The Wilderness Years

and the ass saith unto Balaam, `Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden since I was thine unto this day? have I at all been accustomed to do to thee thus?' and he saith, `No.'

And Jehovah uncovereth the eyes of Balaam, and he seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and he boweth and doth obeisance, to his face;

and the messenger of Jehovah saith unto him, `Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? lo, I--I have come out for an adversary, for thy way hath been perverse before me,

and the ass seeth me, and turneth aside at my presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from my presence, surely now also, thee I had slain, and her kept alive.'

And Balaam saith unto the messenger of Jehovah, `I have sinned, for I did not know that thou art standing to meet me in the way; and now, if evil in thine eyes--I turn back by myself.'

And the messenger of Jehovah saith unto Balaam, `Go with the men; and only the word which I speak unto thee--it thou dost speak;' and Balaam goeth with the princes of Balak.

And Balak heareth that Balaam hath come, and goeth out to meet him, unto a city of Moab, which is on the border of Arnon, which is in the extremity of the border;

and Balak saith unto Balaam, `Did I not diligently sent unto thee to call for thee? why didst thou not come unto me? am I not truly able to honour thee?'

And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Lo, I have come unto thee; now--am I at all able to speak anything? the word which God setteth in my mouth--it I do speak.'

And Balaam goeth with Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,

and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who are with him;

and it cometh to pass in the morning, that Balak taketh Balaam, and causeth him to go up the high places of Baal, and he seeth from thence the extremity of the people.

And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Build for me in this place seven altars, and make ready for me in this place seven bullocks and seven rams.'

And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak--Balaam also--offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

and Balaam saith to Balak, `Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me--I have declared to thee;' and he goeth to a high place.

And God cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, `The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;'

and Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

And he turneth back unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `From Aram he doth lead me--Balak king of Moab; From mountains of the east: Come--curse for me Jacob, And come--be indignant with Israel.

What--do I pierce? --God hath not pierced! And what--am I indignant? --Jehovah hath not been indignant!

For from the top of rocks I see it, And from heights I behold it; Lo a people! alone it doth tabernacle, And among nations doth not reckon itself.

Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, And let my last end be like his!'

And Balak saith unto Balaam, `What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee--and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'

and he answereth and saith, `That which Jehovah doth put in my mouth--it do I not take heed to speak?'

And Balak saith unto him, `Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou dost see it, only its extremity thou dost see, and all of it thou dost not see, and pierce it for me thence;'