The Wilderness Years

The ass said: Am not I thy beast, on which thou hast been always accustomed to ride until this present day? tell me if I ever did the like thing to thee. But he said: Never.

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:

And unless the ass had turned out of the way, giving place to me who stood against thee, I had slain thee, and she should have lived.

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.

The angel said: Go with these men, and see thou speak no other thing than what I shall command thee. He went therefore with the princes.

And when Balac heard it he came forth to meet him in a town of the Moabites, that is situate in the uttermost borders of Arnon.

And he said to Balaam: I sent messengers to call thee, why didst thou not come immediately to me? was it because I am not able to reward thy coming?

He answered him: Lo, here I am: shall I have power to speak any other thing but that which God shall put in my mouth?

So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom.

And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people.

And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.

And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar.

And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.

And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram.

And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

Returning he found Balac standing by his burnt offering, with all the princes of the Moabites:

And taking up his parable, he said: Balac king of the Moabites hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, said he, and curse Jacob: make haste and detest Israel.

How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?

I shall see him from the tops of the rocks, and shall consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Who can count the dust of Jacob, and know the number of the stock of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the just, and my last end be like to them.

And Balac said to Balaam: What is this that thou dost? I sent for thee to curse my enemies: and thou contrariwise blessest them.

He answered him: Can I speak any thing else but what the Lord commandeth?

Balac therefore said: Come with me to another place from whence thou mayest see part of Israel, and canst not see them all: curse them from thence.