■ Balak's first Message for Balaam is refused: 15 His fecond obtaineth him: 22 An Angel would have flain him, if bis Afs had not faved him : 36 Balak entertaineth him.

Ver. I

A

Jericho.

ND the Children

of Ifrael fet forward, and pitched in the Plains of Moab on this Side Jordan by

2 And Balak the Son of Zippor faw all that Ifrael had done to the Amorites.

3 And Moab was fore afraid of the People, because they were many: and Moab was distressed, because of the Children of Ifrael.

4 And Moab faid unto the Elders of Midian, Now shall this Company lick up all that are round about us, as the Ox licketh up the Grafs of the Field. And Balak the Son of Zippor was King of the Moabites at that Time.

5 He sent Meflengers therefore unto Balaam the Son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River of the Land of the Children of his People, to call him, faying, Behold, there is a People come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the Face of the Earth, and they abide over against me.

6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this People, for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the Land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest, is blessed, and he whom thou cursest, is cursed.

7 And the Elders of Moab, and the Elders of Midian departed, with the Rewards of Divination in their Hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the Words of Balak.

8 And he faid unto them, Lodge here this Night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: And the Princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

9 And God came unto Balaam, and faid, What Men are these with thee?

10 And Balaam faid unto God, Balak the Son of Zippor, King of Moab, hath fent unto me, faying,

11 Behold, there is a People come out of Egypt, which covereth the Face of the Earth: Come now, curse me them; peradperadventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them

out.

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, thou shalt not curse the People: for they are bleffed.

13 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.

14 And the Princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and faid, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15 And Balak sent yet again Princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and faid to him, Thus faith Balak the Son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me :

17 For I will promote thee unto very great Honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: Come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

18 And Balaam answered and faid 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 God, to do less or more.

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this Night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me

more.

20 And God came unto Balaam at Night, and faid unto him, If the Men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the Word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

21 And Balaam rose up in the Morning, and faddled his Ass, and went with the Princes of Moab.

22 And GOD'S Anger was kindled, because he went: and the Angel of the LORD stood in the Way for an Adverfary against him: Now he was riding upon his Afs, and his two Servants were with him.

23 And the Ass saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the Way, and his Sword drawn in his Hand: and the Afs turned afide out of the Way, and went into the Field : and Balaam smote the Afs to turn her into the Way.

24 But the Angel of the Lord stood in 'a Path of the Vineyards, a Wall being on this Side, and a Wall on that Side.

25 And when the Ass faw the Angel of the LORD, she thruft

2

thrust herself unto the Wall, and crusht Balaam's Foot against the Wall: and he smote her again.

26 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.

27 And when the Ass saw the Angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's Anger was kindled, and he smote the Afs with a Staff.

28 And the LORD opened the Mouth of the Ass, and she faid unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three Times ?

29 And Balaam said unto the Afs, Because thou haft mocked me: I would there were a Sword in mine Hand, for now would I kill thee.

30 u And the Ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine Afs, upon which thou hast ridden ever fince I was thine, unto this Day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he faid, Nay.

2 Pet. ii. 15 Following the Way of Balaam the Son of Bozor, who loved the WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUS

NESS;

16 But was rebuked for his Iniquity: the dumb Ass speaking with Man's Voice, forbad the Madness of the Prophet.

31 Then the Lord opened the Eyes of Balaam, and he faw the Angel of the Lord standing in the Way, and his Sword drawn in his Hand: and he bowed down his Head, and fell flat on his Face.

32 And the Angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore haft thou smitten thine Afs these three Times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy Way is perverse before me.

33 And the Ass saw me, and turned from me these three Times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had flain thee, and faved her alive.

34 And Balaam faid unto the Angel of the Lord, I have finned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the Way againft me: now therefore if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

35 And the Angel of the Lord faid 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.

36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him, unto a City of Moab, which is in the Border of Arnon, which is in the utmost Coast.

:

37 And

37 And Balak faid unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? Wherefore camest thou not unto me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to Honour ?

38 And Balaam faid unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any Power at all to say any thing? the Word that God putteth in my Mouth, that shall I speak.

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath-Huzoth.

40 And Balak offered Oxen and Sheep, and fent to Balaam, and to the Princes that were with him.

41 And it came to pass on the Morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high Places of Baal, that thence he might fee the utmost part of the People.

CHAP. XXIII.

1, 13, 28 Balak's Sacrifice. 7, 18 Balaam's Parable.

Ver. 13 A

ND Balak faid unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another Place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost Part of them, and shalt not fee them all: and curse me them from thence.

14 And he brought him into the Field of Zophim, to the Top of Pisgah, and built seven Altars, and offered a Bullock and a Ram on every Altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy Burntoffering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a Word in his Mouth, and faid, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his Burnt-offering, and the Princes of Moab with him. And Balak faid unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?

18 And he took up his Parable, and faid, Rise up Balak, and hear; hearken unto me thou Son of Zippor:

19 GOD is not a Man, that he should lie, neither the Son of Man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received Commandment to bless; and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen Perverseness in Israel, the LORD his GOD is with him, and the Shout of a King is among them.

Ee

22 GOD

22 GOD brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the Strength of an Unicorn.

23 Surely there is no Enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any Divination against Ifrael: according to this Time it shall be faid of Jacob, and of Ifrael, What hath God wrought?

24 Behold the People shall rise up as a great Lion, and lift up himself as a young Lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the Prey, and drink the Blood of the flain.

25 And Balak faid unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must

do?

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another Place; peradventure it will please God, that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the Top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

29 And Balaam faid unto Balak, Build me here seven Altars, and prepare me here seven Bullocks and seven Rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a Bullock and a Ram on every Altar.

Vers A

CHAP. XXIV.

Balaam prophesieth Ifrael's Happiness.

NDwhen Balaam Micah vi. 3 O my People, what have I done unto thee, and wherein faw that it pleased have I wearied thee? teftify againft the LORD to bless Ifrael, he ine. went not as at other Times, to feck for Enchantments, but he fet his Face toward the Wilderness.

2 And Balaam lift up his Eyes, and he saw Ifrael abiding in his Tents according to their Tribes, and the Spirit of God came upon him.

4 For I brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt, and REDEEMED thee out of the House of Servants, and I fent before thee Moses, AARON, and

MIRIAM.

sO my People, remember now

what BALAK King of Moab confulted, and what BALAAM the Son of Beor

answered him from Shittim unto Gil

that may know the R

OUSNESS of the LORD.

3 And he took up his Parable, and faid, Balaam the Son of Beor hath faid, and the Man whose Eyes are open hath faid: