我也許就能擊敗他們，把他們趕走。我知道你祝福誰，誰就蒙福；你咒詛誰，誰就遭禍。」
7摩押和米甸的長老們帶著占卜的禮金去見巴蘭，把巴勒的話轉告他。 8巴蘭說：「你們今夜住在這裡，我必照耶和華的旨意回覆你們。」摩押的使臣就在巴蘭那裡住下。 9晚上，上帝來問巴蘭：「住在你這裡的是誰？」 10巴蘭回答說：「他們是摩押王西撥的兒子巴勒派來的使臣， 11前來告訴我說，『有一個民族從埃及鋪天蓋地而來。請你去咒詛那民族，這樣巴勒王或許能擊敗他們，把他們趕走。』」 12上帝對巴蘭說：「你不可跟他們去，也不可咒詛那民族，因為那民族是蒙福的。」
13第二天清早，巴蘭對巴勒的使臣說：「你們回去吧，耶和華不准我跟你們去。」 14摩押的使臣回去對巴勒說：「巴蘭不肯跟我們來。」 15巴勒又派去更多、更尊貴的使臣。 16他們到了巴蘭那裡，對他說：「西撥的兒子巴勒請你務必去一趟， 17他必有重賞。你要什麼都可以，只求你去為他咒詛那民族。」 18巴蘭回答說：「巴勒就是把他滿屋的金銀都給我，我也不能在任何事上違背我的上帝耶和華的命令。 19你們可以在這裡過夜，看看耶和華對我還有什麼吩咐。」 20當夜，上帝來對巴蘭說：「這些人既然來請你，你就跟他們去吧，但你只可照我說的做。」 21巴蘭清早起來，備好驢，跟摩押的使臣去了。
上帝攔阻巴蘭
22巴蘭這一去，激怒了上帝。巴蘭騎著驢，帶著兩個僕人正走在途中，耶和華的天使攔住他的去路。 23驢看見耶和華的天使持刀攔在路上，就離開大路，跑進田間。巴蘭鞭打牠，要牠回到路上。 24耶和華的天使又站在葡萄園之間的一條窄路上，兩邊都是牆。 25驢看見耶和華的天使，就靠著牆邊走，將巴蘭的腳擠傷了。巴蘭又鞭打牠。 26耶和華的天使又走到前面，站在狹窄之處，兩邊都無側身通過的餘地。 27驢看見耶和華的天使，就臥在地上，巴蘭大怒，便用杖打牠。 28耶和華使驢開口對巴蘭說：「我做錯了什麼，你竟打我三次！」 29巴蘭說：「因為你戲弄我。如果我手中有刀，早就把你宰了！」 30驢對巴蘭說：「我是你從小就騎的驢，我可曾這樣對你？」巴蘭說：「沒有。」
31那時，耶和華開了巴蘭的眼，他才看見耶和華的天使持刀攔在路上，便俯伏在地。 32耶和華的天使對他說：「你為何三次打你的驢？我特意來阻擋你，因為你走的路在我眼中是邪路。 33你的驢看見我，一連躲避了三次，驢若沒有躲開，我早已殺了你，只放過驢。」 34巴蘭對耶和華的天使說：「我有罪了，我不知道是你攔在路上。如果你反對我去，我就回去。」 35耶和華的天使說：「跟這些人去吧，但你只許按我的指示說話。」於是，巴蘭跟巴勒的使臣去了。
36巴勒聽見巴蘭來了，就來到邊界盡頭、亞嫩河邊的摩押城迎接他。 37巴勒對巴蘭說：「上次派人請你，你為何不肯來？難道我不能給你重賞嗎？」 38巴蘭說：「現在我已經來了，但我不能隨便發言，只能按上帝的指示說話。」 39巴蘭和巴勒一同來到基列·胡瑣。 40巴勒宰牛殺羊賞給巴蘭和隨行的臣僕。 41次日清晨，巴勒領巴蘭上到巴力巴末22·41 「巴力巴末」希伯來文是「巴力的高崗」之意。，從那裡可以看到一部分以色列人。
