God

And speaking against God and Moses, they said: Why didst thou bring us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, nor have we any waters: our soul now loatheth this very light food.

Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them.

Upon which they came to Moses, and said; We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And the Lord said to him: Make a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.

Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord: As he did in the Red Sea, so will he do in the streams of Arnon.

When they went from that place, the well appeared whereof the Lord said to Moses: Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

And the Lord said to Moses: Fear him not, for I have delivered him and all his people, and his country into thy hand: and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sehon the king of the Amorrhites, the inhabitant of Hesebon.

He answered: Tarry here this night and I will answer whatsoever the Lord shall say to me. And while they stayed with Balaam, God came and said to him:

What mean these men that are with thee?

He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,

And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.

And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.

Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either more or less.

I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.

God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: If these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.

And God was angry. And an angel of the Lord stood in the way against Balaam, who sat on the ass, and had two servants with him.

The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,

The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.

And the ass seeing him, thrust herself close to the wall, and bruised the foot of the rider. But he beat her again:

And nevertheless the angel going on to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left, stood to meet him.

And when the ass saw the angel standing, she fell under the feet of the rider: who being angry beat her sides more vehemently with a staff.

And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said: What have I done to thee? Why strikest thou me, lo, now this third time?

Forthwith the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way with a drawn sword, and he worshipped him falling flat on the ground.

And the angel said to him: Why beatest thou thy ass these three times? I am come to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse, and contrary to me:

Balaam said: I have sinned, not knowing that thou didst stand against me: and now if it displease thee that I go, I will return.