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Numbers 22:1-41 — Balak Summons Balaam

Num.22.1-41

¹Then the sons of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho . ²Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³Moab was greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous, and Moab was filled with dread because of the sons of Israel. ⁴So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ⁵He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the River , in the land of his kinsmen, to summon him, saying, "Look, a people has come out of Egypt. Look, it covers the face of the land and is settled opposite me. ⁶So now, please come and curse this people for me, because it is stronger than I am. Perhaps I may be able to strike it down and drive it out of the land. For I know that the one you bless is blessed, and the one you curse is cursed." ⁷So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went, with divination fees in their hands, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸He said to them, “Stay here tonight, and I will bring you word again as the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” ¹⁰Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me: ¹¹“Look, the people that came out of Egypt has covered the face of the land. Now come, curse it for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against it and drive it out.” ¹²But God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for it is blessed.” ¹³So Balaam got up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” ¹⁴Then the princes of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam has refused to go with us.” ¹⁵Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honored than these. ¹⁶They came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Please do not let anything keep you from coming to me, ¹⁷for I will greatly honor you, and I will do whatever you say to me. So please come and curse this people for me." ¹⁸But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do either small or great. ¹⁹Now then, please stay here tonight, you also, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me." ²⁰God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall do.” ²¹So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. ²²But God's anger burned because he was going, and the Angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³The donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. Then Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road. ²⁴Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pressed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her again. ²⁶Then the Angel of the LORD went on farther and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. ²⁷When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. ²⁸Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” ²⁹Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” ³⁰Then the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.” ³¹Then the LORD uncovered Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. ³²The Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is reckless before me. ³³The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from before me, surely by now I would have killed you and let her live." ³⁴Then Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” ³⁵But the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. ³⁶When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab that is on the border of the Arnon, at the edge of the territory. ³⁷Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?” ³⁸Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have now come to you. But am I really able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I will speak.” ³⁹So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. ⁴⁰Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent portions to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. ⁴¹And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal , and from there he saw the outer edge of the people.

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4/11/2026

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