Part 149 (2/2)

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, ”Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.”

And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, ”Balaam refuseth to come with us.”

And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

And they came to Balaam, and said to him, ”Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, 'Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.'”

And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, ”If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my G.o.d, to do less or more. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will speak unto me more.”

And G.o.d came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, ”If the men be come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.”

And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his a.s.s, and went with the princes of Moab. And G.o.d's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his a.s.s, and his two servants were with him. And the a.s.s saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand: {260} and the a.s.s turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the a.s.s, to turn her into the way.

Then the angel of the Lord stood in a hollow place between the vineyards, a fence being on this side, and a fence on that side. And the a.s.s saw the angel of the Lord, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

And the a.s.s saw the angel of the Lord, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the a.s.s with his staff.

And the Lord opened the mouth of the a.s.s, and she said unto Balaam, ”What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”

And Balaam said unto the a.s.s, ”Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now I had killed thee.”

And the a.s.s said unto Balaam, ”Am not I thine a.s.s, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee?”

And he said, ”No.”

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.

And the angel of the Lord said unto him, ”Wherefore {261} hast thou smitten thine a.s.s these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me: and the a.s.s saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.”

And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, ”I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.”

And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, ”Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.”

So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the city of Moab, which is on the border of Arnon.

And Balak said unto Balaam, ”Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore earnest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?”

And Balaam said unto Balak, ”Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that G.o.d putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.”

And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-huzoth. And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. And it came to pa.s.s in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of {262} Baal, and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people.

And Balaam said unto Balak, ”Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.”

And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

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