1 Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho.
King Balak of Moab Hires Balaam To Curse Israel
2-3 When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked. 4 They said to the Midianite leaders, “That huge mob of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field.”
So King Balak 5 sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said:
I need your help. A large group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory. 6 They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.
7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord's answer.” So the officials stayed at his house.
9 During the night, God asked Balaam, “Who are these people at your house?”
10 “They are messengers from King Balak of Moab,” Balaam answered. “He sent them 11 to ask me to go to Moab and put a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off.”
12 But God replied, “Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them.”
13 The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, “Go on back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”
14 The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.
15 Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones. 16 They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, “Balaam, if you come to Moab, 17 I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people.”
18 Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the Lord my God. 19 You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the Lord has something else to say about this.”
20 That night, God said, “Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say.”
21 So Balaam got up the next morning and saddled his donkey, then left with the Moabite officials.
Balaam and His Donkey Meet an Angel
22 Balaam was riding his donkey to Moab, and two of his servants were with him. But God was angry that Balaam had gone, so one of the Lord's angels stood in the road to stop him. 23 When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel, it walked so close to one of the walls that Balaam's foot scraped against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey again.
26 The angel moved once more and stood in a spot so narrow that there was no room for the donkey to go around. 27 So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and whacked the donkey.
28 When that happened, the Lord told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done that made you beat me three times?”
29 “You made me look stupid!” Balaam answered. “If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!”
30 “But you're my owner,” answered the donkey, “and you've ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?”
“No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Just then, the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.
32 The angel said, “You had no right to treat your donkey like that! I was the one who blocked your way, because I don't think you should go to Moab. 33 If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”
34 Balaam replied, “I was wrong. I didn't know you were trying to stop me. If you don't think I should go, I'll return home at once.”
35 “It's all right for you to go,” the Lord's angel answered. “But you must say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak's officials.
King Balak Meets Balaam
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went to meet him at the town of Ir on the Arnon River, which is the northern border of Moab. 37 Balak asked, “Why didn't you come when I invited you the first time? Did you think I wasn't going to pay you?”
38 “I'm here now,” Balaam answered. “But I will say only what God tells me to say.”
39 They left and went to the town of Kiriath-Huzoth, 40 where Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.
41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam to the town of Bamoth-Baal. From there, Balaam could see some of the Israelites.
Bālāks aicina Bileāmu nolādēt Israēlu
1 Israēla dēli devās ceļā un apmetās Moāba klajumos pretī Jardānai Jērikā.
2 Un Bālāks, Ciporas dēls, redzēja visu, ko Israēls darīja amoriešiem. 3 Un moābieši jo trīcēja no tās tautas, tādēļ ka viņu bija daudz, moābieši drebēja no Israēla dēliem. 4 Un moābieši teica Midjāna vecajiem: “Tagad šis pulks noēd visu mums apkārt kā vērsis zāli!” Bālāks, Ciporas dēls, tajā laikā bija Moāba ķēniņš. 5 Un viņš sūtīja vēstnešus pie Bileāma, Beora dēla, uz Petoru, kas pie upes, uz viņa zemi, un lika viņu aicināt: “Redzi, no Ēģiptes ir iznākusi tauta, tā klāj visu zemi, tie stāv man tieši pretī. 6 Un tagad, nāc jel, nolādi man to tautu, jo tā ir stiprāka par mani, varbūt es vēl varēšu sakaut to un izdeldēt no zemes virsas. Es zinu – ko tu svētī, tas ir svētīts, un, ko tu nolādi, tas ir nolādēts!” 7 Tad Moāba vecajie un Midjāna vecajie gāja, tiem bija dāvanas pareģim, tie atnāca pie Bileāma un teica tam, ko Bālāks bija sacījis. 8 Un viņš teica tiem: “Pārlaidiet šo nakti te, tad es jums pastāstīšu, ko Kungs man teiks.” Tad Moāba augstmaņi palika pie Bileāma. 9 Un Dievs nāca pie Bileāma un teica: “Kas ir šie vīri pie tevis?” 10 Bileāms Dievam teica: “Moāba ķēniņš Bālāks, Ciporas dēls, sūtīja tos pie manis, sacīdams: 11 redzi, tā tauta, kas iznāca no Ēģiptes, nu klāj visu zemi – nāc tagad un nolādi tos man, varbūt es vēl varu ar tiem cīnīties un tos padzīt.” 12 Un Dievs teica Bileāmam: “Neej kopā ar viņiem, nenolādi šo tautu, jo tā ir svētīta!” 13 Tad Bileāms cēlās agri no rīta un teica Bālāka augstmaņiem: “Dodieties atpakaļ uz savu zemi, jo Kungs man aizliedza iet jums līdzi!” 14 Moāba augstmaņi cēlās, devās pie Bālāka un teica: “Bileāms atteicās nākt mums līdzi!”
15 Tad Bālāks atkal sūtīja augstmaņus – vairāk un godājamākus nekā pirmoreiz. 16 Tie atnāca pie Bileāma un teica viņam: “Tā saka Bālāks, Ciporas dēls: neliedzies nākt pie manis, 17 jo es tevi jo dāsni pagodināšu, ko tu man teiksi, to es darīšu, tikai nāc jel, nolādi man šo tautu!” 18 Bet Bileāms atbildēja un teica Bālāka kalpiem: “Ja Bālāks man dotu pilnu savu namu ar sudrabu un zeltu, vienalga, es nevaru pārkāpt Kunga, sava Dieva, pavēli, darīdams tā vai citādi. 19 Un tagad – pārlaidiet te arī šo nakti, tad es zināšu, ko vēl Kungs man teiks.” 20 Un Dievs nāca pie Bileāma naktī un teica viņam: “Ja šie vīri, kas atnākuši, sauks tevi, tad celies un ej kopā ar tiem – taču dari to, ko es tev teikšu!” 21 Tad Bileāms cēlās no rīta, apsegloja savu ēzeļmāti un gāja kopā ar Moāba augstmaņiem.
Bileāms, ēzeļmāte un Kunga eņģelis
22 Bet Dieva dusmas iedegās par to, ka viņš tomēr bija gājis, un ceļā viņam pretī stājās Kunga eņģelis; bet viņš tikām jāja uz ēzeļmātes un divi puiši bija kopā ar viņu. 23 Ēzeļmāte redzēja Kunga eņģeli stāvam ceļā, un tam rokā bija atkailināts zobens, un ēzeļmāte nogriezās no ceļa un devās uz lauku, bet Bileāms sita ēzeļmāti, lai dabūtu to atpakaļ uz ceļa. 24 Tad Kunga eņģelis nostājās takā starp vīnadārziem – mūris bija vienā pusē un mūris – otrā pusē. 25 Un, kad ēzeļmāte redzēja Kunga eņģeli, tā piespiedās sienai un piespieda pie sienas Bileāma kāju, un viņš atkal to sita. 26 Tad Kunga eņģelis atkal pārgāja uz citurieni un nostājās šaurā vietā, kur ceļš neļāva nogriezties ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi. 27 Un ēzeļmāte redzēja Kunga eņģeli un nogūlās zem Bileāma, tad Bileāms iedegās dusmās un sita ēzeļmāti ar nūju. 28 Un Kungs atdarīja ēzeļmātes muti, un tā teica Bileāmam: “Ko es tev esmu nodarījusi, ka tu mani siti trīs reizes?!” 29 Bileāms teica ēzeļmātei: “Tāpēc, ka tu ņirgājies par mani! Ja man būtu rokā zobens, es tevi nokautu!” 30 Un ēzeļmāte teica Bileāmam: “Vai tad es neesmu tava ēzeļmāte, uz kuras tu visu laiku jāji līdz pat šai dienai? Vai tad es jau kādu citu reizi esmu mēģinājusi tev tā darīt?!” Un viņš teica: “Nē!” 31 Tad Kungs atdarīja Bileāma acis, un viņš redzēja ceļā stāvam Kunga eņģeli ar atkailinātu zobenu rokā – viņš zemojās un noliecās uz sava vaiga. 32 Un Kunga eņģelis viņam teica: “Kādēļ tu siti savu ēzeļmāti trīs reizes? Redzi, es esmu nācis, lai stātos tev pretī, jo tavs ceļš man šķiet pazudinošs! 33 Tava ēzeļmāte mani redzēja un nogriezās trīs reizes, ja viņa nebūtu nogriezusies, tad es tevi būtu nokāvis, bet viņu atstājis dzīvu!” 34 Tad Bileāms teica Kunga eņģelim: “Es esmu grēkojis, es nezināju, ka tu esi nostājies ceļā manā priekšā, un tagad – ja tas tev šķiet slikti, es iešu atpakaļ!” 35 Un Kunga eņģelis teica Bileāmam: “Ej vien kopā ar tiem vīriem, bet saki tikai to, ko es tev teikšu!” Un Bileāms gāja kopā ar Bālāka augstmaņiem.
36 Kad Bālāks izdzirdēja, ka Bileāms atnācis, viņš izgāja tam pretī pie Moāba pilsētas, kas pie Arnonas robežas pašā robežmalā. 37 Un Bālāks teica Bileāmam: “Es taču saucu pēc tevis, lai tevi aicina! Kāpēc tu nenāci pie manis?! Vai es nebūtu spējīgs tevi pagodināt?” 38 Un Bileāms teica Bālākam: “Redzi, tagad es esmu atnācis pie tevis! Vai tad es pats izlemju kādu lietu? Ko Dievs liek man mutē, to es saku!” 39 Un Bileāms gāja kopā ar Bālāku, un viņi nonāca Kirjat-Hucotā. 40 Un Bālāks kāva vēršus un avis un deva Bileāmam un augstmaņiem, kas bija ar viņu. 41 Tad no rīta Bālāks ņēma līdzi Bileāmu un uzveda Bāmot-Baālā, un viņš no turienes redzēja daļu tautas.
